The 15 Best Perennials That Attract Butterflies

If you want to attract butterflies and other pollinators to your garden, you’ll need flowers. Perennial flowers are a great choice, but what are perennials? Perennials are plants with a longer life than annual plants. Generally, perennials complete their life cycle in two years or more. They are more cold-hardy than annual plants, which complete their life cycle in one year.

Perennials are great if you want flowers and plants to come back during spring, without having to replant them. But not all perennials are the same. Some are better for butterflies than others. But which ones? Follow along to discover 13 of the best perennials that attract butterflies.

Butterfly Weed

The first flower on our list is the most obvious and might be the most popular. One of the best perennials to grow is butterfly weed, also known as milkweed. This milkweed species is native to eastern and southwestern North America and produces beautiful colors. It can get as tall as 3 feet. Butterfly weeds are container-friendly and need full sun.

Bluebonnet

Another great perennial to attract butterflies is the bluebonnet, also known as Lupine. A popular species is the Texas bluebonnet. This plant is native to the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico.

Blanket Flower

Not only do blanket flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators like moths, but they are beautiful. Blanket flowers are known for their vibrant and fiery red and yellow petals. These flowers bloom heavily in the summer, into fall. They are about 1 to 2 feet tall and may grow in large clusters in the wild.

Goldenrod

Next on our list of perennials that attract butterflies is the goldenrod flower. This lovely plant is really a genus with over 120 species. The small yellow flowers bloom in large clusters. This popular perennial blooms from July through September. During moist and warm weather, the plant produces sweet nectar, perfect for pollinators.

Black-Eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susans are another great perennial to plant to attract butterflies. This stunning flower can act like an annual or a perennial depending on its environment. Black-eyed Susans are found across the U.S. as they’ve been widely naturalized.

Common Ironweed

Continuing our list is the common ironweed. The scientific name for this butterfly-favorite is Vernonia fasciculata. Common ironweed flowers are pink and purple. The plant reaches about 2 feet tall, sometimes more. This plant thrives in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9.

Lavender

Lavender doesn’t just smell or look good, but it also attracts pollinators, including butterflies. There aren’t just one species of lavender. Instead, it’s a genus of around 45 species. It’s native to many parts of Eurasia, but is found all over the world.

New England Aster

Did you know New England aster flowers attract butterflies? This perennial plant is native to central and eastern North America. It goes by many names, including Michaelmas daisy. The flowers are usually purple and pink and in their natural habitat can be found in meadows, marshes, fens, and prairies.

Garden Phlox

A great flower to plant in your front yard for its beautiful, showy flower is the garden phlox. This flower also attracts butterflies. Garden phlox is native to the eastern and central United States. The flowers range in color but can be white, pink, purple, grey, red, and orange. Some garden phlox leaves are variegated.

Tickseed

If you want a great border plant to attract butterflies, you can plant tickseeds, also known as calliopsis. These lovely flowers range in color, although many are yellow. They are about 18 to 50 inches tall and are native to North, Central, and South America.

Bee Balm

Bee balm flowers aren’t just for attracting bees, but also butterflies. These lovely flowers are perennials and thrive in full sun. Bee balm (Monarda) is a genus with many species. Popular bee balm species include lemon bee balm, eastern bee balm, purple beebalm, spotted bee balm, and Stanfield’s beebalm.

Purple Coneflower

Butterflies love cone flowers, and a beautiful one to plant to attract them is the purple coneflower. They are sometimes also called the hedgehog coneflower and are native to parts of eastern North America. You can especially find these wildflowers in the Ozarks. Pollinators that love purple coneflowers include sweat bees, monarchs, honey bees, swallowtail butterflies, and bumblebees.

Sweet Joe-Pye Weed

Last but not least is the sweet Joe-Pye weed. It’s a clumping herb native to eastern and central North America. They are found as far north as Ontario and as south as Florida and Texas. This beautiful plant thrives in full sun and attracts many species of butterflies and moths, including the ruby tiger moth.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/herreid