Butterfly Garden Plants
Plant |
Type |
Height |
Colors |
Bloom Time |
Notes |
Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) |
Biennial |
24-60 |
All colors |
July-August |
Caterpillar host. |
Dill (Anethum graveolens) |
Herb |
36-60 |
|
|
Caterpillar host. |
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) |
Perennial |
18-24 |
Any |
July-August |
May be slow to appear in spring; be patient. |
Milkweed (Asclepias species) |
Perennial |
36 |
Pink, orange |
July-August |
Monarch attractor for both caterpillars and adults. |
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) |
Perennial |
36-60 |
Pink, purple, red |
July-August |
Tall flower spikes; prune in spring. |
Marigold (Calendula) |
Annual |
6-24” |
Red, gold |
May-September |
Attracts skippers. |
Common Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) |
Annual |
12-36” |
Purple, white, pink |
June-August |
Easy flower to grow. |
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea |
Perennial |
|
Pink, purple |
July-August |
Attracts a large variety of butterflies and skippers. |
Joe Pye Weed (Euphatorium) |
Perennial |
24-48 |
White, pink, cream, purple |
July-September |
#1 butterfly attractor in northern Minnesota |
Lantana (Lantana camara) |
Annual |
12-24” |
All colors |
June-August |
Plants tend to spread out. Trim as needed. Fertilize regularly. |
Prairie Blazingstar (Liatris pycnostachya or L. aspera) |
Perennial |
36-48 |
Pink |
July |
Monarch attractor, as well as several other species. |
Common Mallow (Malva species) |
Perennial |
24-36 |
Pink, purple |
July-August |
Caterpillar host. |
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) |
Perennial |
15-48 |
Pink and purple |
July-August |
Allow plenty of space and keep weeds down to prevent mildew. |
Oregano (Origanum vulgare) |
Herb |
12 |
|
July-September |
Allow to bloom. |
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) |
Herb |
12 |
|
|
Caterpillar host. |
Sedum Autumn Joy |
Perennial |
6-12” |
Choose Autumn Joy variety |
August-September |
Attracts monarchs, blues, and viceroy. |
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) |
Perennial |
36-48 |
Purple, blue, white, pink |
August-Frost |
May need staking. |
Clover (Trifolium species) |
Grass |
4-12” |
Red, white |
June-August |
Caterpillar host; nectar plant for adults. |
Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) |
Annual |
Spreads up to 36 inches |
Pink, purple |
June-August |
Spreads and blooms profusely. One of the top three butterfly attractors. |
Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) |
Annual |
12-36” |
Blue, purple, red, yellow |
June-August |
Large flowers make a nice resting place for butterflies. |