Imagine a garden without the flutter of butterfly wings—it would feel empty, wouldn’t it? With their kaleidoscopic wings, butterflies aren’t just a feast for the eyes; they play a pivotal role in the cycle of pollination. Crafting a garden that captivates both human senses and butterflies’ discerning tastes involves selecting flora that dazzles and nourishes.
By choosing plants that serve dual purposes—offering nectar for the graceful adults and plants that caterpillars need for growth—you create an oasis that beckons these winged wonders.
In their adult form, butterflies seek out nectar to sip on, fluttering from bloom to bloom in a delicate dance of survival. Yet, their young, the caterpillars, are bound to the land, dependent on a very specific nursery of sorts: their host plant. This plant, chosen by their mothers to lay her eggs on, becomes their sole food source when the caterpillars hatch.
It’s a fascinating life cycle, one that your garden can support. It can enrich the biodiversity of your backyard while providing a front-row seat to one of nature’s most enchanting shows.
Below are thirty-three native perennials (and a few annuals) that butterflies prefer for nectar and host plants. (Follow this link for a list of specific butterfly species and their preferred host plants.) Please take care never to apply insecticides to butterfly habitats. Also see: Native annuals for butterflies
(* A special thanks to all the excellent photographers who generously allow their images to be used to enhance pages like this.)
Nectar perennials for butterflies
| Aster (Aromatic, New England, Smooth, et al.) |
| Aster spp. |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late spring–Early fall |
| Zones: 3–9 |
| Black-eyed Susan |
| Rudbeckia hirta |
| Annual, Perennial |
| Bloom time: Mid-summer–Early-fall |
| Zones 5–10 |
| Blazing Star (Dense, Prairie, et al.) |
| Liatris spp. |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Mid-spring–Early-fall |
| Zones 3–10 |
| Blue False Indigo |
| Baptisia australis |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late spring–Mid-summer |
| Zones: 3–10 |
| Boneset (aka Snakeroot, Thoroughwort) |
| Eupatorium perfoliatum |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Early fall–Late fall |
| Zones 3–9 |
| Butterfly Weed |
| Asclepias tuberosa |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Mid-summer–Early-fall |
| Zones: 4–10 |
| Cardinal Flower |
| Lobelia cardinalis |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late summer–Early fall |
| Zones: 2–10 |
| Copper Iris |
| Iris fulva |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Early spring–Spring |
| Zones: 5–11 |
| Daisy Fleabane |
| Erigeron annuus |
| Annual or biennial |
| Bloom time: Mid-spring–Mid-summer |
| Zones: 2–8 |
| Dogbane |
| Apocynum cannabinum |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Summer |
| Zones: 2–8 |
| Downy Phlox |
| Phlox pilosa |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Mid-spring |
| Zones: 4–9 |
| Goldenrod (Showy, Carolina Moonlight, et al.) |
| Solidago spp. (can be invasive) |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Varies; most in late-summer–Fall |
| Zones: 2–8 |
| Great Blue Lobelia |
| Lobelia siphilitica |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late summer–Early fall |
| Zones: 3–9 |
| Indian Blanket |
| Gaillardia pulchella |
| Annual |
| Bloom time: Summer–Early-fall |
| Zones: 3–9 |
| Joe-Pye Weed |
| Eupatorium fistulosum |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Mid-summer–Early-fall |
| Zones: 3–8 |
| Lanceleaf Coreopsis |
| Coreopsis Ianceolata |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late spring–Mid-summer |
| Zones: 4–9 |
| Spotted Jewelweed |
| Impatiens capensis |
| Annual |
| Bloom time: Mid-summer–Early-fall |
| Everywhere except arid regions |
| Lupine (Sundial, Perennial, et al.) |
| Lupinus spp. |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Spring–Summer |
| Zones: 3–9 |
| Milkweed (Marsh, Rose, Swamp, Purple, et al.) |
| Asclepias spp. |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Varies |
| Zones 2–9 |
| Missouri Primrose |
| Oenothera missouriensis |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late spring–Early-summer |
| Zones: 4–8 |
| Native Yellow Honeysuckle |
| Lonicera flava |
| Perennial vine (avoid non-native bush variety) |
| Bloom time: Spring |
| Zones: 4–9 |
| Phlox |
| Phlox spp. |
| Annual, Perennial |
| Bloom time: Spring |
| Zones: 2–10 |
| Purple Coneflower et al. |
| Echinacea spp. |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Summer–Late-fall |
| Zones: 3–9 |
| Purple Poppy Mallow |
| Callirhoe involucata |
| Perennial |
| Bloom Time: Early spring–Mid-summer |
| Zones: 3–9 |
| Red Thistle |
| Cirsium occidentale |
| Biennial |
| Bloom time: Spring |
| Zones: 2–9 |
| Scarlet Sage |
| Salvia coccinea |
| Annual |
| Bloom time: Summer–Fall |
| Zones: 4–9 |
| Spiked Gayfeather |
| Liatris spicata |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Mid-summer–Late-summer |
| Zones: 3–10 |
| Sunflower (Common, Plains, Woodland, et al.) |
| Helianthus spp. |
| Annual, Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late summer–Fall |
| Zones 3–9 |
| Swamp Rose Mallow |
| Hibiscus Moscheutos |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late-summer |
| Zones 5–8 |
| Verbena (Rose, Pink, Southwestern, et al.) |
| Verbena spp. |
| Annual, Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late summer–Early fall |
| Zones: 3–8 |
| Wild Ageratum (aka Blue Mistflower) |
| Eupatorium coelestinum |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late summer–Early fall |
| Zones: 5–9 |
| Wild Geranium |
| Geranium maculatum |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Late spring–mid-summer |
| Zones: 3–8 |
| Yarrow (Common, Mountain) |
| Achillea spp. |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time: Mid-summer–Fall |
| Zones: 1–11 |
More reading:
Native plants for hummingbirds
Attract butterflies to your yard
General anatomy of insects
In your yard: butterfly species
Guidelines for collecting seeds
Online native plant nursery: Prairie Nursery
