13 Butterfly Attracting Plants- Plants That Attract Butterflies

Butterflies are more than just beautiful. They are works of art in & of themselves, lighting up the sky with their whimsical, beautiful flight patterns. Having them as part of your environment not only makes it more beautiful & valuable, but it also helps pollinate plants, transforming it into an ecological garden.

However, if you want to attract butterflies to your lawn or garden, you must grow plants that suit their demands—plants that attract butterflies. Explore 13 Butterfly Attracting Plants.

Best Butterfly Attracting Plants in India 

1. Milkweed (Asclepias spp.):

Milkweed is a tough plant that monarch butterflies use as a haven. It gives their larvae food & a place to live. To protect itself naturally, its milky sap has poisons in it that make monarch caterpillars & butterflies unappetizing to animals that want to eat them. Adding milkweed to your yard makes a safe place for monarch butterflies.

2. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa):

Pleurisy Root, or Butterfly Weed, is a plant that butterflies like. Its bright orange & yellow flowers draw monarch & swallowtail butterflies. Plus, it's a great plant to have in a garden that welcomes butterflies because it produces a lot of nectar for the larvae.

3. Passionflower (Passiflora spp.):

Passionflowers are a beautiful plant that butterflies, especially the Gulf Fritillary, really like. They have beautiful, intricate flowers that butterflies use as a food source & a place to lay their eggs. They add an exotic touch to fields & give butterflies a place to live throughout their lives.

Also Check This: Health Benefits of Passion Flower

4. Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea):

Coneflowers, with their cone-shaped centers, attract butterflies & other pollinators because of their abundant nectar & large landing platform. They also help the environment grow by attracting bees & other helpful bugs, which makes the ecosystem better as a whole.

5. Blue Star (Amsonia spp.):

The Blue Star plant is known for its feathery blue flowers that draw many kinds of butterflies. It is also great for garden borders because it doesn't need much care. Butterflies need to eat nectar-rich flowers like this one, so they will keep coming into your yard.

6. Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis):

Pot marigold is a bright plant with orange or golden flowers that draws butterflies like the Painted Lady & can be used in cooking & as medicine. Its flowers can be eaten & add color to meals. They are also good for you & have been used for a long time to treat a wide range of illnesses. Moreover, it helps make the yard more butterfly-friendly.

7. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta):

Popular plants for butterfly gardens, Black-eyed Susan draws butterflies with their dark cores & golden-yellow petals. During the summer, these hardy plants bloom often, giving species like the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail a constant source of nectar.

8. Blazing Star Flowers (Liatris spp.):

A type of Liatris spp. called Blazing Star Flowers are often grown in gardens because their tall, spiked flowers draw butterflies, especially monarchs & swallowtails. Their vertical structure gives them height & color, & the nectar-filled flowers they produce feed grown-up butterflies (caterpillars).

Also Check This: How to Create Indoor Water Gardens

9. Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens):

Heliotrope is a plant that butterflies like the Painted Lady & Red Admiral like to feed on. Its purple flowers smell sweet. This fragrant plant makes the butterfly's experience more enjoyable, which makes it a great choice for outdoor gardening that wants to add both smell & sight appeal.

10. Lavender (Lavandula spp.):

Butterflies like the Painted Lady & Swallowtail are drawn to Lavender, a plant with flowers that smell good. Lavender is a popular choice for gardening because of its pleasant smell & nectar-rich environment, which makes it a relaxing spot for both people & butterflies.

11. Zinnia (Zinnia spp.):

Zinnia gardens are popular with butterflies because they have a lot of flowers that butterflies love that are rich in nectar content. By planting them in groups, you can make a beautiful visual ppeal & provide food for butterflies.

12. Aster (Aster spp.):

Asters, which have flowers that look like daisies, are a favorite late-season food source for butterflies because they come in many colors. As other nectar sources dry up, asters become an important food source for migrating butterflies, keeping flowers colorful all fall.

13. Borage (Borago officinalis):

Borage is a plant with bright blue flowers that look like stars. Bees & butterflies like it because it has a rich source of nectar. Moreover, beneficial pollinators, like butterflies & bees, are crucial to plant reproduction, & Borage blossoms bring them to the garden. Borage's cucumber-flavored leaves can be added to salads to make your garden more useful for cooking. It can be used for more than just looking good.

How do I increase butterflies in my garden?

To maximize the appeal of your garden to butterflies, consider the following:

1. Incorporating a diverse range of plants is the initial step in attracting a multitude of butterfly species. By grouping plants together, butterflies can find the nectar sources they like more easily. The result is beautiful to look at for both people & butterflies. 
2. Give butterflies a place to rest & some sun. Insects with cold blood like butterflies need sunlight to stay at the right temperature. 
3. Next, don't use chemicals. Instead, get rid of pests naturally or choose plants that are not affected by butterflies. 
4. Try to make sure all creatures can get water in your yard. This can be done by putting rocks or damp sand in shallow dishes. This will keep the creatures like butterflies that live in your yard healthy. 
5. Plan for continuous bloom by choosing plants that bloom at different times so that you have a steady source of nectar all through the growing season.

Also Check This: Evergreen Climbing Flowers in India

Conclusion

Helping nature by making the garden butterfly-friendly is a worthwhile & joyful activity. Selecting & planting plants that butterflies like helps keep the ecosystem in order & brings butterflies into our outdoor spaces. Each plant in a garden that butterflies like changes the overall pattern of the garden. To respect the strength & beauty of butterflies, it's more than just a pretty sight. It's a living ecosystem.