Butterfly Gardening
Some Tips for Creating a Butterfly Garden
- Select a sunny location and one that is preferably blocked by wind.
- Provide a water source such as a shallow bird bath, dish or “puddling area” (a mud puddle or wet patch of soil)
- Plant denser shrubs or create brush piles near the garden to provide places of protection
- Plant native shrubs and wildflowers that provide nectar (see a list of suggestions below)
- Do not use pesticides
Plants Butterflies Like to Visit
Did you know that Showy Milkweed is the only host plant for Monarch Butterflies?
Other Perennials for Butterflies
- Baptisia (False Indigo)
- Centauria (Cornflower)
- Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)
- Hemerocallis (Daylily)
- Monarda (Bee Balm)
- Nepeta (Catmint)
- Penstemon
- Phlox
- Salvia (Sage)
- Solidago (Goldenrod)
Shrubs & Trees for Butterflies
- Abelia
- Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
- Ceanothus (California Lilac)
- Clethra
- Ligustrum (Privet)
- Philadelphus lewissi (Mock Orange)
- Physocarpus opulifolius (Ninebark)
- Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Currant)
- Spirea
- Syringa (Lilac)
All photos by Phillip Oliver unless otherwise noted
