32 Plants to Attract Butterflies to Your Yard, from Asters to Milkweed

Butterflies need both larval host plants and nectar-rich flowers

Attracting butterflies to your yard and garden is a great goal—these pretty pollinators not only look lovely, but help provide some support to bees and hummingbirds in pollinating your plants.

Here, we round up 32 annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees that attract different butterfly species.

Before You Get Planting

It takes more than plants with pretty flowers to attract butterflies. Most butterflies will come for a short visit to feed on the nectar of flowers, but if you want them to become permanent residents in your yard, you also need to provide them with the right host plants to reproduce.

Some butterflies only lay their eggs on a single plant species. The most famous host-specific butterfly is the monarch, which relies entirely on milkweed. The larger the variety of host plants in your yard, the more diverse the butterflies that will find their way to your yard.

Invasive Species

Despite its name, butterfly bush is not a good choice to attract butterflies because of its invasiveness. Butterfly bush is classified as invasive in many states and banned in Washington, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Even though there is a sterile cultivar, it is not known to have any value as a host plant for butterflies.

32 Plants to Attract Butterflies

Milkweed

Plants in the milkweed family are the single most important source of food for the threatened monarch butterfly. By planting it in your yard, you make an important contribution to the continued existence of the species.

Make sure to pick milkweed species that are native to your region. In northern climates, tropical milkweed hurts monarch migration.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant for: Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Monarch (Danaus plexippus), eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Aster

Asters bloom in the late summer and fall when many other perennials are long past their prime. With so many aster varieties available, it can be difficult to make a choice; selecting a native variety such as New England aster instead of a hybrid is always preferable if you want to attract butterflies and other pollinators.

There is one exception: white wood asters do not serve as a host plant for the pearl crescent.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant for: Pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos), painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Painted lady (Vanessa cardui), viceroy (Limenitis archippus), gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanilla), monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Bidens

Also known as beggarticks, these are perennial plants in warmer climates and annuals in northern climates. Bidens are prolific bloomers with yellow or orange daisy-like blooms. They thrive in rich soil with sufficient drainage and tolerate drought and heat relatively well.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11

• Light: Full sun

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Birch Tree

Despite their relatively short lifespan compared to other hardwood trees, birch trees are commonly used in landscaping. There are several native species, the smallest one, bog birch (Betula pumila), is a clump-forming shrub that thrives in wet sites.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9

• Light: Full sun to part shade

• Larval Host Plant For: Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Black Cherry Tree

Gardeners are often reluctant to plant this native tree because of its rapid growth, suckering, and susceptibility to pests and diseases. Its value as a larval host plant for butterflies, however, is undeniable.

To keep it under control, cut it to the ground every two to three years, which keeps it at a shrub size. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-8

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant For: Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), coral hairstreak (Satyrium titus), spring azure (Celastrina ladon)

Blazing Star

This long-blooming perennial wildflower is native to eastern North America. It has highly unusual flower heads featuring tiny star-like blossoms arranged around a long upright bottle-brush spire. The grass-like leaves are narrow and inconspicuous but turn an attractive bronze color in the fall. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9

• Light: Full sun

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Monarch (Danaus plexippus), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Butterfly Weed

This member of the milkweed genus is fairly slow to become established and does not bloom the first year; in fact, it may take as long as three years before it flowers. Once the bright orange-to-yellow flower clusters appear, they last from late spring until late summer for about two months. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9

• Light: Full sun

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Dill

Pay close attention when you cut dill for cooking next time—there is a good chance that the beautiful brightly striped caterpillar of the eastern black swallowtail has made its home on the plant.

