Attracting Butterflies

The garden that attracts butterflies is full of surprises because it is constantly changing. With a little bit of planning you can make your landscape irresistible to these flying flowers while creating a colorful environment that is pleasing to your family as well.

Planning Suggestions

It is important to stress that if you are trying to entice butterflies (as well as hummingbirds and other insect eating birds and bats) to your yard, you will need to give up the use of insecticides / pesticides and many herbicides. Most of these products are broad spectrum, and will kill unwanted insect pests as well as those you are trying to attract. Herbicides may kill the host plants that butterflies use to lay their eggs. That does not mean that you have to let the unwanted insects take over. There are many ways of controlling unwanted insects such as insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, and biological controls (lady bugs, lacewings, and praying mantis) that can be used. There are also the tried and true gardening methods of picking off unwanted insects by hand and disposing of them as well as weeding out unwanted plants by hand. The friendly staff at Gertens can help you make your yard an inviting place for butterflies.

Butterflies are attracted to broad sunlit areas. They enjoy basking in the sun while feeding. The warmth of the sun keeps their body temperature high and allows them to stay active. Simple boulders or flat cut-stone in sunlit areas provide good resting places. A stone wall offers natural shelter from the weather. Butterflies also need shelter from wind and weather which can easily be provided with taller shrubs and trees.

Now it's time to add the plants. Remember, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask a Gertens professional. A progressive garden with plants maturing and setting seeds at different times throughout the season increases your chance of success. Most butterflies are attracted to colors in shades of pink, red purple, yellow, and orange. Arrange your plantings in broad masses rather than a mix of color. Look for flower types with large flat flower heads, or plants with clusters of short tubular flowers. Also, keep in mind that butterflies are not only looking for nectar plants, but host plants on which to lay their eggs.

The following perennials are an easy way to get your butterfly garden started. They are all easy to plant and can be purchased at Gertens. Plant in pattern of your choice.

Achillea 'Fireland'
Allium
Phlox 'David'
Aster 'Professor Kippenburg'
Geranium 'Johnson's Blue'
Hererocallis 'Stella De Oro'
Liatris 'Kobold'
Monarda 'Marshall's Delight'
Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'
Salvia 'East Frieland'
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Nepeta 'Walker's Low'

More Plants to add to your Butterfly Garden

Annuals

Ageratum
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
Aster
Coreopsis
Dahlia
Delphinium (Larkspur)
Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
Impatiens
Ipomoea (Morning Glory)
Papaver (Poppy)
Tagetes (Marigold)
Tropaeolum (Nasturtium)
Verbena
Violas(Pansy)
Zinnias

Perennials

Achillea (Yarrow)
Allium (Ornamental Onion)
Asclepias (Butterfly Flower)
Aster (Hardy Aster – good larval host; fall flower)
Astilbe arendsii (False Spirea)
Bergenia purpurascens (Bergomot)
Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
Centranthus (Jupiter’s Beard)
Coreopsis (Tickseed)
Daisy, Shasta
Delphinium elatum
Dianthus (Pinks - Sweet William)
Echinacea (Coneflower)
Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed)
Liatris (Gayfeather)
Lupinus (Lupine)
Monarda (Bee Balm / Bergamont)
Origanum (Ornamental Oregano – late summer, early fall)
Papaver nudicaule (Iceland Poppy)
Papaver orientale (Oriental Poppy)
Tall Phlox
Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan / Coneflower)
Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower)
Sedum
Solidago (Goldenrod)
Stokesia cyanea (Stokes Aster)

Shrubs

Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet)
Daphne
Forsythia
Fothergilla
Rhododendron
Rosea (Rose)
Spiraea (Spirea)
Syringa (Lilac)
Viburnum
Weigela

Trees

Amelanchier (Chokeberry)
Catalpa
Cornus (Dogwood)
Cercis (Redbud)
Crataegus (Hawthorn)
Malas (Crabapple)
Prunus (Cherry or Plum )
Salix ( Willow )
Sorbus (Mountain Ash)
Tilia ( Linden )

Common Butterflies and Their Host Plants

The following is a list of 14 common butterflies and moths and some of their larval plants:

Monarch Butterfly - Milkweed, Ascelpias
Mourning Cloak - Willow, Salix; Birch, Poplar; Nettles, Urtica
Red Admiral - Nettles, Urtica
Spring Aure - Dogwood; Viburnums; Spirea
Tiger Swallowtail - Willow; Cherry; Linden; Birch leaves
Black Swallowtail - Dill; Carrot; Parsley; Queen Anne's Lace
Painted Lady - Pearly Everlasting Daisy; Hollyhock
Buckeye - Snapdragon; Plantain; Stonecrop
White-lined Sphinx - Virginia Creeper; Grape
Hummingbird Clearwing - Viburnum; Hawthorn; Honeysuckle
Fritillary - Violets
Luna Moth - Hickory; Maple; Oak; Birch
Cecropia Moth - Silver Maple; Maple; Oak; Cherry
Polyphemus Moth - Oak; Hickory; Elm; Maple

Remember, if you have any questions about planting a butterfly garden, just ask your friendly Gertens professional. We also carry a great selection of books on butterfly gardening in our Garden Center.