What flowers can I put in my Butterfly Garden?

Question

My mom hired this guy to do our landscaping. Im on vacation and when I get home I'm helping make a butterfly garden. We live on the east coast and have great climate.I talked to the gut and he said I can pick any flowers or butterflies and we try to attract the butterflies or buy those flowers. Any ideas?

Answer 1

In the area where I live (Southern Ontario, Canada), there is tons of Butterfly Milkweed.  I know it sounds ugly because of the "weed" attachment....but they are really beautiful.  I've seen very bright orange and purple.

Answer 2

Sedum Spectabile,a perennial which flowers in the fall.Also Asters novae-belgii,both these species will extend the season of your butterfly garden by months.The sedum in particular is attractive to Red Admiral and tortoise shell butterflies.

If there's a spare corner,let a few thistles grow,your landscaper will know how to confine them.

Species budlleia davidii are great.Try "Black Knight","Harlequin",Nanho Blue"or "Royal Red".

All do well in the UK.

Answer 3

There are a lot of plants you can use. You can also check with local nurseries to see if they have any handouts on plants specific for your area. There may be a few butterflies that only use native plants. Also, be sure that you are providing nectar and larval plants in your garden.

Here are some links with lots of plants for you to use:

http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/Lowes/im...

http://www.southeasttexasgardening.info/...

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/Butterfli...

http://www.birds-n-garden.com/birdgarden...

http://www.butterflyencounters.com/

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Butterfly bush, purple cone flower, salvia, russian sage, lavender, daisy, daylily, ageratum, Baptisia, Blanket Flower, cosmos, hollyhock, marigold, mallow, nicotianas, nasturtium, sedum, sunflower, tickseed, zinnias, verbenas, sweet alyssum, phlox, lobelia, dianthus.  

I also live on the east coast and I have or have had all of these.  I especially love the buttlerfly bushes and the lavender.

Answer 5

As a garden designer, I would suggest paying a visit your local native plant nursery.  They should have info on the various native plants in your area  that attract butterflies, and they will also likely sell many of these plants.  Many of these nurseries have handouts on this subject.  

Hope that helps!

Answer 6

echinacea-cone flower, butterfly bush, aschlepias,Zinnias are all common garden butterfly feeders, also try aralia spinosa and button bush

Answer 7

Green Wizard Rudbeckia, Add some magic to your late-season borders. Birds and butterflies love them!

  

Keys of Heaven, Bushy plant bear clusters of sweet-scented scarlet blooms.

  

Black Knight Butterfly Bush, Graceful trusses smothered with dark purple flowers attract flocks of butterflies.

  

Orange Glory Flower, Butterflies can't resist the bright color and sweet nectar of this North American native plant.

  

Blue Butterfly Delphinium, The dazzling deep blue blooms of this wonderful delphinium lure butterflies all summer long.

  

Red Penstemon, Served as beacons to hummingbirds, these crimson tubular blossoms almost glow as they bloom.