A butterfly garden is simply a flower garden that is designed to include nectar-rich flowers that butterflies love to visit. The ideal garden is one that supports both the adults and larvae, by offering a wide variety plants, grasses, and wildflowers. By providing the right mix of flowers, shelter, water, and sun it is easy to attract and sustain butterfly populations so they feel at home.
Life Cycle
Butterflies go through a distinct series of life cycles: egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. Most butterflies only have one life cycle per year and as adults may live for only two to three weeks. During this brief period, they have high-energy demands to find a mate, reproduce, seek out food and shelter, and find nourishing nectar for fuel for all these activities. Requirements will also vary from species to species.
Butterfly larvae (caterpillar stage), on the other hand, depend solely on certain plant species for food. Host plants range from annuals and perennials to trees and shrubs. While most larvae have voracious appetites, they only feed on a few plant species and any leaf damage is usually short-lived and non-threatening to the plant so it’s well worth the effort.
Factors that contribute to the success of a butterfly garden
Get to know what butterflies are in your area.
Locate your garden in a sunny area. Flowers that need sunlight attract more butterflies.
Landscape your garden in an area with flowers butterflies prefer. Many butterflies prefer plants with clusters of short tubular flowers.
Use large swaths of color. Butterflies are attracted to flowers by their color, so planting in masses of flowers make it easier for them to find that single plantings.
Provide continuous blooms throughout the growing season. Butterflies are active from spring into late fall, but mid-to late-blooming season flowers are when butterflies are most active.
Provide food for your butterfly caterpillars. To increase the number of butterflies in your garden, include plants that are larval hosts (plants on which caterpillars feed).
Include shallow watering areas. Many butterflies drink from moist soil or shallow puddles, sometimes forming large groups called puddle clubs.
Provide sheltered, shady areas. Butterflies often need cool-down areas in hot weather and need protection from wind, rain and predators.
Use pesticides cautiously. Butterflies are easily killed by insecticides. Try using non-chemical methods of pest control, such as removing infected plants.
Some butterflies do not feed on nectar of flowers but prefer ripe fruit, sap flows, and carrion. Provide overripe melon rinds and fruit to the butterfly garden.
Suggested Plants for the Butterfly Garden
(*indicates plant native to the Midwest; **indicates some species native to Midwest and some not)
TREES & SHRUBS
Amelanchier canadensis (Canada serviceberry), Amelanchier x grandiflora (apple serviceberry), Amelanchier laevis* (allegheny serviceberry):
Larval host for: Striped Hairstreak
Betula lenta (sweet birch), Betula nigra* (river birch), Betula populifolia (gray birch):
Larval host for: Tiger Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak, Compton Tortoiseshell
Butterflies attracted: Northern Pearly Eye (sap)
Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush):
Butterflies attracted: Monarch, Buckeye, Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail , Snout Butterfly, Great Spangled Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Common Checkered-Skipper, Nymphalids
Carpinus** spp. (hornbeam):
Larval host for: Red-Spotted Purple
Carya* spp. (hickory):
Larval host for: Banded Hairstreak
Ceanothus americanus* (New Jersey Tea):
Larval host for: Spring Azure
Butterflies attracted: Spring Azure, Coral Hairstreak, Striped Hairstreak, Edward’s Hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak, Acadian Hairstreak
Celtis occidentalis* (hackberry):
Larval host for: Hackberry Butterfly, Question Mark, Mourning Cloak, Snout Butterfly, Tawny Emperor
Cephalanthus occidentalis* (buttonbush):
Butterflies attracted: Tiger Swallowtail, Painted Lady, Silver-Spotted Skipper
Clethra alnifolia (summersweet clethra):
Butterflies attracted: Wide variety including Swallowtails
Cornus alternifolia* (pagoda dogwood), Cornus kousa (kousa dogwood), Cornus mas (cornelian-cherry dogwood):
Larval host for: Spring/Summer Azure
Butterflies attracted: Snout Butterfly
Cornus sericea* (red-osier dogwood):
Larval host for: Spring Azure
Crataegus crus-galli* (cockspur hawthorn), Crataegus viridis* (green hawthorn):
Larval host for: Striped Hairstreak, Red-Spotted Purple
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis* (thornless honey-locust):
Larval host for: Silver-Spotted Skipper
Hamamelis virginiana* (common witch-hazel):
Larval host for: Spring Azure
Hydrangea paniculata (panicled hydrangea):
Butterflies attracted: Monarch
Lindera benzoin* (spicebush):
Larval host for: Spicebush Swallowtail
Juglans nigra* (black walnut):
Larval host for: Banded Hairstreak
Liriodendron tulipifera* (tulip-tree):
Larval host for: Tiger Swallowtail
Lonicera spp. (honeysuckle):
