21 of the Best Flowering Perennials to Attract Butterflies

Are you able to play host to extra of those fascinating, fluttering fliers?

Then let’s take flight into 21 of the perfect flowering perennials to draw butterflies to your small backyard!

Right here’s a peek at what’s up forward:

1. Anise Hyssop

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a North American wildflower, extremely engaging to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds for his or her plentiful blooms which have an abundance of nectar.

An fragrant herb, the shield-shaped leaves have a delightfully candy and refreshing scent of licorice and mint and the lengthy, cylindrical bud spikes are loaded with whorls of small purple blooms.

Anise hyssop has an extended blooming interval from midsummer to fall and has a very good tolerance for deer and drought.

Anise Hyssop

Vegetation develop as much as 48 inches tall and are hardy in USDA Zones 4 to eight.

Container crops of anise hyssop can be found at Nature Hills.

Study extra about anise hyssop right here.

2. Aster

Native North American asters (Aster, Eurybia, Symphotrichum) are extremely useful for butterflies, performing as host crops and offering important late season meals sources for a lot of migrating species.

The small, daisy-like blooms are available in interesting shades of blue, pink, purple, and white on upright, branching stems that flower for a number of weeks from late summer season and nicely into fall.

Asters are a good-looking selection for late-season coloration in beds, containers, islands, and cottage or wildflower gardens.

They develop from 12 to 72 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 3 to eight, relying on the species.

‘Purple Dome’ New England Aster

Symphotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’ is a New England aster that options deep purple blooms and thrives in Zones 4 to eight.

You’ll find ‘Purple Dome’ crops in one-gallon containers accessible at Nature Hills Nursery.

Our information to rising asters has extra details about these gorgeous flowers.

3. Bee Balm

Bee balm (Monarda spp.) has fairly, moppish blooms with rays of tubular, nectar-rich flowers in candy shades of mauve, pink, purple, purple, and white.

Beloved by butterflies and different pollinators, the seeds are a very good meals supply for wintering birds as nicely.

A richly fragrant native species, bee balm flowers for as much as eight weeks in the summertime and early fall backyard, including coloration and aromatic attract to cottage, reducing, and wildflower gardens in addition to combined beds and planters.

Dependable and low-maintenance, crops develop one to 4 ft tall and are hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

‘Grape Gumball’ Bee Balm

‘Grape Gumball’ is a part of the Sugar Buzz™ sequence and has a densely branched, compact measurement of as much as 24 inches, and deep purplish-pink blooms.

You’ll find this excellent cultivar accessible in one-gallon pots at Nature Hills Nursery.

Need extra data? Take a look at our information to rising bee balm.

4. Black-Eyed Susan

A standard indigenous wildflower in meadows, woodlands, and alongside roadsides, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) has cheerful, daisy-like blooms of bronze, brick purple, gold, orange, and yellow with distinctive darkish facilities.

The intense flowers open in early summer season and proceed to the beginning of fall, attracting many pollinators, and the seeds present a favourite meals for foraging winter songbirds.

They’re best for including a sunny presence to beds, foundations, islands, and cottage, reducing, or naturalized gardens.

Vegetation develop 12 to 48 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

‘Viette’s Little Suzy’ Black-Eyed Susan

‘Viette’s Little Suzy’ is a dwarf cultivar that tops out at 24 inches tall, with brilliant yellow petals surrounding a darkish brown central disc.

This prolific bloomer is accessible at Nature Hills Nursery.

Take a look at our information to rising black-eyed Susans to be taught extra.

5. Blazing Star

A favourite for an array of pollinators and winter birds, blazing star (Liatris spicata) is a pleasant grassland and prairie native with daring, upright spikes of bottlebrush flowerheads in mauve, pink, purple, or white.

Hardy and dependable, the buds open from the underside up and bloom from the center to the top of summer season, when it types engaging, downy seed heads with good-looking, coppery foliage.

