Since I work in a butterfly yard, people often ask me which flowers butterflies like best. Naturally, those options will be a little different based on where you live.
If you can, I suggest picking plants that grow naturally where you live. But there are some flowers that work well for everyone. These seven are some of my best.
Zinnia
It’s easy to grow zinnias from seeds, and they come in lots of different colors, sizes, and flower types. Butterflies love the single and double flowered varieties in the Profusion line.
Zinnia ‘Envy’ is a beautiful, unique pale green that will get compliments from everyone. Zinnias often send out new seeds the following year, or you can cut off the seed heads as they appear and save them to plant in the spring.
Anise Hyssop
This plant, which is sometimes called licorice mint, smells great if you like black licorice. This plant comes from a lot of the northern U.S. and Canada. It has lavender flower spikes that butterflies love.
It’s also very good because it doesn’t get eaten by deer and can handle drought. It’s simple to grow from seeds, and you can crush the leaves and put them in soups or tea.
Black-Eyed Susan
If you put this natural wildflower somewhere sunny, it will grow quickly and spread its seeds.
The bright yellow flowers with dark brown centers are easy to spot, but there are now many other types on the market, such as ones with orange petals and flowers of two colors. Give them water on a daily basis and space to spread.
Butterflyweed
Butterflyweed is a host plant for butterflies and queens because it is related to milkweed. But it also has groups of bright orange flowers that all different kinds of butterflies love. In fact, butterflies love the flowers of most types of milkweed.
Try to find milkweeds that grow naturally in your area. If you have trouble controlling it in your yard, cut off the seed heads.
Salvia
Butterflies may be more interested in flowers in the salvia family than any other.
In the southeast, people love Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea), and butterfly lovers all over the world love Mealy-Cup Sage (Salvia farinaceae). Salvia “Mystic Spires” has tall flower spikes that catch a lot of moths’ attention.
Coneflower
Many parts of the country are also home to types of coneflower, which are very popular with butterflies. You can see the butterflies that land on them to eat because their heads are made like cones.
If you start with a purple coneflower seed, it’s easy to grow the plant from a seed. It does well in most of the country, but it might not do as well in the hot south.
If you want the most nectar, stick with native plants. Newer cultivars come in a lot of different colors and have interesting head forms.
Sunflower
Many people who plant for wildlife grow sunflowers for the birds, but butterflies also like these big flowers. They are drawn to the tiny flowers in the middle of the heads, which also make a nice background for pictures.
Not enough space for tall sunflowers? Look for smaller types like “Sunspot” or “Elf.” Tip: In the fall, leave the seed heads alone to attract goldfinches and other birds.