The 20 Best Butterfly Garden Plants for a Yard Full of Pollinators
Enjoy these delicate pollinators in your garden with three seasons of blooming flowers!
Butterflies do more than add beauty to a garden—they're important pollinators, and many species need our help. The good news? Creating a butterfly-friendly yard is easier than you might think. By choosing the right flowers and plants, you can transform even a small outdoor space into a colorful haven that attracts butterflies from spring through fall.
Whether you’re hoping to spot monarchs, swallowtails, or painted ladies, the key is planting a mix of nectar-rich blooms that provide food throughout the growing season. Even better, many of these plants are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and beautiful enough to earn a spot in any garden bed.
From classic favorites like coneflowers and milkweed to lesser-known pollinator magnets, these butterfly garden plants will help create a landscape buzzing with life—and keep butterflies coming back year after year.
As you decide which plants to include, note that some are annuals you’ll want to plant each year, while others are perennials. Make sure to find varieties that are right for your USDA Hardiness Zone.
Asters (Aster spp.)
This collection of late-blooming beauties is great for a wide variety of pollinators and local critters. Birds enjoy the seeds while bees and butterflies love the nectar. Give them plenty of sun and they're pretty easy to grow! They come in pink, purple, blue, and white.
Learn More: How to Grow Healthy Asters
Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.)
With its showy pink or mauve flowers that bloom from late summer into early fall, joe-pye weed is a tall, herbaceous perennial that will attract swarms of butterflies when other flowers are mostly through, writes garden expert Elise Howard in her book, Plant This, Not That. Plant it in sun to part shade and wet to moist, acidic soil, in a spot where you won’t mind its towering height—up to 8 feet.
Learn more: The Best Native Swaps for Butterfly Bush—Based on Where You Live
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Everyone's favorite pickling herb is also a host plant for the swallowtail butterfly. The distinctive black-and-green caterpillar will feast on the plant, and the beautiful butterfly will come visit the tiny, delicate flowers—so be sure to let some bolt!
Marigold (Tagetes spp.)
Colorful marigolds are known for keeping certain pests away from your garden, but they're also known for attracting both butterflies and bees. Deadhead dry flowers to keep the blooms and butterflies coming!
Sage (Salvia spp.)
Both butterflies and hummingbirds adore the nectar produced by salvia plants. This genus of drought-resistant plants includes plenty of long-blooming spikes that look beautiful along a walk or at the corners of a garden.
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
If you're a fan of monarchs, milkweed (also called butterfly weed) is a must-have. These plants are where the monarchs lay their eggs, and while the milky-white nectar can be toxic to humans (so don't eat it), it’s essential for the monarch caterpillars.
Be sure to plant one that’s native to your area. Your local cooperative extension service can recommend options. Two that are widely native in the United States are swamp or pink milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa).
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Perfect for full-sun beds and even poor soil, this easy-care pollinator magnet is native to North America. We love it in cutting gardens and dreamy casual gardens too.
Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × superbum)
This cheerful flower will bloom all summer long and even into early fall! The classic beauties look great in a vase on the table, but pollinators also love them.
Plant in full sun, 1 to 2 feet apart, as they tend to spread as they grow.
Learn more: How to Grow Daisies
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
The huge flowers, bright colors, and abundance of nectar attract and feed a wide variety of butterfly species. And as a bonus, the large amount of foliage is an excellent source of caterpillar food!
There are nearly two dozen varieties worth planting, as well, from giant flowers to tinier ones like ‘Sunny Bunch,’ that cap out at 3 feet and are great for smaller gardens.
Learn more: How to Grow Sunflowers
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum spp.)
A real standout in the early spring and fall, these cool-weather-loving plants bring loads of color to your flower garden. Deadhead to extend the blooming cycle, and make sure to keep the soil moist during the hot summer months.
Learn more: How to Grow Snapdragon Flowers
Stonecrop (Sedum spp.)
Stonecrop is actually a succulent that you can grow outdoors! It grows best in arid climates when planted in well-draining soil. Choose a spot for it in full sun for best results.
Learn more: How to Care for Stonecrop
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Native to eastern and southern North America, the white flowers of this plant are ideal for butterflies to rest atop.
Keep Reading: Why Gardeners Love Buttonbush for Pollinators and Privacy
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
The fragrant foliage of bee balm (also known as wild bergamot) will attract many pollinators to your garden—and the plant is a double-bonus, as it also feeds caterpillars. Plant in a sunny spot for spring and summer blooms.
In fact, you may want to plant a little for yourself! Bee balm is an edible herb that tastes great in salads, as a tea, or even in jellies!
Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
Though not technically a lily, the daylily does attract butterflies with the nectar of its large tubular-shaped flowers.
Commonly available in warm colors (orange, red, and yellow), it spreads quickly, so it will need to be divided after a few years to maintain maximum flowering.
Phlox
There are many varieties of phlox, which range from low-growing ground cover to tall breeds that can add height to the backs of your flower beds. The dense collections of tiny flowers also come in a multitude of colors and are highly fragrant.
Keep Reading: 20 Types of Tiny Flowers to Fill Your Garden
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
A member of the aster family, this yellow beauty brings all the butterflies to your yard, and it is known to have many health benefits, including pain and inflammation reduction.
Keep Reading: This Golden Fall Bloom Gets a Bad Rap—Here’s Why You Should Plant It
Hollyhock (Alcea spp.)
These midsummer bloomers are known to support the caterpillar life cycle of the painted-lady butterfly.
Available in an array of colors, this plant can grow to between 6 and 8 feet tall, so be sure you plant it in the back row of your flower bed. This classic flower is one of our favorites for planting in a midcentury-style old-fashioned garden.
Get More Info: What to Plant for an Old-Fashioned Garden
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
Also known as bachelor's button, these blue wildflowers are very easy to grow and will readily self-seed. Both bees and butterflies love them.
Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
With silvery leaves and pretty purple flowers, this butterfly magnet looks great along garden borders. Added bonus: The flowers can be dried and used in aromatic sachets or added to lemonade and so much more.
Keep Reading: How to Grow Lavender
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Plant this carefree perennial in a sunny spot in well-draining soil. It is drought tolerant, so be sure not to overwater.
And Don’t Forget Host Plants
It’s important to support butterflies throughout their entire life cycle, so be sure to plant host plants that support butterflies in their egg and caterpillar stages. Here are a few to consider:
- Milkweed (for monarchs; check with your local cooperative extension about which species is native to your area.)
- Parsley
- Dill
- Fennel
- Passionflower
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