Blazing Star Liatris

An enthralling addition to combined beds and planters or in reducing, cottage, and xeric gardens the place they develop from 12 to 72 inches tall. Blazing star is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

Packets of 20, 40, or 100 corms with rosy-mauve flowers may be discovered at Eden Brothers.

6. Butterfly Bush

With aromatic, conical flowers in shades of magenta, mauve, rosy pink, purple, white, or yellow, butterfly bush (Buddleia spp.) is a magnet for Lepidoptera species and different pollinators akin to bees and hummingbirds.

Though these crops can develop as much as 15 ft tall, engaging dwarf cultivars can be found that keep a compact measurement of 48 to 60 inches tall and broad – best for metropolis or courtyard gardens, foundations, and planters.

‘Miss Molly’ Butterfly Bush

For a powerful dose of “good golly” in small areas, ‘Miss Molly’ is a compact cultivar with luscious, upright plumes of magenta pink to wine purple flowers. Buddleia species are hardy in Zones 5 to 9.

You’ll find ‘Miss Molly’ crops accessible at Burpee.

Learn our information to rising butterfly bush for extra data.

7. Butterfly Weed 

A extra restrained cousin of frequent milkweed and with out the milky sap, the native butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is prized for its wands of flat-topped clusters of vibrantly coloured blooms in flame orange or yellowish orange.

The flowers appeal to hordes of pollinators with out taking up the backyard.

Vegetation bloom all through summer season and make interesting minimize flowers or colourful additions to combined perennial beds, containers, islands, and naturalized settings.

Butterfly Weed

Butterfly weed grows 24 to 48 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

You’ll find packs of three or 5 naked root crops accessible at Nature Hills Nursery.

8. Catmint

A mint member of the family that butterflies love, catmint (Nepeta spp.) has fragrant leaves and fairly spires of pale blue, mauve, pink, purple, or white flowers with an exceptionally lengthy bloom time.

Flowering from late spring via to fall, this fragrant herb offers a season-long nectar supply for butterflies and different helpful bugs, including mounds of colourful appeal to beds, borders, containers, and rock or xeric gardens.

Catmint grows 12 to 36 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

‘Cat’s Pajamas’ Catmint

‘Cat’s Pajamas’ is a compact cultivar that tops out at 14 inches tall and sports activities brilliant indigo blooms.

You’ll find ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ accessible at Nature Hills.

Need to be taught extra about this fragrant herb? Take a look at our catmint rising information right here.

9. Chrysanthemum

A regular bearer within the late-season backyard, chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum spp.) produce copious portions of flowers in opulent shades of brick, burgundy, cerise, gold, mahogany, maroon, mauve, orange, peach, pink, salmon, scarlet, white, and yellow.

The colourful, mounding crops present necessary meals sources for late season butterflies and are best in beds, borders, patio pots, or metropolis, cottage, and courtyard gardens.

Potted mums are good for adorning autumn get-togethers, from pickle-making events to Halloween!

Hardy backyard mums vary in measurement from 12 to 36 inches and are hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

‘Coral Daisy’ Chrysanthemums

From the College of Minnesota’s Mammoth™ sequence, the pleasant, semi-double ‘Coral Daisy’ is hardy all the way down to Zone 3! With coral pink flowers, this one’s a stunner.

Vegetation in four-inch containers can be found at Burpee.

For extra chrysanthemum know-how, try our rising information.

10. Coneflower

Surging in recognition, native coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) can be found in a juicy vary of colours, together with burgundy, brick, coral, lime inexperienced, mango, mauve, flame orange, sizzling pink, shell pink, purple, raspberry, salmon, white, and yellow.

Butterflies flock to the blooms and later within the season, small birds to the seed heads. Coneflowers develop from six to 30 inches tall, bearing brilliant daisy-like blooms all through summer season.

