As temperatures begin to drop and butterfly sightings around your garden start to diminish, it’s time to plan for next year’s round of winged visitors. These five plants will brighten your backyard and encourage a bounty of butterflies and other pollinators.
Zinnias
Zinnia elegans
Photo: Amy Dabbs
A fiery skipper drinks from a zinnia.
Starting a butterfly garden needn’t be a major undertaking, says Canada Yocum, butterfly curator at Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. All you need is a plot of earth, potting soil, and some seeds—and it’s hard to beat an inexpensive packet of zinnia seeds, which you can find at just about any garden store. Yocum says people often tell her, “‘Oh, I planted all these host plants, but I didn’t see any butterflies.’ You’ve got to plant the nectar plants as well to get them to come,” she says. Vibrant zinnias, which bloom in many shades, continually produce nectar throughout the summer until first frost, drawing in butterflies and skippers along the way.
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
“A lot of people don’t talk about trees for butterfly gardens; trees are super important,” Yocum says. Pawpaw trees are a key food source and the only known host plant for zebra swallowtails, even as the pungent smell of their crushed leaves wards off most other insects. The tree has perks for people too, as the pawpaw is the largest edible fruit native to the U.S.
Partridge Pea
Chamaecrista fasciculata
This showy native flower grows naturally in many Southern landscapes, even in poor soil, making it an excellent option for disturbed areas that need erosion control. It thrives in full sun and doesn’t need much water or attention, and not only will its bright yellow petals bring life to your garden, but it will attract cloudless sulphur and sleepy orange butterflies. (Fun fact: It’s also a vital cold-weather food source for bobwhite quail in Alabama.)
Coneflower
Echinacea
Photo: Gabriela Gomez-Misserian
A Gulf fritillary perches on a coneflower.
This cheerful, daisy-like native serves as a rich nectar source for several different species of butterflies, and its wide and flat blooms make for a great landing spot. Ideal seed sowing time is late fall or early winter, according to Amy Dabbs, horticulture extension associate at Clemson University. “Or you could start them indoors and then plant them in the spring as a new plant.” Easygoing in most landscapes and growing regions, coneflowers are widely available at nurseries.
Horsemint
Monarda
Photo: Canada Yocum
Horsemint plants’ pale pink and spotted cream bracts attract pollinators.
Dabbs says that anytime someone asks her what they can grow for the pollinators, she recommends horsemint, also known as bee balm. The fragrant native flower is a favorite of bees and butterflies, and its leaves give off an herbaceous aroma that humans may enjoy, too. It also thrives in a broad range of landscaping zones, and its drought tolerance makes it a great candidate for hot Southern climates.
Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
If you’ve paid attention to the plight of monarch butterflies, you know about milkweed, their sole host plant. Before planting, it’s important to determine the right native milkweed species for your region. “The mothers can smell their plants through their antenna for over a mile away,” says Jackie Minett, a tour guide at Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, Florida “So if you plant it, they will come.” And plant generously, as a monarch caterpillar can devour several milkweed leaves a day.
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