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Butterfly Garden Plants

Explore pollinator-friendly plants that help bring more nectar, movement, and seasonal color into the garden.

Use these plants to create a butterfly-friendly planting mix with repeat bloom, easy feeding stations, and habitat value.

Plan a butterfly garden with these plantsExplore all plants

305141 plants found

Featured plants

24
Cherry-laurel
Shrub
Evergreen

Cherry-laurel

Prunus laurocerasus

Rosaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 5–8
5–6m
Blooms: Jun
Common privet
Shrub
Evergreen

Common privet

Ligustrum vulgare

Oleaceae

Partial Shade
Medium
Zone 4–8
3–3m
Blooms: Jun
Eastern purple-coneflower
Perennial

Eastern purple-coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Asteraceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 3–9
0.7–1.2m
Blooms: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Caucasian stonecrop
Perennial
Evergreen

Caucasian stonecrop

Phedimus spurius

Crassulaceae

Full Sun
Low
Zone 4–9
0.1–0.3m
Blooms: Jul
Purple sage
Perennial

Purple sage

Salvia purpurea

Lamiaceae

Full Sun
Low
Zone 5–9
0.4–0.8m
Blooms: Jun, Jul, Aug
hosta
Perennial

hosta

Hosta sieboldiana

Asparagaceae

Partial Shade
Medium
Zone 3–9
0.3–0.9m
Blooms: Jul, Aug, Sep
White milkwort
Perennial

White milkwort

Polygala alba

Polygalaceae

Full Sun
Low
Zone 4–8
0.2–0.4m
Blooms: May, Jun, Jul
Shrub
Evergreen

Mexican Orange

Choisya arizonica

Rutaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 7–10
1.5–2.5m
Blooms: Apr, May, Oct
Shrub

Lilac

Syringa prestoniae

Oleaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 3–7
2–3m
Blooms: May, Jun
Perennial

Elliot's Aframomum

Aframomum elliotii

Zingiberaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 9–11
1.2–1.8m
Blooms: Jul, Aug
Pacific serviceberry
Shrub

Pacific serviceberry

Amelanchier alnifolia

Rosaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 2–7
4.29–8m
Blooms: Apr, May
Mazzard cherry
Tree

Mazzard cherry

Prunus avium

Rosaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 4–8
12–25m
Blooms: Apr, May
Linden
Tree

Linden

Tilia cordata

Malvaceae

Partial Shade
Medium
Zone 3–7
15.23–30m
Blooms: Jul
Red-osier dogwood
Shrub

Red-osier dogwood

Cornus sericea

Cornaceae

Full Sun
High
Zone 3–8
0.72–3.5m
Blooms: May, Jun, Jul
Spring crocus
Perennial

Spring crocus

Crocus vernus

Iridaceae

Full Sun
Low
Zone 3–8
0.13–0.13m
Blooms: Feb, Mar
Coralbells
Perennial

Coralbells

Heuchera sanguinea

Saxifragaceae

Partial Shade
Medium
Zone 4–9
0.48–0.6m
Blooms: May, Jun, Jul, Aug
Garden phlox
Perennial

Garden phlox

Phlox paniculata

Polemoniaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 3–9
1.2–1.2m
Blooms: Jul, Aug, Sep
Hortensia
Shrub

Hortensia

Hydrangea macrophylla

Hydrangeaceae

Partial Shade
High
Zone 5–9
1.5–2m
Blooms: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Caucasian alder
Tree

Caucasian alder

Alnus subcordata

Betulaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 7–10
14.35–20m
Blooms: Apr, May
Grass
Evergreen

feather reed grass

Calamagrostis acutiflora

Poaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 4–9
1–1.5m
Blooms: Aug, Sep, Oct
Indian millet
Annual

Indian millet

Cenchrus americanus

Poaceae

Full Sun
Medium
Zone 3–10
0.4–1.5m
Blooms: Jul, Aug, Sep
Jerusalem cowslip
Perennial

Jerusalem cowslip

Pulmonaria officinalis

Boraginaceae

Partial Shade
Medium
Zone 3–8
0.23–0.3m
Blooms: Apr, May, Jun
Lenten-rose
Perennial
Evergreen

Lenten-rose

Helleborus orientalis

Ranunculaceae

Partial Shade
Medium
Zone 4–9
0.3–0.6m
Blooms: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Dec
Damson Plum
Tree

Damson Plum

Prunus domestica subsp. insititia

Rosaceae

Partial Shade
Medium
Zone 5–8
3–5m
Blooms: Mar, Apr
Why this theme works
Butterfly planting is strongest when you combine nectar-rich bloom with a long flowering window and a range of heights. These plants make that mix easier to build.
FAQ

What belongs in a butterfly garden?

Start with plants that match the core site conditions for a butterfly garden, then layer in foliage, structure, and bloom for a longer season.

How do I plan a butterfly garden?

Choose the right site conditions first, shortlist plants that fit them, and sketch the mix in Plantory before you buy anything.

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