A good selection for including regular coloration as container or specimen crops or grouped into dramatic shows for borders, courtyards, and foundations – plus they work nicely in reducing, wildflower, and xeric gardens. Vegetation are hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

‘Marmalade’ Coneflowers

‘Marmalade’ is a double-petaled cultivar, giving its massive, orangey-yellow blooms a shaggy look.

You’ll find ‘Marmalade’ crops accessible at Burpee.

Need to be taught extra? Our coneflower rising information may be discovered right here.

11. Coreopsis

An indigenous wildflower, coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.), additionally known as tickseed, options brilliant, daisy-like flowers in drenched shades of brick, mahogany, maroon, lavender, bubblegum and sizzling pinks, salmon, scarlet, white, and butter and sunshine yellows.

They bloom for weeks over the summer season months and make a sunny splash in combined beds, borders, and containers in addition to native and water-wise gardens.

Most varieties develop within the vary of 12 to 36 inches and are hardy in Zones 4 to 10.

‘Unimaginable! Swirl’ Coreopsis

‘Unimaginable! Swirl’ has lovely, bicolor deep burgundy flowers with creamy white margins.

You’ll find packets of seeds accessible at Botanical Pursuits.

And take a look at our information to rising coreopsis right here!

12. False Indigo

False or wild indigo (Baptisia) is a prairie native with massive, upright racemes of winged, pea-like flowers in pale or indigo blue plus white, with latest cultivars including hues of burgundy, chocolate, mauve, burnt orange, pink, purple, and creamy or brilliant yellow.

The colourful flower spikes bloom from midspring to early summer season, offering a very good supply of nectar within the early season.

They’re attractive for reducing and add cool enchantment to combined beds, islands, and naturalized or wildflower plantings.

False Indigo

As herbaceous legumes, false indigo crops assist to repair nitrogen within the soil and so they have good drought tolerance as nicely. Vegetation develop as much as 72 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 3 to 10.

You’ll find false indigo with conventional blue flowers accessible at Nature Hills Nursery.

13. Goldenrod

A daring and exquisite wildflower native partially to North America, goldenrod (Solidago spp.) shows dense, conical or fan-shaped flower heads made up of tiny florets in saturated shades of yellow, together with amber, gold, lemon, mustard, and sunshine plus creamy white.

Rising 12 to 72 inches tall, new cultivars are sometimes extra refined in measurement than species crops, making them a super selection for smaller gardens.

And all varieties boast tall, upright plumes that blaze within the sunshine, attracting multitudes of pollinators in search of late season nectar.

Drought resistant and tolerant of poor soils, goldenrods have an extended bloom time of midsummer into fall.

They’re extremely fascinating as specimen crops in combined beds and containers, or clustered in borders of herb, meadow, and wildflower gardens. Goldenrod is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

‘Little Lemon’ Goldenrod

‘Little Lemon’ is an lovely dwarf selection, rising solely 18 inches tall, with vivid yellow flowers.

You’ll find ‘Little Lemon’ crops in one-gallon containers accessible at Burpee.

Study extra about goldenrod right here.

14. Lavender

A favourite flowering herb beloved for its heavenly perfume, lavender (Lavandula) spikes perch atop lengthy, wiry stems with tiny, tubular blooms in wealthy shades of amethyst, violet blue, lavender, pale pink, rosy pink, purple, white, and even pale yellow.

A favourite summertime meals supply for a lot of butterflies and pollinators, the low mounding, evergreen shrubs are drought tolerant and develop 12 to 48 inches tall.

Most varieties are hardy in Zones 4 to 10, with some appropriate for cooler or hotter climates.

The fragrant flowers bloom from late spring to late summer season, relying on the sort.

Lavender makes a good looking and dependable addition as specimens in containers, foundations, and cottage or rock gardens, or wherever they are often massed, akin to low obstacles and borders.

English Lavender

English lavender, L. angustifolia, gives aromatic blue flowers and grows to a mature top of about 30 inches, with a diffusion of 18 inches.

You’ll find packets of 1,000 seeds accessible at Burpee.