Make sure to always leave some dill standing for the caterpillars and sow dill seeds every few weeks to keep it growing in your garden all summer and into the early fall.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: Annual

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant for: Eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Flowering Dogwood

Flowering dogwood is a small tree with a low branching habit. It is the most striking in the early spring when it is covered with white, pink, or red flowers but it also offers an attractive fall color when the dark green leaves turn red in fall. This is a good specimen tree for a location with acidic soil and afternoon shade. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Larval Host Plant for: Spring azure (Celastrina ladon), summer azure (Celastrina neglecta)

Golden Alexander

A short-lived perennial, this native wildflower is found across eastern North America. It blooms in May and June. The flat-topped, bright yellow starburst umbel with tiny flowers makes an attractive feature in the landscape.

Golden Alexander forms small colonies, with the fibrous roots forming a dense cluster. It is fairly free of problems from pests and is also relatively deer-resistant. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant for: Eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Goldenrod

Tall and slim with fluffy golden flower spikes in various shades of yellow, goldenrod is hard to miss in the landscape. Once regarded as a weed, goldenrod is increasingly valued as a tough perennial that thrives even in poor soil. With many species and cultivars in different sizes to choose from you’ll easily find one that fits your space.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-8

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Monarch (Danaus plexippus), painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

Hibiscus

The large flowers of hibiscus, whether it’s hardy hibiscus or tropical hibiscus, are why gardeners add this shrub to their landscape. The hidden benefit is that hibiscus also serves as a host plant for the grey hairstreak butterfly, one of the most common hairstreaks in North America found almost on the entire continent.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9 (H. moscheutos); 9-12 (H. rosa-sinensis)

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant For: Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus)

Hollyhock Mallow

This low-maintenance perennial flower adds a splash of bright color to any garden. It is a clump-forming plant with pink saucer-shaped flowers that look similar to hollyhock blooms. It is a short-lived perennial, usually lasting only three to four years, but with an extended bloom period from early summer through fall.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-7

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Larval Host Plant For: Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), painted lady (Vanessa cardui), common checkered skipper (Burnsius communis)

Ironweed

A towering, upright, perennial wildflower native to the eastern and southeastern United States, ironweed is popular in wildflower gardens. Even when grown from seeds, it sometimes blooms in its first summer season. If provided with consistently moist soil, it can be an aggressive grower. For small spaces, choose a smaller variety.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant For: Painted lady (Vanessa cardui), monarch (Danaus plexippus), eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Joe Pye Weed

Collectively known as Joe Pye weed, the native range, growth habit, and flower color varies between the different species. E. purpureum is a late-blooming wildflower native to eastern and central North America whereas E. maculatum has a native range that extends further west to the Great Plains, with flowers that are somewhat more purplish.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Lilac

It is not surprising that lilac is a mainstay in almost every landscape—other than annual pruning and fertilization, lilac requires virtually no maintenance. The fragrant flowers come in a multitude of colors and there are hundreds of lilac varieties to choose from.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-7

• Light: Full sun

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Mexican Sunflower

Because Mexican sunflower is so easy to grow, it is ideal for the beginner gardener. The plants are perennials in their native habitat but usually grown as annuals in northern climates. They love hot weather and withstand even a heatwave that makes other flowers wither. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: Annual

• Light: Full sun

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)

Parsley

Parsley is a biennial plant usually grown as an annual. To encourage the eastern black swallowtail to lay its eggs on the plant, make sure not to harvest all the stalks but leave some on the plant—or even better, plant an extra parsley that you leave undisturbed all season.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant For: Eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Passionflower

The Passionflower vine is native to North America, growing from Delaware west to Missouri and south to Texas and Florida. Among the many varieties, blue passionflower (P. caerulea), and yellow passionflower (P. lutea) are the best host plants for the gulf fritillary butterfly.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-10

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Larval Host Plant For: Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanilla)

Pawpaw Tree

Although pawpaw trees seem tropical, they are native to North America. Famous for their fall-ripening fruit, they also stand out for their unique value as a butterfly host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the tree, but this rarely causes a serious threat to its health. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Larval Host Plant For: Zebra swallowtail (Protographium marcellus)

