Start Your Butterfly Garden Today!
Fall is a great time to start planting your butterfly garden. Here are some of the best butterfly plants that you can get into the ground right now!
Tom's Top 10
- Milkweeds (including butterfly weed). Excellent nectar source; also a host plant for monarchs and queens.
- Butterfly bush (aka Buddleia). Excellent nectar source, especially darker colors.
- Asters. Good nectar source as well as a good host plant.
- Clovers (includes other legumes). Good for both nectar, and as a host plant.
- Coneflowers and daisies. Excellent nectar source.
- Violets. Host plant for fritillaries.
- Willows. Excellent host plant for many butterflies.
- Mallows. Good host plant; may also serve as a nectar source.
- Buckwheats. Good nectar source and good host plant.
- Paint brushes. Good host plant for many checkerspot butterflies.