When people talk about what to grow to attract butterflies to your garden the first plant that springs to mind is the Buddleia or Butterfly Bush. While it is true that butterflies are attracted to this shrub, there is a problem in that it is regarded as an invasive plant in some areas and so not to be encouraged. Fortunately there several native flowers which are also butterfly friendly as Benjamin Vogt explains in this article which I found on the Houzz website.
There?s nothing in the world like following a butterfly around a flower patch. They flit and dive as wind-carried floral scents call them in, and then they balance on a bloom, methodically seeking out nectar. But like so many pollinators, butterflies are under a lot of pressure, from habitat loss and a changing climate to the proliferation of pesticides and weed killers. It?s tough being a butterfly.
We can do a lot to welcome and learn about butterflies in home landscapes ? even one aster can make a meaningful difference. It?s important to use plants native to your location since they will support the kinds of wildlife that need them and require less maintenance when properly sited. Here is a selection of superb native flowers that attract butterflies, moths and other pollinators.1. Golden Alexanders
(Zizia aurea)
Native from eastern North Dakota south to eastern Texas and east to the Atlantic, from Maine to northern FloridaBlooming in mid-to-late spring, golden Alexanders welcomes a cornucopia of early-season pollinators, mainly small native bees, seeking pollen. Golden Alexanders also serves as a year-round host plant for black swallowtails.Give it a little room to spread, as it does so by seed, and you?ll see an impressive drift of blooms that butterflies will notice from a distance.Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone)
Water requirement: Slightly dry to slightly moist soil
Light requirement: Full sun to partial sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide2. Swamp Milkweed
(Asclepias incarnata)
Native in parts of all U.S. states except Washington, Oregon and California (West Coast gardeners can consider A. speciosa, among others)Contrary to its name, swamp milkweed enjoys more habitats than just swamps ? even a partly sunny spot with medium to slightly dry soil will work.Milkweeds are hosts to the monarch butterfly and many other species, including tussock moths, milkweed beetles and milkweed bugs. Of the roughly 100 milkweed species in the U.S., most folks say they see the most monarch egg laying on swamp milkweeds.The blooms, which appear in the early-to-mid summer, emit a spicy vanilla scent and require a complex set of actions to be properly pollinated.Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Moist to medium soil
Light requirement: Full sun to partial sun
Mature size: 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
Go to the next page to see more butterfly friendly native plants.
Beautiful!!!
Beautiful