Best Perennial Plants For Butterflies

Hi All,

I've set myself the challenge of doubling the amount of butterflies in my back garden on a typical sunny day next Summer (now around 45, aiming for 90). Found these lists...

10 plants for butterflies

Best shrubs for butterflies

Buddleias are certainly a huge success with them, so are Verbena bonariensis, Hebes, Erisymum 'Bowle's Mauve' and I have heard so much about Eupatorium being irresistible to them that I've bought a couple of different ones. Sedum spectabile seems to be more of a magnet for what I think are cultivated bees, rarely see any butterflies on mine. Centranthus ruber is an interesting inclusion because I see it everywhere and have hardly ever seen any butterflies on it! Echinacea is another one I intend to add to my back garden, often see photos of these with many butterflies on them. Lavandula stoechas definitely doesn't seem to attract them much, will try angustifolia instead, I think.

So, what in your experience are the most attractive perennial plants to them?

Nick

 

The agastaches Nick. I grow a few varieties and they are usually smothered with butterflies and bees. They are often referred to as the “hummingbird” plant.

I have come around to thinking it’s more to do with how the local environment is ....
There is a big movement down here for creating wild flower meadows....from the Council down to developers to individual gardens......and this is what will eventually build up numbers of butterflies

I live not from far from the beach and the Towans/nature reserve en route have designated butterfly zones. I think therefore butterflies are more numerous here because of that

Just a thought, but heleniums always seem to attract butterflies here too. They flower forever right into the late autumn so worth growing all round I think

 

@Verdun You're spot on about the agastaches my friend, I grew 'Black Adder' and they absolutely loved it... just wasn't sure whether the classification of "perennial" applied to them, perhaps a short-lived one but one could say the same about V. bonariensis, the species often expire here in the Midlands due to harsh winters, don't have sufficient experience with the dwarves to comment. You're also completely right about environmental context, I think!

Nick

 

Ditto as Verdun for agastaches, something I noticed this year in my garden was the butterflies kept more to the back of the garden rather than nearer to the house even though I had 12 buddleia plants grown from cuttings a few feet away from the house, the bees loved them, and just thinking about what Verdun has said about the environment, locally you can't go very far without seeing very large groups of wild buddleia yet you don't see them covered in butterflies.

 

If I were asked to name only one plant popular with butterflies, it would be marjoram. In terms of numbers of individuals it wins hands down, especially popular with Meadow Browns and Gatekeepers.

 

@mazambo That's an interesting observation, I find that the initial terminal flowers on the species (davidii) are incredibly attractive to them but the dwarf cultivars are actually more successful if regularly deadheaded, they tend to produce more terminal flowers and more rapidly as a reaction to deadheading.

Nick

 

Fascinating @Redwing, it seems that marjoram adds more diversity so I'm definitely adding it to my "must-have's" list, I just seem to get Commas, Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks, Red Admirals and Painted Ladies ATM. Thanks!

Nick

 

I find that the yellow hawkbit? I have growing in the lawn does well, as does achillea. I have the wild form growing through the “grass”. Remember that different butterflies need different plants to lay their eggs on. So whilst the fennel flowers are long since gone, this afternoon a swallowtail was drawn to my bronze fennel to lay her eggs.

I agree about marjoram. I have a few different plants, and cut them in rotation to stagger the flowering.

 

Valerian seems a butterfly magnet too. Masses of the stuff on the Towans.....swathes of red, pink and white varieties out there.
It is invasive though....??? Essentially a plant for wild spaces or a selected corner of the garden

 

Just bought another achillea, great to hear butterflies like it! I could easily get carried away with these! One of the less intense pinkish/purple ones, which I really like colour-wise...

achillea lilac beauty - Google Search

Jolly good idea that, must try it! Definitely adding this one to my garden!

Yes, that's my concern with centranthus, Verdun. I want plants that require the least maintenance possible and think I may have to spend too much time clearing these from some areas.

When I grew the Verbena species they went mad over it! Now I only have one dwarf and it hardly gets any attention. So I can only conclude that dwarf cultivars are less attractive to them or that I simply need more plants. Wow, those Painted Ladies certainly seem to love your purple buddleia! Your veronicastrum looks like the one I recently got, 'Fascination'. Chuffed to see a photo of a Peacock on it, usually just see bees on them!

Nick

 

I've got about 5 or 6 Verbena Bonariensis scattered around and for some reason the butterflies don't go near them.

 

@KFF Do you also have buddleias or something else they might be finding more attractive? Starting to think that's the problem with mine! Another thing I'm wondering is that it might be due to the fact that yours are scattered around, when I grew the species they were in a small drift and they attracted loads of butterflies.

Nick

 

Hi Nick, I've got one Buddleia and loads of other things it's just the Verbena they're not interested in.

 

I think the solution is to grow as wide a range of suitable plants as possible Nick. A variety of plants equals a variety of types of butterfly.
Not sure if it has been mentioned but Skimmias are great here for attracting bees and butterflies too.
Funnily enough Nick, the first year I grew buddleia buzz Ivory it attracted loads of butterflies. I remember posting a picture of them. Sadly Ivory thereafter disappointed.
I grow plants that I like, never chosen for the bees or butterflies, yet the garden has seen plenty of wildlife ...birds, bees, butterflies, ladybirds....so why not plant for you and the butterflies?