Pentas

You don’t need to have a backyard to attract butterflies. Pentas, also known as the Egyptian star cluster, makes an excellent container plant. These profusely blooming tropical plants are botanically perennials but mostly grown as annuals. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanilla)

Purple Coneflower

Purple coneflower looks great in drift and is easy to grow from seed. It will germinate in about three to four weeks and produce leaves in three months but can take up to two years to produce blooms. It will reward your patience by being hardy, drought-tolerant, and long-blooming. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Larval Host Plant for: Silvery checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Pussy Willow

Though most often found in wild wetland areas, if you have consistently moist soil or a rain garden, you can grow pussy willow in your yard. The shrub is native to North America although two European species, S. caprea and S. cinerea, are also sometimes known as pussy willow.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Larval Host Plant For: Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis), viceroy (Limenitis archippus), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Redbud

One of the first trees to flower each year, the pea-like flowers of the redbud appear in late winter or early spring, even before the leaf buds start unfurling. Most redbud trees have pink flowers though there are some varieties with white flowers. The drawback of this much-beloved North American tree its average lifespan is not much longer than 20 years. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Larval Host Plant For: Henry’s elfin (Callophrys henrici)

Sedum

The choosy monarch butterfly feeds on the nectar of sedum, which is a compelling reason to plant some in your garden. There are several hundred species of sedum and even more varieties, including sedum groundcovers and upright types. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-10

• Light: Full to partial sun

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Spicebush

This aromatic shrub has interest almost year-round. Its most attractive characteristics are its yellow flowers in the spring and plump red berries in the fall. The leaves and twigs give off a spicy fragrance and flavor when crushed.

Spicebush is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are on separate plants, and you need one of each for fruit production.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9

• Light: Full to partial sun

• Larval Host Plant For: Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus)

Sunflower

Gardeners usually don’t need convincing how readily these cheery flowers attract pollinators and birds. Sunflowers also serve as a host plant for the caterpillars of the silvery checkerspot, a butterfly that has almost disappeared from the northeastern United States.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: Annual

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant For: Silvery checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)

Tulip Tree

Native to eastern North America, tulip trees grow fast and extremely tall and straight with narrow crowns that spread with age. The tulip-like flowers in the spring are unlike any other bloom. The showy foliage turns brilliant yellow in the fall. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9

• Light: Full sun

• Larval Host Plant For: Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Verbena

Most verbena sold at nurseries are hybrids that are grown as annuals in cool climates. For a butterfly garden, it is worth looking for a hardy native verbena species such as American blue vervein with purplish-blue flowers that bloom from July to September. It needs medium to wet soil to thrive.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8

• Light: Full sun

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanilla), monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Violet

As a gardener, you might have cursed the violets growing abundantly in your lawn. If you want to attract butterflies to your yard, however, think twice before removing them and leave at least a few. They also provide an early nectar source for bees and other pollinators.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9

• Light: Full sun to shade

• Larval Host Plant For: Variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele), meadow fritillary (Boloria bellona)

White Turtlehead

Turtlehead also comes in a pink or purple variety, but white turtlehead is the only host plant for the larvae of the Baltimore checkerspot. While not as showy as some of the other turtleheads, it produces ivory blooms and makes for a great garden accent. It blooms in late summer through early fall. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Larval Host Plant For: Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)

Zinnia

Zinnias flower all summer and often into fall, lasting in the garden from two to five months. Zinnias are most robust during the hot summer and the warmest spring and autumn months. Skip the deadheading so butterflies get every chance to feed on the nectar. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: Annual

• Light: Full sun

• Butterfly species attracted to nectar: Painted lady (Vanessa cardui), gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanilla), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Learn More

To find out more about butterfly-friendly gardening, also check out these articles:

• How to Create a Butterfly Garden

• Herbs to Include in a Butterfly Garden

• How to Design a Garden to Attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Read the original article on The Spruce.