One of the great joys of
having a garden is watching butterflies. On a sunny June or July
morning, when the garden is at its peak, butterflies flit from
flower to flower in search of nectar and a sunny spot to rest.
By choosing the right plants and
following a few simple guidelines, you can lure many different
species to your garden. Pay extra attention to plant selection, and
you can support a full butterfly lifecycle. While flowers produce
nectar, specific host plants are needed so butterflies can lay eggs
and feed caterpillars when they emerge.
Butterflies lay
their eggs in late spring and hatch 3-6 days after they are laid.
It takes 3-4 weeks for a caterpillar to pupate, and 9-14 days for
them to emerge as an adult.
Here is a list
of host plants and the butterflies they attract.

Host Plant |
Butterfly |
| Asclepias/Milkweed |
Monarch |
| Asimina triloba/Pawpaw |
Zebra Swallowtail |
| Cassia/Senna |
Cloudless Sulphur |
| Foeniculum vulgar/Fennel |
Black Swallowtail |
| Lindera benzoin/Spicebush |
Spicebush Swallowtail |
| Prunus serotina/Black Cherry |
Tiger Swallowtail |
| Ptelea Trifoliate/Hop Tree |
Giant Swallowtail |
| Salix/Willow |
Red Spotted Purple |
To ensure success
with your butterfly garden:
1. Plant
your garden in full sun
2. Include
host plants
3. Select
colorful flowers
4. Don’t
use chemical pesticides
5. Enjoy!
Butterfly Garden Favorites


Annuals |
Perennials |
Shrubs |
| Cosmos |
Aclea/Hollyhocks |
Buddleia/Butterfly Bush |
| Eupatorium coelestinum/Purple Ageratum |
Asclepias incarnata/Swamp Milkweed |
Caryopteris/Blue Mist Shrub |
| Lantana |
Asclepias tuberosa/Butterfly Weed |
Ceanothus americanus/New Jersey Tea |
| Lobularia maritima/Sweet Alyssum |
Aster novae-angliae/New England Aster |
Cephalanthus/Button Bush |
| Pentas/Starflower |
Baptisia/False Blue Indigo |
Ligustrum/Privet |
| Tagetes patula/Marigold |
Centaurea/Mountain Blue |
Rhododendron/Azalea |
| Tithonia/Mexican Sunflower |
Coreopsis |
Rhus/Sumac |
| Tropaeolum majus/Nasturtium |
Echinacea purpurea/Purple Coneflower |
Syringa/Lilac |
| Zinnia |
Eupatorium purpureum/Joe-Pye Weed |
Vaccinum/Blueberries |
| |
Hemerocallis/Daylilies |
|
| |
Leucanthemum/Daisy |
|
| |
Liatris/Blazing Star |
|
| |
Monarda didyma/Bee Balm |
|
| |
Phlox |
|
| |
Rudbeckia hirta /Black-Eyed Susan |
|
| |
Scabiosa/Pincushion Flower |
|
| |
Solidago/Goldenrod |
|
| |
Stokesia laevis/ Stokes' Aster |
|
| |
Verbena canadensis/Rose Verbena |
|
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