Best Flowering Plants to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden

Butterflies need nectar, host plants for eggs, sun, shelter, and water. Plant for continuous bloom spring through fall. Mix annuals and perennials.

Top Butterfly Magnets

• Lilac: Fragrant, 5–15 ft, full sun, blooms 2 weeks in late spring.
• Ironweed: 7 ft, late summer–fall, larval host for American Painted Lady.
• Parsley: Black swallowtail host, great border or container herb.
• Coneflower: Easy, purple blooms, butterfly favorite.
• Butterfly Weed: Drought-tolerant, low maintenance, larval host.
• Sunflower: Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds.
• Citrus: Egg-laying site for many species.
• Dahlia: Bold, beautiful blooms.
• Joe-Pye Weed: Vanilla-scented pink-purple clusters, fall bloomer, herbal tea plant.
• Pentas: Hairy leaves, clustered flowers in white/red/pink/purple, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Design Tips

Choose native species for your region. Provide puddling areas (wet sand) for minerals. Avoid pesticides.

Your garden becomes a living sanctuary—for them and you.