There’s nothing like the site of butterflies in the garden and summer is their prime time.
It’s not too late to plant some of the things they love and they will even help pollinate some of the flowers.
Butterfly bush is one of their favorites, I love ‘Black Knight’ but there are lots of cool colors and varieties out there including an orange one.
Butterfly weed is another tough plant that will come pack year after year. It’s a host plant for the insects, so the larvae will want to eat some, but it’s OK to share, right?
I’ve planted hibiscus, scabiosa, marigolds, monarda, lilies, salvia, coneflower, dahlias, coreopsis, cosmos and more to attract butterflies.
Butterflies like to feed in the sun, so that’s the best place for the plants. Of course it’s better for them if the garden is chemical free. And they could use some water in a shallow dish too.
One amazing thing about adding all these flowers to the landscape besides their beauty is how many other native insects visit the flowers.
Take time to sit down and watch on a warm, sunny day and watch nature at work in the garden. You’ll be amazed at how many species you will see.
Here’s a great online butterfly identification tool if you want to know who’s visiting the garden. You can even send in your own photos.
Here’s a complete list of plants that butterflies are attracted to.
Butterfly Bush is probably the most popular plant to attract butterflies
I always loved my butterfly bush and apparently the stinkbugs do too!
I found several on the leaves, a friend of mine told me she has them too.
I plan to try one of the traps to catch them, hope it works.