Butterflies attracted: Giant Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Silver-Spotted Skipper
Malus** spp. (apple, crabapple):
Larval host for: Spring Azure, Viceroy Red-Spotted Purple, Tiger Swallowtail
Populus** spp., Populus tremuloides* (cottonwood, poplar, quaking aspen):
Larval host for: Viceroy, Red-Spotted Purple, Mourning Cloak, White Admiral, Striped Hairstreak
Butterflies attracted: Northern Pearly Eye (sap)
Prunus** spp., Prunus serotina* (cherry, plum, wild black cherry):
Larval host for: Tiger Swallowtail, Coral Hairstreak, Striped Hairstreak, Spring Azure, White Admiral, Red Spotted Purple, Viceroy
Quercus** spp. (oak):
Larval host for: Striped Hairstreak, Edward’s Hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak
Rhododendron spp. (azalea):
Butterflies attracted: Giant Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail
Salix** spp. (willow):
Larval host for: Striped Hairstreak, Red-Spotted Purple, Viceroy, Mourning Cloak, Tiger Swallowtail, Compton Tortoiseshell
Butterflies attracted: Mourning Cloak, Northern Pearly Eye (sap)
Syringa vulgaris (common lilac):
Butterflies attracted: Pipevine Swallowtail, Monarch, Swallowtails, Nymphalids
Tilia americana* (American linden):
Larval host for: Question Mark
Ulmus hybrids (hybrid elms):
Larval host for: Mourning Cloak, Question Mark, Comma
Viburnum dentatum* (arrowwood viburnum):
Larval host for: Hummingbird Moth
Butterflies attracted: Red Admiral, Question Mark
Viburnum lentago* (nannyberry viburnum):
Larval host for: Spring Azure
Butterflies attracted: Red Admiral, Question Mark
Zanthoxylum americanum* (Prickly Ash):
Larval host for: Giant Swallowtail
PERENNIALS
Achillea** spp. (yarrow):
Butterflies attracted: American Copper, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Skippers
Agastache foeniculum* (anise-hyssop):
Butterflies attracted: Red Admiral, Monarch, Painted Lady, Buckeye, Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, Pipevine Swallowtail, Sulphur
Amorpha canescens* (lead plant):
Larval host for: Dog Face Sulphur
Butterflies attracted: Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Fritillaries, Sulphur, Blues
Anaphalis margaritacea* (pearly everlasting):
Larval host for: American Lady
Asclepias incarnata* (swamp milkweed):
Larval host for: Monarch
Butterflies attracted: Monarch, Edward’s Hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak, Acadian Hairstreak, Gray Hairstreak, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Great Spangled Fritillary
Asclepias syriaca* (common milkweed):
Larval host for: Monarch
Butterflies attracted: Monarch, Coral Hairstreak, Striped Hairstreak, Edward’s Hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak, Acadian Hairstreak, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Checkered White, American Copper, Great Spangled Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Silver-Spotted Skipper
Asclepias tuberosa* (butterfly weed):
Larval host for: Monarch
Butterflies attracted: Monarch, Coral Hairstreak, Striped Hairstreak, Edward’s Hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak, Acadian Hairstreak, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Checkered White, American Copper, Great Spangled Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Silver-Spotted Skipper
Aster x frikartii (Frikart’s aster):
Larval host for: Dog Face Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Eastern Tailed-Blue
Butterflies attracted: Buckeye, Viceroy, Checkered White, Painted Lady, Monarch, Eastern Tailed-Blue Pearl Crescent, American Painted Lady, Cloudless Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Common Checkered-Skipper, Hairstreak
Baptisia alba* (wild white indigo), Baptisia australis* (false indigo):
Larval host for: Dog Face Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Eastern Tailed-Blue
Butterflies attracted: Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Eastern Tailed-Blue
Carex** spp. (sedge)
Larval host for: Little Wood-Satyr
Centaurea** spp. (cornflower):
Butterflies attracted: Common Checkered-Skipper, Buckeye
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (blue leadwort)
Butterflies attracted: Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Viceroy, Blues, Sulphur
Chelone lyonii (pink turtlehead), Chelone glabra* (white turtlehead):
Butterflies attracted: Silver-Spotted Skipper, Spicebush Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail
Coreopsis grandiflora* (tickseed), Coreopsis lanceolata * (lanceleaf coreopsis), Coreopsis rosea (pink coreopsis), Coreopsis verticillata * (threadleaf coreopsis):
Larval host for: Silvery Checkerspot Buckeye
Butterflies attracted: Buckeye, Viceroy, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Spring Azure, Pearl Crescent, Orange Sulfur, American Copper, Red Admiral
Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender):
Butterflies attracted: Eastern Tailed-Blue, Monarch, Whites, Swallowtail
Linaria purpurea (purple toadflax):
Larval host for: Buckeye
Lupinus perennis* (wild lupine): This is the only larval food source for Karner Blue.
