As we enter the heart of the spring season, the time for planting is ideal. Whether you want to start a new outdoor garden or want to add some interesting elements to an existing outdoor area, you can never go wrong by implementing new kinds of plants.
One of the most interesting things you can do is create your very own perennial butterfly garden design. This is a great educational tool for kids and a great way to draw beautiful butterflies into the garden. Not sure how to start? We’ve compiled a list of plants that are sure to draw plenty of butterflies into your garden this spring.
Red Milkweed
The red milkweed is not only beautiful to look at, but this delightful flower will definitely bring all the butterflies to the yard. Aside from just butterflies, this brightly colored perennial draws in hummingbirds, as well. So, you can enjoy two kinds of winged creatures in your garden this spring.
Blue Allium
The blue allium is a gorgeous perennial that helps attract butterflies to the garden due to their brilliantly vivid colors. Brightly colored flowers and blooms will help attract butterflies, and maybe even some hummingbirds into the garden. The blue allium is no exception when it comes to strategic vivid bloom placement.
Powerful Perennials
This spray of purple perennials is the perfect way to celebrate spring and entice some pretty butterflies to flutter into the garden. Having a patch of long-stemmed perennials like the ones depicted is a more elegant want to incorporate butterfly enticing plants into the garden. Better yet, there are so many colors to choose from.
Butterfly Bush
If you needed any clue that this plant would attract butterflies, just check out the name. As the name states, this blooming perennial will, shockingly, attract plenty of butterflies into the garden. The brush-like bloom not only looks really interesting but also lets off a sweet fragrance that will make spring nights that much more calming.
Red Butterfly Weed
Another plant that lives up to the name, this red butterfly weed is not only strikingly scarlet, but it will absolutely attract plenty of butterflies into the garden. Known for their vivid red blooms, this plant is also incredibly hardy, so no need worrying about yard placement or forgetting to water it from time to time. You can enjoy the benefits of gardening with ease.
Skipper the Butterfly
This little fuzzy guy is known as a Skipper butterfly, but for fun, we’ll just say his name is Skipper. Skipper enjoys all things sweet-smelling, pretty and sugary. This flower offers Skipper all this and much more. Since butterflies use the nectar from flowers as fuel, this adorable photo is actually depicting a very common occurrence in the insect world.
Daisies
This flower, what appears to be a Gerber daisy, is the perfect lunch spot for this little white-spotted Skipper butterfly. That thick center is where all the good stuff is, according to this little guy. There are so many flowers that you could integrate into your butterfly garden that it would be impossible not to find one that you absolutely love.
Chive Flowers
Flowers can pop up in the most random of places. Take these chive flowers, for instance. You wouldn’t necessarily associate these tiny onion-like shallots for having a beautiful bloom attached to them, but yes, in fact, these vegetables do come with some pretty great blooms perfect for attracting butterflies into the garden.
Lantana Flowers
What’s great about lantana flowers is that they are very versatile. The lantana is basically a flowering shrub that does well in high-sun and high-heat areas. Butterflies also love these flowers, so not only is the bush interesting and easy to care for, but butterflies will most definitely make an appearance where lantana is planted.
Bergenia Flowers
What’s great about lantana flowers is that they are very versatile. The lantana is basically a flowering shrub that does well in high-sun and high-heat areas. Butterflies also love these flowers, so not only is the bush interesting and easy to care for, but butterflies will most definitely make an appearance where lantana is planted.
Echinacea Flower
Echinacea is known for its powerful healing attributes, such as easing the symptoms of colds or allergy attacks. For this little butterfly, however, this mighty bloom also provides a sufficient lunch or dinner option. You could easily keep functional plants or herbs in your butterfly garden to both draws in the butterflies and prove to be useful, too.
Lavender
Talk about powerful plants, this butterfly has chosen the wonderful lavender for its meal time venue. Adding lavender into the garden will not only bring in the butterflies but will make everything smell absolutely wonderful. Better yet, lavender is a pretty powerful herb that is expensive to buy on its own. This way you have fresh lavender in the garden, too.
Carnations
Carnations are a pretty common flower, but to this butterfly, the carnation is the perfect meal spot. Carnations are highly versatile when it comes to color, so you can find all kinds of different carnations available to plant as ready plants, or even by seed. Just make sure to check the planting guide on the back of the information strip to ensure a healthy, long life for your plant.