Our information to rising lavender may be discovered right here.

15. Oregano

Lots of the so-called Mediterranean herbs appeal to pollinators and oregano (Origanum vulgare) is among the many finest, with fragrant foliage and blossoms plus wealthy quantities of nectar drawing in quite a lot of bees and butterflies.

The small, star-shaped mauve, pink, or white flowers bloom in terminal clusters on upright stems, including coloration and intense perfume for weeks over the summer season months.

Rising as much as 24 inches tall, oregano is a must have for kitchen potagers and provides aromatic appeal to frame fronts, containers, edging, or herb beds and in naturalized, wildflower, or water-wise gardens.

Frequent Oregano

Vegetation are hardy in Zones 4 to 10.

Packets of frequent oregano seeds may be discovered at Botanical Pursuits.

Get extra oregano know-how right here.

16. Phlox

Phlox (Phlox spp.) varieties, together with the tall backyard varieties (P. paniculata) and creeping varieties (P. stolonifera), are North American wildflowers which have robust enchantment for butterflies.

The aromatic, tubular flowers bloom in clusters on tall stalks or brief stems in lovely shades of blue, coral, orange, pink, plum, purple, purple, white, and yellow, blooming for weeks in summer season within the case of P. paniculata, or early to mid-spring for P. stolonifera.

Backyard varieties develop 24 to 48 inches tall and add excellent enchantment to beds, foundations, and islands.

The creepers attain solely six inches in top and are excellent in hanging baskets or window bins, as mounding floor covers, and in rockeries or cascading over rock partitions.

Each species are hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

‘Emerald Blue’ is a creeping phlox cultivar that options brilliant blue flowers.

‘Emerald Blue’ Creeping Phlox

You’ll find ‘Emerald Blue’ crops accessible at Burpee.

Desire the upright kind? ‘Uptown Woman’ is a showy backyard phlox cultivar with showy panicles of brilliant pink flowers.

It’s additionally accessible at Burpee.

17. Sage

Frequent backyard sage (Salvia officinalis) is one other fragrant mint member of the family.

Grown for the flavorful, grey inexperienced leaves with an natural/camphor taste, the tall spikes of fairly tubular flowers in lavender blue, rosy pink, and white are a butterfly favourite.

Flowering for a number of weeks from early summer season, these semi-woody shrubs are drought tolerant as soon as established and develop as much as 30 inches tall.

Frequent Sage

A good selection for including cool, soothing tones to containers, herb knots, combined shrub beds, and rockeries. Sage is hardy in Zones 4 to eight.

Seed packets can be found at Excessive Mowing Natural Seeds.

Study extra about rising sage right here.

18. Shasta Daisy

A cottage backyard staple, Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum superbum) have fairly white or pale yellow petals in a basic, ray floret starburst sample with a lemon or mustard yellow disc middle.

A bunch plant and good supply of nectar, Shasta daisies bloom from early summer season to fall on stiff stems that attain from six to 48 inches tall, relying on kind.

They make an interesting selection for combined beds, edging, or rows, and add cheery mild to cottage, cuttings, and wildflower gardens. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

‘Daisy Duke’ Shasta Daisy

‘Daisy Duke’ is a prolific bloomer, with brilliant white petals and mustard yellow facilities.

You’ll find ‘Daisy Duke’ accessible in #1 containers at Nature Hills Nursery.

Need to be taught extra? Take a look at our Shasta daisy rising information right here.

19. Stonecrop

A various group of succulents, stonecrop or sedums (Sedum spp. and Hylotelephium spp.), are carefree and drought tolerant.

They sometimes flower from mid- to late summer season with erect spikes topped with clusters of small, starry blooms in colours of mauve, pale and rosy pink, purple, salmon, white, and yellow, relying on the variability. 

Sizes fluctuate from the creeping varieties like English stonecrop that develop solely three to 6 inches tall, and showy varieties like ‘Autumn Pleasure’ that may attain as much as 30 inches excessive.

