25 Best Plants for Attracting Butterflies

Bright-colored butterflies not only look beautiful and make your garden feel whimsical, but they also serve as important pollinators. Choosing the best plants for attracting butterflies is an important part of building a habitat that will support the developmental stages of these winged beauties.

How to attract butterflies to your landscape

Butterflies are an essential part of pollinator gardens, and attracting them requires a landscape full of plants that support their life cycle. Butterflies need a place to lay eggs, a larval food source, and nectar to support adult specimens. Keep these tips in mind when planting your butterfly-friendly landscape:

• Consider color and plant type: Butterflies love red, orange, yellow, and pink blooms. They also prefer flat-topped flowers and clusters of blooms with short nectar tubes. 
• Always plant nectar sources in the sun: Butterflies only feed in full sun, so plant your garden’s nectar sources where they receive full sun for most of the day. 
• Go organic: Most insecticides harm beneficial insects like butterflies.
• Don’t neglect caterpillars: Research native host plants in your region and bring those specimens into your landscape. 
• Add hardscaping: Hardscaping, specifically flat stones, gives butterflies a place to rest, warm their wings, and reorient. 
• Include a water source: Butterflies drink from wet sand or soil. Place decorative shallow dishes full of wet sand or soil around your landscape. 

Pro tip: Consider hiring a landscape architect who can help you design the pollinator garden of your dreams. They will consider bloom schedules to provide your butterflies with continuous fresh blooms throughout their active season. 

25 best plants for attracting butterflies

1. Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) 

Anise hyssop resists drought and heat and is unappealing to foraging critters like deer and rabbits. It blooms for weeks through the summer, and bees and butterflies are fond of its spiky flowers, vibrant blue-violet color, and fragrant foliage.

This plant thrives in hot climates and makes a great ornamental specimen. Additionally, it is edible as an herb and its blooms make great additions to cut-flower arrangements. 

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 4-8
• Bloom color:  Lavender to purple
• Mature size: 2-4 feet tall and 1-3 feet wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water 1 inch per week; grows well in moist soils with good drainage
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Adaptable; acidic to alkaline, well-drained, chalk, loam, or sand

2. Aster (Asteraceae) 

Asters produce daisy-shaped flowers in a wide variety of colors. It is a great plant to keep your garden full and colorful until late fall. Asters sport large blooms that serve as an essential late-season food source for migrating butterflies, specifically monarchs.

The eye-catching perennials are also a host plant for various caterpillars. Pearl crescent and painted crescent butterflies are especially fond of asters. It’s a heavy bloomer with compact and disease-resistant variants.

• Growth habit: Herbaceous perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 4-8
• Bloom color:  Blue, purple, pink, white
• Mature size: 3-6 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; may need weekly watering during extreme dry spells; do not tolerate standing water 
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

3. Bee balm (Monarda spp.)

If you are looking for a fragrant addition to your garden to attract butterflies, bee balm is a great option. Its minty fragrance, bright red blooms, and nectar attract all types of beneficial pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. This fragrant perennial is also deer- and rabbit-resistant and has medicinal properties. 

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 4-9
• Bloom color:  Pink, purple, red
• Mature size: 2-4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water every 7-10 days during dry periods
• Season of interest: Spring and summer
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline clay or loam

4. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

This plant is one of the first wildflowers in North America to become a domesticated garden plant. Black-eyed Susan produces golden yellow flowers with black centers that attract plenty of butterflies and serve as a visual delight to onlookers. It’s a long-blooming perennial that also has a unique pattern on its petals. However, the pattern is only visible to butterflies and other insects with ultraviolet vision. 

Black-eyed Susan is native to prairies, woodlands, and meadows. It appeals to many different kinds of butterflies, including pearl crescent, spring azure, great spangled fritillary, and silvery checkerspot butterflies. 

• Growth habit: Annual or perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
• Bloom color:  Golden yellow
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; may need weekly watering during extreme dry spells 
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline clay, loam, or sand

5. Blazing star (Liatris spicata)

Blazing star is an excellent choice to attract butterflies to your garden. It is also called gayfeather and shoots up firework-like flower stalks throughout the summer. The blooms are spiky and attract monarchs, buckeyes, swallowtails, and other pollinators. This North American Prairie native is also very easy to grow and maintain and is a valuable winter food source for small native mammals and birds.

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
• Bloom color:  White, lavender, purplish-pink
• Mature size: 1-3 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water 1 inch per week; intolerant of standing water 
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

6. Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii)

Bluestar gets its name from its blue, star-shaped blooms that open on spring’s arrival. It’s an excellent addition to butterfly gardens and xeriscapes thanks to its drought tolerance and low-maintenance needs. 

