Suggested plants for butterfly gardens

Butterfly bush  (Buddleia davidii)
Dill  (Anethum graveolens)
Goldenrod (Solidago)
Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)
Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
New England aster (Aster novae-angliae, Aster novi-belgii)
Ornamental Cabbage, (Brassica oleracea)
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Back to Butterfly Gardening home page

  Butterfly bush  (Buddleia davidii)  family: Loganiaceae

perennial, purple, lavender, white or pink blossoms,  tiny flowers borne on spikes 6 to 12 inches long, deciduous shrubby plant, bloom period summer to fall, height 6-8 feet
propagation by seed and transplants can be purchased, plants can also be started from cuttings

culture, needs full sun and rich, well drained soil, flowers are produced on new wood so prune in spring before new growth starts

notable cultivars: Black Knight - dark violet to dark purple flowers, 6 to 8 inch flower spikes

Back to top
 

  Dill  (Anethum graveolens)  family:  Umbelliferae
annual with a single upright stem, feather-like leaves are grey-green with a strong parsley-caraway smell, yellow flowers form in umbrella-like clusters and bloom in summer

propagate by seed, will self seed

culture,  sow dill seeds in the spring or fall, prefers a sunny location with well-drained soil

notible cultivars:  'Bouquet’ and ‘Dukat’ – cultivars especially selected for their large yield of leaves

Back to top


  Goldenrod (Solidago)  family: Asteraceae

perennial, bright golden yellow blossoms, leaves are slightly hairy, bloom period late summer, height 2 1/2 to 5 feet
spread 1 to 2 feet, native to Kentucky

propagation seeds can be purchased

culture, requires full sun and well-drained soil, divide plants in the spring every 3 or 4 years

notable cultivars: Golden Wings, Fireworks

Back to top

  Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)  family: Amaranthaceae
annual, small, round, clover-like 1 to 1 1/2 inch blooms, flowers may be purple, rose, lavender or white, bloom period summer (another source: midspring to early fall), height 9 inches to 2 feet, spread 6 to 8 inches

propagation by seed

culture, sow seeds indoors for early planting or outdoors after the soil warms, prefers hot summers

Back to top

  Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum)   family: Asteraceae
perennial, pink-purple flowers, tiny 1/3 inch flowers formed in dense heads at the end of stems, bushy plant, native to Kentukcy, leaves with smooth margins in pairs or whorls, bloom period late summer from July to September, height 2 to 7 feet

propagation by seed

culture, full sun to partial shade

Back to top


  New England aster (Aster novae-angliae or A. novi-belgii)  family: Asteraceae

perennial, soft pink, white, rose, red, blue, purple, violet blossoms, ray flowers around yellow center, flower heads 1 to 2 inches wide, flowers on hairy, sticky stems, lance-shaped leaves, bloom period late summer (another source: July to October), height 2 to 2 1/2 feet

propagation by seed

culture, grow in full sun in well-drained soil, pinch growing tips to induce branching, divide in the early spring

notable cultivars:  Alma Potschke - flowers look like daisies, bright cerise with yellow center

Back to top

  Ornamental Cabbage, (Brassica oleracea)  family: Brassicaceae
annual or tender biennial, smooth-leaved, center leaves of head may be pink, white, or red, blooms the second year, but flowers are of no value, height 10 inches

propagation by seed, start indoors for transplants or sow seed directly outdoors

culture, needs full sun

Back to top
 

  Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)  family:  Umbelliferae
hardy biennial, flowers only during the second growing season, usually grown as an annual since the foliage generally becomes more bitter during the second growing season, seeds produced during the second growing season will germinate and produce a new crop of foliage, forms a dense mound of foliage 6-12 inches tall and 12-15 inches wide

culture, grows best in moist, well drained soil in full sun, but it will tolerate some partial shade

notable cultivars: var. nepolitanum (Broad-leaf Italian Parsley), var. tuberosum (Turnip-rooted Parsley) forms a long edible root

Back to top