Butterfly Plants

• What’s your growing zone? Use the zone filter above. Most of our butterfly plants are hardy from zone 3 to zone 9.
• How much sun does the spot get? Most butterflies feed in full sun, and they warm their wings in it too. Plant nectar flowers where they get six or more hours of direct sun.
• Do you have host plants? Pick at least one host plant for the butterflies you want to see. Monarchs need milkweed, and fritillaries need violets.

Milkweed and Butterfly Weed are the only plants monarch caterpillars eat. Without them, monarchs can’t breed in your yard. Butterfly weed’s bright orange flowers also feed adult swallowtails, fritillaries and skippers all summer. Violets host fritillary caterpillars, and Black-Eyed Susan hosts checkerspots. Expect a few chewed leaves; that means the plants are doing their job.

Flowers That Attract Butterflies

Adult butterflies look for clusters of flat or tubular flowers in bright purple, pink, orange and yellow. Purple Coneflower and Blazing Star are two of the best butterfly magnets for summer. Black-Eyed Susan and Blanket Flower keep blooming into fall, when migrating monarchs need fuel. In early spring, Virginia Bluebell feeds the first swallowtails of the year.

Plants That Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies

Some plants pull double duty. Cardinal Flower brings hummingbirds and swallowtails to wet, sunny spots in late summer. Butterfly Weed and Purple Coneflower draw both. Trumpet Vine and Indian Pink are hummingbird favorites that round out the garden. See our pollinator plants and birding plants for more.

How to Plan a Butterfly Garden

Plant nectar flowers in groups of three to five so butterflies can spot them from the air. Choose plants that bloom in spring, summer and fall so there’s always something to eat. Skip insecticides, including systemic products on nursery plants, since anything that kills pests also kills caterpillars. Add a few flat stones for basking and a patch of damp sand or mud for “puddling,” where butterflies sip minerals.

When Butterfly Plants Ship

We ship butterfly plants bare root, freshly dug and packed ready for planting. Fall and early spring are the best times to plant, so roots settle in before summer heat. See our planting instructions for step-by-step help.

FAQ  

What is the best plant to attract butterflies? Milkweed. It feeds adult butterflies with nectar and is the only plant monarch caterpillars eat. For pure nectar, purple coneflower and blazing star draw the most visits.

What plants attract hummingbirds and butterflies? Butterfly weed, purple coneflower and cardinal flower attract both. Add trumpet vine and Indian pink for extra hummingbird traffic.

What is the host plant for the monarch butterfly? Milkweed. Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants, including butterfly weed, and their caterpillars eat only milkweed leaves.

What is the difference between a host plant and a nectar plant? Nectar plants feed adult butterflies with their flowers. Host plants are the specific plants butterflies lay eggs on, and their caterpillars eat the leaves. A butterfly garden needs both.

Should I plant butterfly bush? We recommend native nectar plants instead. Butterfly bush feeds adults but hosts no caterpillars, and it’s invasive in several states. Butterfly weed, coneflower and blazing star feed butterflies just as well.

How do I attract more butterflies to my yard? Plant host plants as well as flowers, grow in full sun, plant in groups, choose blooms for every season, and avoid pesticides.

Do you ship butterfly plants outside Tennessee? Yes. We grow in Tennessee and ship nationwide.

What if my plant doesn’t arrive alive? Every order comes with our live-arrival guarantee. See our warranty for details.