By: Arista Hageman

Next summer, don’t forget to plant these flowers and enjoy the hoards of butterflies that won’t be able to resist your flower garden…

Butterfly Weed or Milkweed (Asclepias)

This hardy perennial will be appreciated by more than just butterflies as it shows off brilliant orange flowers on two-foot stems. It has been shown to attract a wide variety of butterflies, including Red Admiral, Monarch, Painted Lady, Cabbage White, and Western Swallowtail.

Bee Balm (Monarda)

Not only is this flower delicately beautiful and a great addition to any flower garden, but it just happens to attract the Checkered White butterfly.

Zinnia

With so many varieties of colorful zinnias on the market, you’re sure to find one you love. They are known to attract the Zebra Longwing, the Cloudless Sulphur, the Painted Lady, and the Silvery Checkerspot butterflies.

Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

Large round heads of vanilla-scented, rosy pink flowers bloom in late summer and attract butterflies by the gazillions. The Anise, Giant, Zebra, and Black swallowtail butterflies and the Great and Gulf Fritillary butterflies are just a few that can’t resist its charms.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)

This stunning flower, also known for its medicinal properties, is known for attracting the common Wood Nymph butterfly. It’s also a hardy perennial that requires little care - what could be better?

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

True to its name, this bush (also known as the summer lilac) provides blooms in various shades that are unsurpassed for attracting butterflies like the Pipevine, Polydamus, and Spicebush Swallowtails as well as Red Admirals. It gives off a great scent too!

Hollyhock

This classic tall biennial flower is a necessary component for the life cycle of the Painted Lady Butterfly. Hollyhocks provide a host plant for Painted Lady caterpillars to feed on before they morph into butterflies.

Passion Flower (Passiflora)

The Passion Flower vine is another gorgeous flower that just happens to be preferred by caterpillars before they morph into the Zebra Longwing and Gulf Fritillary butterflies. It’s also reputed to be easy to grow.

Before planting these species, be sure to discover which butterflies are native in your area so you can plant the appropriate flowers and bushes. Some trees, like willows and oaks, also happen to be preferred caterpillar host habitat. Also be sure to provide the butterflies with rocks on which to warm themselves and some muddy dirt or wet sand for drinking. Before you know it, swallowtails, monarchs, and fritillaries will be lining up to get to your flower garden.