6 Flowers That Attract Butterflies

For anyone who loves to plant, grow, and take care of a backyard garden, you know the right flowers and landscaping aren’t the only things that contribute to their success — other aspects of nature, such as beautiful butterflies, do too. And although you may think that some gardeners just get lucky to have butterflies attracted to their home, there are actually specific flower types that butterflies are more likely to cling to.

Here are six types of flowers that attract butterflies.

Aster

A classic plant for fall gardeners, aster produces some of the most amazing red, blue, pink, purple, and white flowers. Aster plants thrive best under sunny and moist conditions, and can grow to be 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. And one thing’s for sure — butterflies love them!

Butterfly bush

It has butterfly in its name, so of course it’s going to be something that butterflies are attracted to. A particular benefit of one of these bushes is that it sprouts extremely beautiful flowers full of life and color. For those who are new to gardening, you can expect your new butterfly bush to have finished growing after only one or two seasons.

Phlox

Phlox plants are known for their amazing blooms throughout the summer months. Their flowers can be found in shades of red, pink, salmon, lavender, and white. Since these plants can grow to 4 feet tall, you need to make sure you have enough room in your garden before adding one to it.

Coneflower

If you have a garden that receives a lot of sun, and want swarms of butterflies surrounding your blooms, consider coneflowers. Several butterfly species are attracted to this flower's nectar, and it also will keep your garden looking stunning throughout the summer season.

Salvia

Ranging in size from short to tall, and in color from red to orange and purple to pink, these are some of butterflies' favorites every summer. Similar to the purple coneflower, these flowers do best in a sunny environment, and they also enjoy well-drained soil.

Zinnia

You love zinnia, we love zinnia, and butterflies definitely love zinnia! A particular bloom that thrives all summer long, and in a number of colors, these are the perfect addition to any garden if you want to see groups of butterflies fluttering throughout your yard.

Tips for attracting butterflies to your garden

The first thing to know when trying to attract butterflies to your garden is what these winged insects are looking for — nectar. Butterflies play a major role in pollination, and as they travel from flower to flower in search of food, they collect pollen on their body and legs, and carry it with them to the other flowers they visit during the day. (Butterflies are more active during the day time and pollinate when flowers are open.)

In addition to finding plants and flowers that produce enough nectar that encourages this process, butterflies also enjoy sunny spots and shelter to protect them from the wind and other weather conditions. — so be sure to consider this when you position your flowers and plants in the garden.

Here are three other tips you should know:

1. Adult butterflies primarily seek out flowers that are orange, yellow, pink, or purple.
2. Butterflies rely on nectar throughout their adult life. If you want to continuously see them in your yard, make sure you have plants ready to bloom at all times of the year.
3. Certain insecticides, such as malathion and diazinon, are attractive to some gardeners because of their ability to kill insects. But if you want to keep butterflies coming to you, stay away from them.