What are Your 3 Best Nectar Plants for Butterflies?

16 years ago

What are your best Nectar Plants, either all in one season OR spring, summer, fall one each?

Spring: Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William) best fills the gap between when the swallowtails are here for azaleas for a couple of weeks and the onset of early summer annuals.

Summer: Yellow Verbena, hands down. I have others, but none return so reliably as yellow verbena, requires so little water or care, and blooms nonstop until frost takes it out.

Fall: Zinnias. I've seen a butterfly lying flat on a tall zinnia, swaying in the cold wind when they avoided everything else.

What are your very best three?

Nell

Maybe we should make several threads: your best purples, best reds, best oranges.... ; )

Here is a link that might be useful: Some of my butterfly plants

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (17)

rubyb
16 years ago
My 3 best are any of the liatris (late summer); zinnia; and buddleia.
todancewithwolves
16 years ago
Mexican torch
Buddleia
Milkweed

I have pictures in the Gallery
Related Discussions
Best nectar plants in your garden?
Q
Comments (19)
"In addition to the above food sources, males are attracted to Heliotropium, Eupatorium, Senecio, and Crotalaria, plants known to contain the alkaloid lycopsamine. The alkaloid and other precursor compounds from these plants are used to create pheromones used to attract mates.[2] Pheromone precursors are predominantly obtained from Boraginaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae." Here is a link that might be useful: Queen Males collect chemicals for mating
...See More
Anyone Have Great Butterfly Nectar Plant Seeds? :-)
Q
Comments (4)
Danny, I have been following your seed posts for a little while. I'm not sure how successful you have been, but I will be happy to give you a few pointers to be more successful if you would like. I have traded seeds for many years on the Exchange and there are many, many great seed traders over there. Lisa
...See More
For new butterfly gardeners...beyond nectar and host plants
Q
Comments (8)
bernergrrl, This is a GREAT post. Many butterfly gardeners are not aware of the needs of butterflies beyond nectar and host plants. Many of my suggestions will not be usable for some/many butterfly gardeners because we have a one-acre butterfly sanctuary in a wooded area, but here goes: provide water source(s) leave brush piles and wood piles for protection from rain and for overwintering. leave as many trees around your garden as possible to protect butterflies from strong winds/rain/etc. provide stones, boulders, gravel in places that get good sun for warming spots for butterflies. clear spider webs from your garden to prevent butterflies from being caught and release butterflies that are caught in webs. try for multiple planting levels as various species seek out different levels. consider planting various grasses suitable to some butterflies as host plants. leave some trees IN your garden, if possible. In addition to the tree uses mentioned above, some butterflies like emperors, angle wings, wood nymphs, etc. use the bark as hiding places, places to bask in the sun, and lookout spots. provide feeder plates of rotting fruit, etc. to attract butterflies that don't nectar or don't nectar exclusively.
...See More
Anyone in Texas Have Great Butterfly Nectar Plant Seeds ? :-)
Q
Comments (1)
I have seeds for pipevine - the kind that grows best as a groundcover. It is easy to grow from seed and I am overloaded with the pipevine swallowtail caterpillars at the moment. I have lots of pipevine swallowtails in my garden laying eggs. When I see a leaf that has been chewed, I'll turn it over gently and there will be as many as five little cats chewing away at the same leaf! The butterflies are so pretty! If you want to send me an e-mail at allengardenclub@yahoo.com, I will give you an address where you can send a SASE and will be happy to send you a couple packets of seeds.
...See More
jxa44
16 years ago
budleia
milkweed
zinnias
pacnwgrdngirl
16 years ago

In mid-summer they LOVE my Tall Pink Phlox
Late Summmer - Buddleia
Also late summer - Rudbeckia
careytearose
16 years ago
Good thread to find! Thanks to everyone that posted and/or put up pics.... We have hummingbirds that come to our gardens but not much for butterflies. Though one year that I had a passionflower I enjoyed seeing a monarch that would flitter in and around it. We just planted two passionflowers that twine on two bishop shaped metal obelisk/trellis this year in the children's Secret Garden- so I'm hopeful for butterflies to discover them!

