Attract Butterflies to Your Garden or Deck
With a little planning, you can attract butterflies to your garden, yard, balcony or deck from Spring through Fall. Asters (pictured above) are a butterfly favorite, and they are about the easiest and most prolific plant I have growing in my yard. They begin blooming in the fall, when other butterfly blooms have faded, and last into the winter in milder climates. They are perennial, prefer full sun and can be grown in pots with good drainage. When the blossoms go to seed in the fall, gather the fluffy seeds and plant more in the spring. Or let the wind do it! (See “Eco-Cool Kids” on this Site.)
Coral Honeysuckle with its long tubular flowers is commonly used to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. It’s also easy to grow and blooms summer through fall, providing butterflies what they need to thrive into October. It prefers well-drained soil and full to partial sun. And it’s perennial – plant once, enjoy for years!
from a Pollinator
Chives! Beautiful, perennial, easy to grow in gardens or pots, butterflies and bees love them…and you can eat them! What more could you ask of a plant. They bloom in early Spring, giving butterflies a head start, and will continue to bloom periodically throughout summer and fall.
For more butterfly favorites, simply enter “butterfly plants” or “plant a butterfly garden” into your browser.
Some other easy to grow and gorgeous butterfly bushes include Manzanita, Mark orange, Coffeeberry, Ceanothus, California fuchsia, and coyote mint. Most of these will be available at any well-stocked nursery, depending upon the area that you live in.
Just ask which will grow best in the conditions that you have in the region where you live.