What flowers do butterflies like?

A few plants go by the name "butterfly weed," but Asclepias tuberosa deserves the name like no others. Monarchs will be twice as happy when you plant this bright orange flower, since it is both a nectar source and a host plant for their caterpillars. Butterfly weed starts slow, but the flowers are worth the wait. read more

Butterflies need good sources of nectar, and these 12 perennials are butterfly favorites. If you plant it, they will come. Butterfly gardens should be planted in a sunny area of your yard because butterflies like to bask in the warmth of the sun and need to stay warm to fly. All of these perennials do well in the sun. read more

A butterfly’s wish list also includes sunny open spaces, shelter from the wind, and fresh water. A monarch caterpillar feasting on milkweed. Plants That Attract Butterflies. For caterpillars, consider plants like violets, milkweed, and asters. read more

Choose nectar and pollen-rich plants like wildflowers and old-fashioned varieties of flowers. A succession of blooming annuals, perennials and shrubs is best so nectar and pollen will be available throughout the growing season. Also, include plants like dill, fennel and milkweed that butterfly larvae feed on. read more

Asters are the flowers you drew as a child, many-petaled blossoms with a button-like disk in the center. Any variety of aster will do, really, when it comes to attracting butterflies. New England asters are great for their prolific flowers late in the year, which coincide nicely with the monarch migration. read more