Native Plants to Attract Butterflies
Native plants are essential if native butterflies are to survive and thrive. Native plants are better than non-native plants at providing vital nutrition and protection to sustain the native butterfly life cycle. In fact, without many of the plants listed, certain species of butterflies would cease to exist!
Native butterflies ad beauty to the home landscape and, along with native bees and other pollinators, are responsible for one third of the world's food supply.
Rosedale Nurseries is proud to be a supplier of American Beauties Native Plants®. For more information, visit www.abnativeplants.com
GRASSES
| Plant Name | Nectar Source |
Host Plant |
Bloom Time | Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Sedge (Carex appalachica) |
Yes | No | March-April | Partial Shade |
| Bunny Blue™ Sedge ('Hobb') (Carex laxiculmus 'Bunny Blue') |
Yes | No | March-April | Full to Partial Shade |
| Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta) |
Yes | No | May-June | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium 'Standing Ovation') |
Yes | No | August-September | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium 'The Blues') |
Yes | No | August-September | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
PERENNIALS
| Plant Name | Nectar Source | Host Plant | Bloom Time | Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) |
Yes | Yes | July-August | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Swamp Milkweed 'Ice Ballet' (Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet') |
Yes | Yes | July-August | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) |
Yes | Yes | June-July | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Woodland Aster (Aster divaricata) |
Yes | Yes | September-October | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Smooth Aster (Aster laevis 'Bluebird') |
Yes | Yes | August-September | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| New England Aster (Aster 'Alma Potchke') |
Yes | Yes | August-September | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis) |
Yes | Yes | May | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Turtlehead (Chelone) |
Yes | Yes | August-September | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Star Tickseed (Coreopsis 'Sunshine Superman') |
Yes | No | June-July | Full Sun |
| Threadleaf Tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata) |
Yes | No | June-July | Full Sun |
| Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) |
Yes | Yes | June-August | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Happy Star Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Happy Star') |
Yes | Yes | July-October | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Ruby Star Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Ruby Star') |
Yes | Yes | July-October | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Prairie Splendor Coneflower (Echinacea pur. 'Prairie Splendor') |
Yes | Yes | July-October | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium coelestinum) |
Yes | No | August-September | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Dwarf Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium 'Little Joe') |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Wild Geranium (Geranium maculata) |
Yes | No | April-May | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Cranesbill (Geranium maculata 'Espresso') |
Yes | No | May-June | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Sneezeweed (Helenium 'Tiny Dancer') |
Yes | No | August-September | Full Sun |
| Oxeye Daisy (Heliopsis heli. 'Summer Nights') |
Yes | No | June-August | Full Sun |
| Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata) |
Yes | No | May-June | Full to Partial Shade |
| White Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata 'Alba') |
Yes | No | May-June | Full to Partial Shade |
| Northern Blueflag (Iris versicolor) |
Yes | No | May-June | Full Sun/Full Shade |
| Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Cardinal Flower (Lobelia 'Fired Green Tomatoes') |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) |
Yes | No | June-July | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Sundial Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) |
Yes | No | May-July | Sun |
| Bee Balm 'Blue Stocking' (Monarda 'Blue Stocking') |
Yes | No | May-July | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Bee Balm 'Jacob Cline' (Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline') |
Yes | No | May-July | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Bee Balm 'Claire Grace' (Monarda first. 'Claire Grace') |
Yes | No | May-July | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Beardtongue 'Husker Red' (Penstemon 'Husker Red') |
Yes | No | May-July | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Woodland Phlox 'Blue Moon' (Phlox div. 'Blue Moon') |
Yes | No | April-May | Full to Partial Shade |
| Woodland Phlox 'Parksville Beach' (Phlox 'Parksville Beach') |
Yes | No | April-May | Full to Partial Shade |
| Garden Phlox 'Eva Cullum' (Phlox pani. 'Eva Cullum') |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Garden Phlox 'Blue Paradise' (Phlox pani. 'Blue Paradise') |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Garden Phlox 'Jeana' (Phlox paniculata 'Jeana') |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia var. fulgida) |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Three-lobed Coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba) |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Three-lobed Coneflower 'Prairie Glow' Rudbeckia 'Prairie Glow' |
Yes | No | July-September | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Wild Pinks (Silene c. 'Short and Sweet') |
Yes | No | May-July | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Goldenrod (Solidago 'Fireworks') |
Yes | No | August-October | Full Sun |
| Ironweed 'Iron Butterfly' (Vernonia 'Iron Butterfly') |
Yes | No | August-September | Full Sun |
| Bird's Foot Violet (Viola pedata) |
Yes | No | April-June | Full Sun/Part Sun |
| Labrador Violet (Viola labradorica) |
Yes | No | April-June | Part Sun to Part Shade |
| Prostrate Blue Violets (Viola walteri 'Silver Gems') |
Yes | No | April-September | Full to Partial Shade |
SHRUBS
| Plant Name | Nectar Source | Host Plant | Bloom Time | Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinxterbloom Azalaea (Azalaea periclymenoides) |
Yes | Yes | April-May | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Pink-Shell Azalaea (Azalaea vaseyi) |
Yes | Yes | April | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Swamp Azalaea (Azalaea viscosum) |
Yes | Yes | June-July | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| Button Bush (Cephlanthus occidentalis) |
Yes | No | June | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) |
Yes | Yes | April-June | Full Shade/Partial Shade |
| Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus ser. 'Cardinal') |
Yes | Yes | June-August | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) |
Yes | Yes | March-April | Full sun/Partial Shade |
| Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris) |
Yes | No | May-July | Full Sun |
| Pasture Rose (Rosa virginiana) |
Yes | No | May-July | Full Sun |
| Pussy Willow (Salix discolor) |
Yes | No | March-April | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| Vaccinium corymbosum 'Blue Jay' | Yes | No | May | Full Sun |
| Vaccinium corymbosum 'Northland' | Yes | No | May | Full Sun |
| Vaccinium corymbosum 'Rubel' | Yes | No | May-June | Full Sun |
TREES
| Plant Name | Nectar Source | Host Plant | Bloom Time | Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) |
Yes | Yes | March-May | Full Sun/Partial Sun |
| River Birch (Betula nigra) |
No | Yes | March-April | Sun |
| Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) |
Yes | Yes | May-June | Partial Shade |
| Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida 'Cloud 9') |
Yes | Yes | April-May | Full Sun/Partial Shade |
| White Pine (Pinus strobus) |
No | Yes | Sun | |
| Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) |
Yes | Yes | May | Full Sun |
| Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) |
Yes | Yes | April-May | Full Sun/Part Shade |
VINES
| Plant Name | Nectar Source | Host Plant | Bloom Time | Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia) |
No | Yes | May-June | Full Sun/Part Shade |
| Honeysuckle (Lonicera 'Major Wheeler') |
Yes | No | May-June | Sun |
| Wisteria frutescens | Yes | Yes | May | Sun |
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