Six Native Plants That Outperform Butterfly Bush for Wildlife Value

On a late-summer afternoon, the garden hums with insect life—bees, wasps, flies, moths, beetles, and butterflies working feverishly among native prairie plants like culver's root, aster, boneset, coreopsis, milkweed, ironweed, and American senna. Yet over at the butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), a lone tiger swallowtail picks at blooms like a tourist at a restaurant locals avoid.

The Problem with Butterfly Bush

Despite its name, butterfly bush attracts a fraction of the pollinators that native plants do—perhaps one-tenth or even one-twentieth. Even as a nectar source, non-natives like lavender and caryopteris draw more insects. And insects are the foundation of the food web for birds and humans alike.

Butterfly bush has proven invasive on both U.S. coasts. Birds disperse its seeds into unmanaged fields and roadsides. As an Asian native, it lacks natural checks in North America and fails as a wildlife-supporting plant—its nectar is inaccessible to many native insects, and it has no evolutionary history with them. Few caterpillars feed on it, and pollinator diversity is low compared to native alternatives.

What to Plant Instead: Succession Gardening

The key to replacing butterfly bush is succession gardening—ensuring continuous bloom from spring through fall. When one pollinator plant finishes, another begins. Below is a sequence of native plants for medium-to-dry clay or loam soils in full sun, with purple blooms echoing butterfly bush's signature color.

1. Pasque flower (Pulsatilla patens, zones 4–9) blooms in April in dry clay, rocky, or sandy soil. A slowly spreading clump about 1 foot tall with several weeks of bloom and ornamental seed heads. Fuzzy foliage protects it from cold spring nights.

2. Southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum, zones 3–8) is a drought-tolerant shrub covered in white May blooms, followed by blue berries birds love and brilliant fall color. It hosts several caterpillar species, reaches 6+ feet tall and wide, and thrives in dry-to-medium clay in full to partial sun.

3. Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea simulata, zones 5–8) is among the earliest coneflowers to bloom, extending the coneflower season well beyond E. purpurea. Distinctive bright yellow pollen. Grows 2–3 feet tall, 1 foot wide in dry-to-medium clay, full to partial sun.

4. Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea, zones 3–9) draws insects like nothing else in midsummer. Just 1–2 feet tall and wide, it thrives in drier soils, full to partial sun. White-flowered Dalea candida suits moon gardens.

5. Tall blazing star (Liatris aspera, zones 3–8) blooms late summer to early fall, 3–4 feet tall and 1 foot wide in dry-to-medium clay, full sun. A carefree perennial that attracts butterflies like its monarch-favorite cousin Liatris ligulistylis (zones 3–6).

6. Aromatic aster (Aster oblongifolius, zones 3–10) forms a shrubby mound 2–3 feet wide and 2 feet tall, blooming relentlessly from September into October with bluish-purple flowers. A late-season pollinator powerhouse for migrating and hibernating insects.

These six natives are as easy to grow as butterfly bush but support far greater pollinator diversity. Confirm what's native to your area using resources like the Xerces Society, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, or Pollinator Partnership.

Will you rethink your butterfly bush? What regionally native plants do you love?

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