And a few varieties additionally boast attractive foliage colours of burgundy, plum, or scarlet.

Stonecrops are each host crops and nectar sources for a lot of butterfly species and can be utilized in containers and planters, as borders or floor covers, and in any xeric setting.

Most stonecrop varieties are hardy in Zones 3 to 10.

‘Autumn Pleasure’ Stonecrop

‘Autumn Pleasure’ is broadly well-liked for good purpose: it’s straightforward to develop and has attractive pinkish-red flowers, offering coloration within the late season backyard.

You’ll find ‘Autumn Pleasure’ in #1 containers from Nature Hills Nursery.

Our information to rising stonecrop has extra data.

20. Thyme

Thyme (Thymus spp.) is a well-liked kitchen herb esteemed for including savory taste to fish, soups, stews, and stuffing.

The just about 200 species within the Thymus genus make excellent ornamentals as nicely, flowering in late spring via summer season, relying on the variability.

The small, woody shrubs or creeping (prostrate) floor covers are extremely fragrant, with rounded or needle-like leaves and much of tiny, pink or purple scented flowers, masking crops and drawing in clouds of bees and butterflies.

These compact herbs are extremely drought tolerant and best for including scented attract to frame fronts, containers, and gravel or rock gardens. And the creeping varieties are good for stuffing into damaged bricks, pathways, paver cracks, and rock partitions.

Prostrate varieties are floor huggers with a top of three inches and customary varieties develop as much as 16 inches tall.

Thyme is hardy in Zones 5 to 9, though there are various cultivars appropriate for colder winters proper all the way down to Zone 2!

‘Coccineus’ is a beautiful creeping thyme (T. praecox) cultivar, making a brilliant pink carpet of blooms.

‘Coccineus’ Creeping Thyme

You’ll find ‘Coccineus’ crops accessible from Nature Hills Nursery in quart-sized and #1 containers.

And in case you favor to develop some frequent thyme, you will discover seeds accessible at Burpee.

Study extra about rising thyme right here.

21. Weigela

Extremely decorative, weigela (Weigela spp.) shrubs function plenty of lovely, trumpet-like flowers in mid to late spring, blooming in luxurious shades of burgundy, mauve, pale and rosy pink, purple, and white.

The foliage is available in diverse colours as nicely, together with chartreuse, creamy variegations, inexperienced, gold, dusty pink, plum, purple, and nearly black.

Dwarf varieties are perfect for small areas, rising 24 to 36 inches tall, offering lustrous colours to borders, edging, foundations, and combined shrub beds, plus metropolis and courtyard gardens.

‘Spilled Wine’ Weigela

‘Spilled Wine’ has sizzling pink flowers, burnished maroon foliage, and grows as much as 36 inches tall.

You’ll find ‘Spilled Wine’ weigela crops accessible at Quick Rising Timber.

Take a look at our information to rising weigela for extra data.

Butterfly Heaven

When you’d like to draw extra butterflies to your backyard, however don’t have the area for big drifts of blooms or blossoming timber, our number of flowering perennials are perfect for small areas!

Many are North American native wildflowers, and act as a bunch plant for indigenous Lepidoptera species and all act as necessary meals sources, offering valuable nectar for these fanciful fliers.

When planning your butterfly backyard, remember to select quite a lot of crops with completely different flowering occasions to draw the best vary of species from spring to fall.

Are you rising flowering perennials to draw butterflies? Tell us within the feedback part under!

And in case you’d wish to be taught extra about attracting pollinators, add these guides to your studying checklist subsequent.

© Ask the Consultants, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for extra particulars. Initially printed January 23, 2019. Final up to date January 29, 2025. Product pictures by way of Botanical Pursuits, Burpee, Eden Brothers, Quick Rising Timber, Excessive Mowing Natural Seeds, and Nature Hills Nursery. Uncredited pictures: Shutterstock.