To see pics of the Secret Garden in progress, our ROSES and recent Landscaping Projects, ck out my Picture Trail:

careytearose

Here is a link that might be useful: look at the Favorite ROSES we grow and Landscaping Projects 2007 albums
mrsgalihad
16 years ago
{{gwi:675070}}
{{gwi:675073}}
{{gwi:675076}}

This will be my first year with Zinnias and Tithonia and I'm really looking forward to both.

{{gwi:675078}} is really great for the bumble bees.
msmisk
16 years ago
I agree with all of the above, and have to add cosmos and cypress vine, especially in the fall.

Foxes, what is yellow verbena ? Is it regular old verbena, only yellow ? I've never seen it around here.

Carol
memo3
16 years ago
Great pictures everyone!

MrsGalihad, would you mind going to the gallery and posting instructions on putting "picture links in a post" as you did above? When you have the time of course!

I'm determined to get all of this computer stuff down pat before I die, with everyone's help. Thanks!

MeMo
PRO
Nell Jean
Original Author
16 years ago
There is no yellow verbena, I made a mistake. It's Yellow LANTANA! Lantana is a member of the Verbanaceae family and I sometimes get confused.

The Yellow, Lantana camara, is more reliable for all summer bloom, once it gets going. The lavender, Lantana montevidensis, is hardier in cool weather but tends to sulk when the heat and humidity are high.
{{gwi:675080}} Zebra Swallowtail on Lantana

Many verbenas are good nectar plants, too. I'm trying verbena bonariensis from seed this year. No blossoms yet.
Sorry for the boo boo. Thanks for noticing, Carol.

Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: Lantana
armyyife
16 years ago
Ya I have lots of lantana and verbena and butters just love them. Asters are another. I have the really pretty red-pink kind and it's one of my favorite plants in the garden. Monarda. I have a black knight butterfly bush which they do go to but mine never really gets nice and full. I just don't have any luck with them for some reason.
Hands down though as the best magnet would have to be the lantana it is always covered with butterflies from summer till the first frost.
Meghan
mrsgalihad
16 years ago
Glad to do it Memo. I was laying in bed this morning working out the best way to expalin it. Let me know if it isn't clear.
fammsimm
16 years ago
Confetti Lantana, and Dallas Red Lantana are butterfly magnets and such great, reliable perennials. The confetti is blooming now and already has had its share of butterfly visits.

Purple Homestead Verbena, cosmos, zinnas ( especially the profusion variety)and salvias (especially the black & blue variety)all attract butterflies to my garden.

Marilyn
texanjana
16 years ago
Mexican Milkweed, Zinnias, Lantana
lynnencfan
16 years ago
Purple Homestead Verbena - spring/early summer
Lantana - summer/fall is hands down the very best.....

Lynne
FlowerLady6
16 years ago
Great thread! I'd have to say my best three are: Porterweed (purple), Firespike, and Golden dewdrop.

FlowerLady
happyintexas
16 years ago
Lantana for sure

The blue salvias are big draws, as well. My butterfly bush attracts butterflies but, sadly, the bush doesn't seem to like to grow in our yard.

The plant that makes butterflies wild is the waxleaf ligustrum when it blooms. Also the varigated privet shrubs. Sicky-sweet scent and tiny white blossoms that attract butterflies by the hoardes. When I get time, I'll post photos.
PRO
Nell Jean
Original Author
16 years ago
Porterweed is a GREAT choice, Flowerlady! I didn't mention it in my top three because I'm in a borderline zone for porterweed's return. Pentas work the same way for me; they may or may not return.

{{gwi:675082}}Red Porterweed {{gwi:675083}}Blue Porterweed

I started last year with 4 of the purple/blue porterweed. I rooted more. Only 2 of the originals came back this spring. I had three of the red/coral. All 3 came back, but one is only two inches tall so far. I saved seeds and have 2 blues and 4 reds so far from seed, about half inch tall. Sigh, porterweed's a real tropical.

Butterflies appreciate it. It's available at nurseries and a good sized plant would be a great annual choice for anybody's butterfly garden.

Nell