Butterfly Nectar Plants

Below is a list of favorite nectar plants that will bring enjoyment to both the gardener and the butterfly!
     Creating a Butterfly Garden involves planning your garden to attract, retain, and encourage butterfly populations to visit. You should select a variety of nectar-producing plants with the goal of providing flowers in bloom throughout the season. This will encourage a continuous succession of new visitors to your butterfly garden. It is especially important to have flowers in mid to late summer, when most butterflies are active. Flowers with multiple florets that produce abundant nectar are ideal. Butterfly Bush and Butterfly Weed are some of the most popular flowers used by butterfly gardeners.
     For best results, plant your butterfly garden in full sun and plant the tallest flowers behind the shorter ones--so you'll be able to see all the flowers and butterflies that appear in your garden. It's important to refrain from the use of chemical insecticides, which will kill the butterflies you attract.

You can add a Butterfly Feeder to your garden to compliment your nectar plants

Butterfly Shrubs and Trees

• Abelia, glossy (Abelia)
• Autumn olive (Elaegnus umbellata)
• Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora; A. pavia)
• Buddleia (Buddleia davidii)
• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
• Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
• Blueberry (Vaccinium species)
• Hawthorn (Crataegus species)
• Mock orange (Philadelphus species)
• New Jersey tea (Canothus americanus)
• Pear (Pyrus communis)
• Plum (Prunus species)
• Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
• Redbud (Cercis)
• Rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
• Silverling (Baccharis species)
• Spiraea (Spiraea species)
• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
• Viburnum (Viburnum species)
   

Butterfly Flowers: Annuals

• Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)
• Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)
• Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana)
• Marigold, French (Tagetes patula)
• Mexican sunflower (Tithonia species)
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
• Sunflower (Helianthus species)
• Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)
• Verbena (Verbena species)
• Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
   

Wildflowers for Butterflies

• Butterfly weed (A. tuberosa)
• Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)
• Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)
• Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
• New England asters (Aster novae-anglicae)
• Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
• Thistles (Centaurea spp. and Cirsium spp.)
• Verbena (Verbena spp.)

Butterfly Flowers: Perennials

• Ageratum (Ageratum)
• Aster (Aster species)
• Bee-balm (Monarda didyma)
• Black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia species)
• Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides)
• Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
• Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
• Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
• Coreopsis (Coreopsis species)
• Daisy, Shasta (Chrysanthemum maximum)
• Daylily (Hemerocallis species)
• False indigo (Baptisia australis)
• Gayfeather (Liatris species)
• Goldenrod (Solidago species)
• Hibiscus (Hibiscus species)
• Hollyhock (Althaea rosea)
• Ironweed (Vernonia species)
• Lantana (Lantana camara, L. species)
• Leadplant (Amorpha fruticosa)
• Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis)
• Milkweed (Asclepias species)
• Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum species)
• Passion flower (Passiflora species)
• Phlox (Phlox paniculata, P. carolina)
• Sage (Salvia leucantha; Salvia species)
• Sedum (Sedum species)
• Verbena (Verbena species)
• Yarrow (Achillea species)
      

Other Wildflowers:

Some weedy wildflowers are not appropriate for formal garden settings, but could be used in a wild patch: Milkweed (Asclepias species), dogbane, Goldenrod (Solidago species), Ironweed (Vernonia spp.), Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum), nettles, and Thistles (Cirsium species)