Plants for butterflies
Most flowering plants that attract butterflies require sun. Plant these at the woodland edge, in an open meadow, a prairie or in a sunny garden. The butterflies require sun, too. They warm their flight muscles in the sunlight and will rest on a warm stone or board when they aren’t feeding.

Aside from their beauty, butterflies are excellent pollinators and the larvae are an important part of the food chain. The larvae may munch away at some of your garden plants as well as their host trees, but consider that a good sign…not a problem.

Insecticides will harm the larvae and butterflies, along with whatever other insects you may target, so refrain from using insecticides in your butterfly garden, (if you feel you must use them at all).

Butterflies usually like flowers with a ‘landing pad’ like coneflowers, asters or the clus-tered flower heads of milkweed or phlox. In general, the butterflies are not as picky about their food as the caterpillars. Large masses of nectar-producing flowers will attract many different species. Here are some suggestions for native plants you can put in your garden, along the edge of the woods or in an open meadow.