Plants For Butterfly Gardens

Designing a garden for butterflies must begin with a thoughtfull menu of plants for both caterpillars and adults.

After all, that is mostly what they will come for. And because most of these same plants are aesthetically beautiful, there is an opportunity to create an attractive, vibrant, exciting community of plants and butterflies right outside your door.

The list that follows is only a partial list. Many other native plants could be added. Part of the challenge is to try new species to see what they will bring and the reward will hopefully be more kinds of colorful, fluttering butterflies in your own garden.

These are some excellent starters:

Blazing stars	(Liatris sp.)
Asters	(Aster sp.)
Milkweeds	(Asclepias sp.)
Giant hyssop	(Agastache foeniculum)
Pussytoes	(Antennaria neglecta)
Joe-pye weed	(Eupatorium maculatum)
Sunflowers	(Helianthus sp.)
Wild bergamot	(Monarda fistulosa)
Prairie phlox	(Phlox pilosa)
Mountain mint	(Pycnanthemum virginianum)
Black-eyed susan	(Rudbeckia hirta)
Goldenrods	(Solidago sp.)
Vervains	(Verbena sp.)
Ironweed	(Vernonia sp)
Violets	(Viola sp.)

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