Bluestar has a clumping growth habit, producing clusters of blue flowers. The long-lasting blooms grow atop leafy stems. Bluestar thrives as specimen plants, in rock gardens, or mixed perennial borders. 

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 5-8
• Bloom color:  Blue, purple
• Mature size: 2-3 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Water 1 inch per week
• Season of interest: Spring to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

7. Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)

The butterfly bush is a full shrub that boasts colorful flowers to attract butterflies and other pollinators. It’s a delightfully low-maintenance plant and a fast grower, making it one of the best plants for beginners.

This aptly named plant attracts a wide variety of butterflies, including several types of fritillaries, swallowtails, skippers, and painted lady. It bears sweet-smelling flowers that bloom in compact clusters. These deciduous shrubs grow haphazardly, so if you’re going for a groomed look in your butterfly garden, opt for a dwarf specimen with a compact habit. 

• Growth habit: Shrub
• USDA hardiness zone: 5-10
• Bloom color:  Purple, pink, blue, yellow, white, bicolored
• Mature size: 3-4 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; does not require supplemental watering; water once every other week during dry periods
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

8. Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Butterfly weed is a type of milkweed. The stems and leaves of this incredible plant serve as landing pads for butterflies, while the flowers provide nectar. Butterfly weed produces bright orange blooms and is drought-tolerant. 

It’s also a tough plant; you won’t have to worry about its growing conditions or maintenance. Butterfly weed is essential for pollinator gardens, especially if you’re attracting the endangered monarch butterfly. Monarch larvae feed solely on milkweed, and experts use it for their conservation. 

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
• Bloom color:  Purple, pink, yellow, orange, white
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Semi drought-tolerant; prefers to dry out between waterings
• Season of interest: Summer 
• Soil preferences: Well-drained, acidic to neutral clay, loam, or sand

9. Coneflower (Echinacea)

Coneflower is a great choice for your garden to attract a large number of butterflies. The plant develops large, enticing blooms that attract a variety of wildlife, too. It’s a useful plant that makes nectar for butterflies, while its dried stalks and seed heads attract winter songbirds and mammals.

Coneflower is a drought-resistant perennial that stands up well to harsh winter conditions. These plants are excellent for water-conscious planting and also work well for rain gardens. They adapt to wet-dry soil cycles, humidity, heat, and drought. Additionally, you can plant coneflowers practically anywhere in the U.S. 

• Growth habit: Perennial 
• USDA hardiness zone: 3-8
• Bloom color:  Orange, white, pink, purple, red, yellow
• Mature size: 2-3 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water weekly during extreme dry periods
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Well-drain, acidic to alkaline chalk, loam, or sand

10. Coreopsis (Coreopsis)

Coreopsis, also known as tickseed, produces fern-like, deep green foliage and beautiful yellow flowers that bloom in abundance all summer. You can also prolong your blooming season with regular pruning and vigorous deadheading. 

Coreopsis is deer- and drought-tolerant, which makes it perfect for all kinds of gardens. The little yellow flowers and nectar-filled centers also attract bees and other pollinators.

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
• Bloom color:  Yellow, red, pink, orange, white
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water weekly during extreme dry periods
• Season of interest: Summer
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to neutral chalk, loam, or sand

11. Egyptian Star Flower (Pentas lanceolata)

Egyptian star flower is irresistible to hummingbirds and butterflies. It produces eye-catching, star-shaped flowers. These flowers bloom in clusters throughout the summer and serve as a consistent nectar source for a wide variety of pollinators. 

Egyptian star flower thrives in hot climates and withstands drought. They are the perfect addition to beds, borders, and containers. Additionally, cut flowers work great in long-lasting flower arrangements. 

• Growth habit: Perennial subshrub
• USDA hardiness zone: 10-11
• Bloom color:  Lavender, pink
• Mature size: 2-3 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Maintain moist soil
• Season of interest: All-season
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

12. Floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum)

A member of the aster family, this plant is easy to grow and blooms for a good part of the year. It produces clusters of puffy, pom-pom-shaped flowers with attractive colors, and its fragrant aroma and nectar draw in a variety of adult butterflies. 

Floss flowers are low-maintenance annuals that thrive in containers as well as garden beds. Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in a single growing season. These types of plants are great for gardeners who like to change their flowers regularly for something different.

• Growth habit: Annual
• USDA hardiness zone: 3-11
• Bloom color: Lavender, blue, pink, red, purple, white
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Water one inch per week
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

13. Goldenrod (Solidago)

Another member of the aster family, bright yellow goldenrod flowers bloom in the late summer. The showy perennial with its plume-shaped blooms grows along meadows, roadsides, and woodlands. It will attract dozens of butterflies to your yard too, and it is an important nectar source for pollinators. 

