As Spring is here to stay and Spring planting is well underway, you may be thinking about adding some new pizazz to one of your flower beds. Did you know that with the addition of just a couple of plants, your garden could be a perfect haven for butterflies to frequent?! Making a butterfly garden (it is easier than it may sound) is a beautiful and fun way to make your yard more friendly for these winged beauties as well as hummingbirds. We will talk about these plants in this post, and any that we discuss are grown and sold at Riverbend!
Butterflies are easy to watch and enjoy, as they are active from early morning till early evening during Spring, Summer, and Fall in middle Tennessee. They typically enjoy flowers that boast vibrant colors, which also add interest and colorful punches to your garden. Some that are tried and true for attracting butterflies are listed below!
Butterfly bush (Buddleia): This one is the most obvious, as its name suggests. Butterfly bushes have long slender coned-shaped flowers that come in a variety of colors! The sizes on these bushes vary quite a bit, with dwarf sizes not getting above 4’x4′ at maturity, to other sizes reaching 8′ or more at maturity! When purchasing a butterfly bush, be sure you know what size it is going to get to make sure it will fit in your space in a few years after it has grown! Butterfly bushes love full sun!
Purple coneflower, Salvia, and Black Eyed Susan: Love sunny spots, beautiful cut flowers, and heat tolerant are just some reasons to include these three in your butterfly garden (besides the fact that, well, butterflies love them). They are also perennial, meaning they come back year after year! What more needs to be said!
Phlox: If you are a butterfly lover who has a partly sunny/ partly shady area, Phlox is a good way to attract butterflies. Phlox can take full sun or part shade. Give it at least morning sun with afternoon shade and it will grace you with beautiful flowers that butterflies will not resist either! Also a perennial!
Zinnias and Lantanas: These provide color all summer long and are an annual in our area. Coming in brilliant colors of yellows, reds, pinks, and whites, these are beautiful in the ground or adding vibrancy to containers. Either way, they are sure to attract butterflies and love basking in full sun.
Many different options, all providing endless summer color and a wonderful habitat for butterflies to live and enjoy. Most of these plants require little maintenance (besides watering well the first summer and a few trims here and there). We are happy to assist you with any questions you may have about particular plants! Happy Monday!