Larval host for: Karner Blue
Rudbeckia hirta * (black-eyed susan), Rudbeckia laciniata* (cut-leaf coneflower):
Larval host for: Silvery Checkerspot
Butterflies attracted: Great Spangled Fritillary, Silver-Bordered Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Viceroy, Monarch, Blues
Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’ (butterfly blue pincushion flower):
Butterflies attracted: Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Sulphur, Swallowtails, Whites
Solidago** and Oligoneuron** spp. (goldenrod):
Larval host for: Baltimore, Silvery Checkerspot
Butterflies attracted: Monarch, Silver-Spotted Skipper, Clouded Sulphur, Viceroy, Gray Hairstreak
Symphyotrichum leave* (smooth blue aster), Symphyotrichum novae-angliae* (New England aster), Symphyotrichum novi-belgii (New York aster):
Larval host for: Pearl Crescent, Silvery Checkerspot
Butterflies attracted: Buckeye, Viceroy, Checkered White, Painted Lady, Monarch, Eastern Tailed-Blue Pearl Crescent, American Painted Lady, Cloudless Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Common Checkered-Skipper, Hairstreak
Symphyotrichum ‘Wood’s Light Blue’ (Wood’s light blue aster):
Larval host for: Baltimore
Butterflies attracted: Buckeye, Viceroy, Checkered White, Painted Lady, Monarch, Eastern Tailed-Blue Pearl Crescent, American Painted Lady, Cloudless Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Common Checkered-Skipper, Hairstreak
Viola sororia* and related species** (violet):
Larval host for: Great Spangled Fritillary, Variegated Fritillary, Aphrodite Fritillary
Verbena** spp. (verbena)
Butterflies attracted: Great Spangled Fritillary, Swallowtail, Sulphur
ANNUALS
Alcea spp. (hollyhock):
Larval host for: American Painted Lady, Painted Lady, Comma, Common Checkered-Skipper
Antirrhinum spp. (snapdragon):
Larval host for: Buckeye
Centaurea cyanus (cornflower):
Larval host for: American Painted Lady
Cleome spp. (spider flower):
Larval host for: Checkered White
Echium vulgare (viper’s bugloss):
Larval host for: Buckeye
Helianthus spp. (sunflower):
Larval host for: Silvery Checkerspot
Impatiens balsamina (garden balsam):
Larval host for: American Painted Lady
Lantana camera (lantana):
Butterflies attracted: Giant Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Red-spotted Purple, Cloudless Sulphur and Gulf Fritillary
Tropaeolum majus (common nasturtium):
Larval host for: Cabbage White
HERBS
Anethum graveolens (dill):
Larval host for: Black Swallowtail
Artemisia dracunculus* (tarragon):
Larval host for: Swallowtails
Humulus lupulus* (common hops):
Larval host for: Gray Hairstreak, Question Mark, Red Admiral
Levisticum officinale (lovage):
Larval host for: Black Swallowtail
Mentha** spp. (mint):
Butterflies attracted: Cabbage White
Origanum vulgare (oregano):
Butterflies attracted: Pearl Crescent, Hairstreak
Petroselinum crispum (parsley):
Larval host for: Black Swallowtail
Pimpinella anisum (common anise):
Larval host for: Black Swallowtail
Ruta graveolens (common rue):
Larval host for: Black Swallowtail, Giant Swallowtail
Salvia officinalis (garden sage):
Butterflies attracted: Swallowtail, Sulphur
WEEDS
Boehmeria** spp. (false nettle):
Larval host for: Red Admiral
Cirsium** spp. (thistles):
Larval host for: American Painted Lady
Daucus carota (Queen Anne’s lace):
Larval host for: Swallowtail
Butterflies attracted: Swallowtail
Rumex acetosella (sheep sorrel):
Larval host for: American Copper
Trifolium spp. (clover):
Larval host for: Clouded Sulphur, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Gray Hairstreak
Urtica** spp. (nettle):
Larval host for: Question Mark, Red Admiral