Monarch, painted lady, viceroy, and red admiral are some of the butterfly species that are drawn to goldenrod. It is also popular for its health benefits and is widely used for inflammation and pain reduction. 

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
• Bloom color:  Yellow
• Mature size: 1-6 feet
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water one inch per week during dry periods 
• Season of interest: Late summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to neutral clay, loam, and sand

14. Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

Hollyhock produces large, open-faced blooms that attract a wide variety of butterflies. It is a host plant and food source and a popular choice for cottage gardens. Hollyhock supports all butterfly developmental stages. However, the perennial is short-lived and often considered a biennial.  

Hollyhock prefers full sun, like butterflies, The showy perennial is susceptible to several pests and diseases and also requires shelter from wind. 

• Growth habit: Biennial or short-lived perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
• Bloom color:  Pink, peach, purple, white, yellow, red
• Mature size: 6-8 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water one inch per week during dry periods 
• Season of interest: Mid to late summer 
• Soil preferences: Well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, loam, or sand

15. Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)

Named after a Native American herbalist, Joe-Pye weed is a late-season bloomer that keeps your garden looking green and lush for most of the year. This plant produces clusters of frilly flowers that are particularly attractive to large butterfly species like swallowtails. It grows tall and loves moisture-rich soils.

The flower plumes serve as a nectar source for many butterflies, including migrating monarchs. Find this vigorous grower in streams, roadside ditches, woodlands, and meadows.

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 4-10
• Bloom color:  Purple, pink
• Mature size: 4-7 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide
• Water needs: Maintain consistent soil moisture 
• Season of interest: Mid-summer to fall 
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

16. Lantana (Lantana)

This perennial shrub produces clusters of beautiful blooms in a variety of eye-catching hues. It grows well in containers or planted in the garden. It can tolerate an impressive amount of heat and attracts butterflies with its alluring scent.

Lantana, also known as shrub verbena, blooms continuously through the summer. Monarch, cabbage white, red admiral, swallowtails, and skippers are some butterfly species that love to feed on its delectable nectar 

• Growth habit: Perennial shrub
• USDA hardiness zone: 10-11
• Bloom color:  Single, bicolored, purple, pink, orange, coral, red, white, yellow
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Maintain consistent soil moisture
• Season of interest: Late spring to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

17. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Lavender’s purple flowers and silverish leaves are butterfly magnets. These flowers have an enchanting fragrance that is also used for aromatherapy. Lavender blooms early and keeps blooming until the first hard frost, making it an essential perennial for every butterfly-friendly space.

The upright flower spikes, gray-green foliage, and compact growth habit are also easy to care for throughout the season. Lavender is mostly pest-free but be on the lookout for fungal disease during wet weather. It’s also deer and rabbit-resistant due to its strong fragrance. 

• Growth habit: Perennial herb
• USDA hardiness zone: 5-8
• Bloom color:  Purple
• Mature size: 2-3 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water one inch per week
• Season of interest: Late spring to midsummer
• Soil preferences: Well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, loam, or sand

18. Marigold (Calendula officinalis)

These brightly colored daisy-like flowers are sure to lure plenty of butterflies to your garden. Marigolds are easy to grow, making them a great plant for the kiddos to help with and it’s also one of the most inexpensive plants for attracting butterflies. 

They are also edible with a slightly bitter, tangy, peppery flavor and are great for adding color to salads and other dishes. Marigolds also have some medicinal uses. They can be used to make a salve for healing sunburn, chapped lips, minor burns, cuts, and scrapes.

• Growth habit: Annual
• USDA hardiness zone: 2-11
• Bloom color:  Yellow, orange, red
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Water one inch per week
• Season of interest: Spring to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline clay, loam, or sand

19. Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

Phlox has a clumping growth habit and produces long-lasting, fragrant blooms throughout the summer. It comes in a wide range of forms, colors, and sizes and is a reliable source of nectar.

The star-shaped flowers grow in clusters and appeal to many butterfly species, including clouded sulfur, silvery checkerspot, and swallowtails. Phlox grows well in full sun to light shade and makes a great addition to groupings or borders. 

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 4-8
• Bloom color:  Pink, orange, coral, blue, red, yellow, white
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Water one inch per week
• Season of interest: Summer 
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, or loam

20. Sage (Salvia)

Sage is a low-maintenance perennial herb. It produces pollinator-friendly blooms that last for weeks. Sage tolerates dense soil, and drought, and is deer-resistant. It’s also a mint relative and develops long-lasting, scented foliage. 

The flowers have a tubular or spiky appearance and appeal to an array of butterfly species, including cabbage white, American lady, and different types of skippers, sulfurs, and swallowtails. 