Perennial Options
There are so many options when it comes to choosing perennials, you really can’t go wrong in choosing one or several for your own personal garden. They vary in color, shapes, and sizes, but no matter the size, shape or color, butterflies will surely flock in to stop at the flowers.
Yellow Flowers
This fascinating picture features a delicate butterfly coming up upon a beautiful, yellow flower. The beauty of nature is unsurpassed in this photo since this is a natural occurrence but a spectacular moment we get to marvel at for just a few minutes. The brighter the flower, the better your chances of finding butterflies nearby.
Brilliant Blooms
These brilliant blooms almost look like fireworks opening up. The butterfly obviously finds them fascinating, as well. This is another great example of the versatility of the flowers you plant. You can plant all kinds of flowers and you should be able to see some paper-winged friends visiting your garden for a snack.
Tiny Flowers
Even the tiniest of flowers are fair game to a butterfly. This magnificent butterfly finds these tiny flowers extra delicious as he stops by for a quick drink. What’s so great about butterfly gardens is that you get to encounter so many different kinds of butterflies. You could even try to keep track if you wanted.
Peacock Butterflies
These two peacock butterflies sit pretty on these gorgeous yellow flowers. As mentioned before, a benefit to butterfly gardens is that you get to find so many different kinds of butterflies in the garden. You could easily turn your garden into a teaching tool to share with kids all the different kinds of butterflies.
Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterflies may be one of the more common butterflies you find in gardens, but that doesn’t make them any less beautiful. These monarchs have settled in on this gorgeous flower for an afternoon snack. You can find these and so many other different kinds of butterflies within a garden at any given time.
Subdued Perennials
These perennials are that great brush-like flower we’ve seen in a prior photo. These colors are great because although they are a bit more subdued, the butterfly doesn’t seem to mind at all. Brighter colored flowers will attract butterflies faster, but that doesn’t mean a butterfly won’t stop by a more subdued colored flower like these.
Black and Orange
This black and orange butterfly has stopped on these gorgeous little perennial flowers. This little guy seems to know where the good flowers are, judging by this photo. You will see so many kinds of butterflies floating from perennial to perennial. You can have all kinds of flowers in the garden and expect butterflies to visit each.
Yellow and Black Butterfly
This yellow and black butterfly has made the decision to stop on this gorgeous, bursting purple bloom. This perennial looks like it probably gives off a sweet perfume, which may have been what attracted this little guy to it to begin with. This is a beautiful photo and an even more beautiful subject to photograph.
Purple Bursts
These perennials are literally bursting open to reveal that great purple color within them. The butterflies obviously find these interesting perennials inviting, as well. This is just another example of the beauty a perennial garden can bring – especially when created in the hopes in attracting gorgeous butterflies. Plant all kinds of colors for an interesting display.
Intricate Detail
This photo is comprised of so many different colors. From the brown and white butterfly to the orange and yellow flower bursts, it’s easy to see why so many people want to photograph butterflies on flowers. The more flowers you plant, the more colors you’ll see and the more awesome butterflies you’ll find in the garden.
Pinks
This close up photo reveals a pink butterfly against a pink flower. These awesome perennials look like Echinacea, which are good for the garden, good for your health and even better for butterflies like this little guy. The color scheme here is truly beautiful, and who knows how many different colored butterflies you’ll see with a flower like this in the garden.
Monarch on Orange Flower
This gorgeous monarch butterfly has stopped by this orange bloom for a rest or a snack, or maybe both. Monarchs are a more common butterfly to see within a garden, but any type of butterfly will appreciate a bloom like this due to its bright color and sweet nectar. This is just an example of so many different kinds of visitors you could see in your garden.
To Conclude
So, which perennials caught your eye? Which color scheme are you thinking? Have any type of design in mind? As you can see, there are so many different options to choose from when it comes to constructing a perennial butterfly garden. The size of the garden, types of flowers and overall scale of the garden design all matter when preparing a garden.
If you can’t decide which flowers look best to you, or which perennials you’d like to feature, why not feature a few of each of your favorites? You cannot pick the wrong flowers when it comes to butterfly gardens since butterflies are thirsty little creatures and love all kinds of flowers. Have any experience with butterfly gardens? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know about your experiences in the comments to share your insight.
* You might be interested in: Must-Have Plants To Make An Amazing Butterfly Garden.