Butterfly Attracting Plants
One of the great joys of having a garden is watching butterflies. On a sunny June or July morning, when the garden is at its peak, butterflies flit from flower to flower in search of nectar and a sunny spot to rest. With this guide, you can select the perfect plants for your dream butterfly garden.
By choosing the right plants and following a few simple guidelines, you can lure many different species to your butterfly garden. Pay extra attention to plant selection, and you can support a full butterfly lifecycle. While flowers produce nectar, specific host plants are needed so butterflies can lay eggs and feed caterpillars when they emerge. See host plants here.
Butterflies begin laying their eggs in late spring and hatch 3-6 days after they are laid. It takes 3-4 weeks for a caterpillar to pupate and 9-14 days to emerge as an adult.
Below, you will find fantastic butterfly-attracting plants.
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Plant Type
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Type
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Asimina triloba – Pawpaw Tree
2022 Tree Of the Year, Missouri's Official State Fruit Tree
Caryopteris – Dark Knight Bluebeard
Showy blue flowers are pollinator magnets.
Caryopteris – Grand Bleu Bluebeard
Showy blue flowers are pollinator magnets.
Echinacea – Dark Shadows Wicked Coneflower
Bright petals contrast against dark cones and stems.
Echinacea – Fresco Apricot Coneflower
A refreshing change in Coneflowers!
Hibiscus lasiocarpus – Rose Mallow
Big showy plant with giant flowers, native perennial.
Rudbeckia laciniata – Cutleaf Coneflower
A Missouri native and Monarch magnet!
Salvia – Blue By You Meadow Sage
2024 Perennial Of The Year, a vast improvement over old varieties.
Salvia – Rose Marvel Meadow Sage
Largest flowers in its class, perennial.
Amelanchier alnifolia – Obelisk Downy Serviceberry
Upright narrow form of Serviceberry, perfect for small spots.
Asclepias incarnata – Swamp Milkweed
Missouri and Illinois native with clouds of pink blossoms.
Asclepias syriaca – Common Milkweed
Essential host plant for Monarch caterpillars. Mo Bot Garden's Plant of Merit winner.
Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly Milkweed
#1 best selling Missouri native perennial.
Asclepias verticillata – Whorled Milkweed
Important food source for Monarch butterflies.
Asimina – Shenandoah Peterson Pawpaw Tree
Abundant tasty fruit can be up to one pound in weight.
Astilbe – Go Go Red Reblooming False Spirea
First Reblooming Red Astilbe! Long-lived Shade perennial.
Cercis – Ruby Falls Redbud
Weeping dwarf with elegant purple heart-shaped leaves and vibrant flowers.
Echinacea – Cara Mia Coral Coneflower
Soft peach petals surround vibrant coral puffs.
Echinacea – Revelation Coral Coneflower
Highly fragrant coral flowers.
Hibiscus – Edge of Night Rose Mallow
Striking jet black foliage and bubblegum pink blossoms on this hardy perennial.
Hibiscus – Summer Carnival Rose Mallow
Bold, beautiful flowers, gorgeous variegated foliage.
Hydrangea – Bobo Panicle Hydrangea
Award-winning tiny shrub with huge white flowers.
Kalimeris – Blue Star
Sky blue blossoms appear for months. Highly recommended. Sun to part sun perennial.
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FILTER THE ITEMS ON THIS PAGE BY:
Plant Type
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Type
Genus
Common Name
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Bloom Time
Height
Uses
Resistance
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