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 8-10
• Bloom color:  Blue, purple, pink, red, white, yellow
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; does not require supplemental watering except during extreme dry periods
• Season of interest: Late spring to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, loam, or sand

21. Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)

A cottage garden staple, the shasta daisy is both a nectar source and a host plant for dozens of butterfly species. It’s a cheerful plant that blooms all summer and can sometimes extend into the early fall with its wide-spreading stems. 

This traditional-looking daisy with its yellow center and white petals is moderately drought tolerant but prefers regular watering. Deer and rabbits usually stay away from Shasta daisies and are not recommended for pet owners as they are toxic to dogs and cats.

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
• Bloom color:  White
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide
• Water needs: Water one inch per week; does not tolerate soggy soil or standing water
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

22. Stonecrop (Sedum)

Stonecrop is a tough, drought-tolerant perennial that has thick, succulent leaves. It comes in various shapes, sizes, and colors and has tall and short variants that are both loved by butterflies. Its star-shaped, nectar-rich flowers attract species like American-painted ladies, silver-spotted skippers, and buckeyes butterflies. 

• Growth habit: Perennial
• USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
• Bloom color:  Pink, purple, yellow, white, red
• Mature size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
• Water needs: Water weekly during the summer months
• Season of interest: Summer to winter
• Soil preferences: Well-drained, alkaline to neutral chalk, loam, or sand

23. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

If any plant can pull a garden together, it’s the sunflower. These stately flowers are attractive to a wide range of pollinators, with their large, disc-shaped flowers. Their blooms are filled with nectar that feeds dozens of butterfly species, including the endangered monarch.

The large, abundant foliage also makes an excellent food source for caterpillars. It’s easy to grow and maintain, which makes it a great plant for beginners.

• Growth habit: Annual
• USDA hardiness zone: 2-11
• Bloom color:  Yellow
• Mature size: 9-12 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; water weekly for the best blooms
• Season of interest: Summer
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, alkaline to neutral chalk, clay, loam, or sand

24. Tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis)

Tall verbena produces clusters of small flowers in various pinkish-purple hues. These happy clusters and their sweet smell attract bees and butterflies. Tall verbena blooms continuously through the warm months. 

Hummingbirds are also attracted to this rapidly growing plant. Tall Verbena is drought-, deer-, and rabbit-tolerant and works great in mass plantings, small groups, beds, and borders. It’s generally resistant to insect or disease issues, other than powdery mildew.

• Growth habit: Tender perennial or annual
• USDA hardiness zone: 7-11
• Bloom color:  Pink, purple, lavender
• Mature size: 3-6 feet tall and 1-3 feet wide
• Water needs: Drought-tolerant; does not require supplemental watering
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained, acidic to alkaline chalk, clay, loam, or sand

25. Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

Gardeners everywhere love this beautiful annual. Zinnias blooms in a range of colors and thrives in the warm, summer months. It grows well in containers, beds, and borders to lure butterflies and bees. It’s an easy-care, low-maintenance plant that rewards you with extended blooms until frost. It also makes a great addition to cut flower arrangements. 

• Growth habit: Annual
• USDA hardiness zone: 2-11
• Bloom color:  Pink, yellow, peach, purple, orange, red, white
• Mature size: 1-4 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide
• Water needs: Maintain moist soil; water six inches deep twice a week
• Season of interest: Summer to fall
• Soil preferences: Well-drained, acidic to neutral chalk, clay, loam, or sand

FAQ about attracting butterflies to your landscape

Why are butterflies good for your garden?

Of course, there are obvious reasons, they add color and beauty. But they are also good for the environment.

• Butterflies pollinate your plants so they can reproduce. 
• They indicate a healthy ecosystem.
• They are part of the natural food chain and an important food source for birds, lizards, frogs, and toads.

What plants should I avoid?

Avoid using non-native and invasive plants in your pollinator-friendly garden, including: 

• Black swallow-wort: This invasive plant is toxic to monarch butterflies. It is particularly dangerous because it is related to milkweed, which monarchs need to reproduce. Butterflies often mistake it for milkweed, leading to their demise. 
• Invasive plants: These plants squeeze out native species necessary for local pollinators, reducing your landscape’s biodiversity.

How can I provide a water source for butterflies in my landscape? 

Birdbaths and fountains aren’t always practical. Instead, set up a shallow dish filled with soil or sand. Wet the mixture to create a muddy puddle butterflies can sip from. 

Get help attracting butterflies to your garden

Creating and maintaining a healthy habitat for butterflies takes a lot of work. Understanding butterfly-attracting plants only gets you so far. If you need help designing your pollinator’s paradise, let Lawn Love connect you with a local landscaping pro who can help you create and maintain your butterfly garden. 

Main photo credit: Pexels