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Plants that Attract Butterflies!

Butterflies visit literally thousands of different plants, both to sip nectar and to lay their eggs. A few plant families are particularly important to them, as either a nectar source or a larvae plant, or both. If you incorporate at least three (3) plants from each of the plant families described here, you will increase your chances of attracting many different butterfly species.

3 x 3 Success Plan (DO NOT INCLUDE TREES IN THIS EQUATION)

Order a minimum of 3 species

Order a minimum of 3 plants per species

You should end up with at least nine (9) plants to start your garden.

To guarantee success, it is recommended to first plant species that have earned the IFBE Gold Star Award. Gold Star Awards are given to plant species that are known to attract both adult butterflies and caterpillar’s.

For additional questions, please consult your local nursery trained in IFBE recommended butterfly plants.

PLANTS THAT HAVE EARNED THE IFBE GOLD STAR AWARD

Annuals and
Perennials
 Shrubs Vines Trees
Asclepias Buddleia Passion Vine Horsechestnut
Aster Coffeberry Wisteria Madrone
Beard Tongue Elderberry   Willow
Columbine Gooseberry    
Common Foxglove Honeysuckle    
Common Heliotrope Lantana    
Hollyhock Lavender    
Lupine Lilac    
Snapdragon Manzanita    
  Spirae    
  Toyon    
  Wild Lilac    
  Wild Buckwheat    

If you find that you would like to add some variety to this list of plant species, the following plants are also favorable.

OTHER PLANTS THAT HELP WITH HABITAT CONSERVATION

FOOD PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLY LARVAE

Annuals and
Perennials
 Shrubs Trees
Artichoke Cape Plumbago Birch
Bleeding Heart Hibiscus Citrus
Broccoli Mallow Crabapple
Cabbage Ocean Spray Dogwood
Common Fennel Rose Douglas Fir
Garden Nasturtium Senna Hackberry
Geum Sticky Monkey Flower Hawthorn
Mustard Tree Mallow Mesquite
Speedwell Virburnum Oak
Stawberry   Pine
Sunflower   Poplar
Twinspur   Prunus
Troadflax   Sycamore

NECTAR PLANTS FOR ADULT BUTTERFLIES

Annuals and
Perennials
 Shrubs Trees
Bee Balm Abelia Apple
Blanket Flower Bluebeard Chaste Tree
Borage California Fushia Maple
Bouvardia Cinquefoil Orange
Candytuft Escallonia  
Coreopsis Hebe  
Cosmos Lavender Starflower  
Cupid’s Dart Mahonia  
Cynoglossum Mexican Orange  
Delphinium Mock Orange  
False Spirea Rhododendron  
Fleabane Rosemary  
Gayfeather Scotch Heather  
Globe Thistle Squawbush  
Gloriosa Daisy Summersweet  
Goldenrod Vaccinium  
Jupiter’s Beard    
Lily-of-the-Nile    
Lobelia    
Marigold    
Oregano    
Pholx    
Pincushion Flower    
Pink    
Purple Coneflower    
Ranunculus    
Sage    
Sea Holly    
Shasta Daisy    
Stonecrop    
Sweet Alyssum    
Sweet Pea    
Yarrow    
Wallflower    

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