What Flowers Attract Butterflies?

Find out which flowers attract butterflies and how you can create a butterfly-friendly garden of your own!

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Introduction

In order to attract butterflies, you need to plant the right kind of flowers. Butterflies are attracted to flowers by their color, shape, and scent. The most attractive flower colors to butterflies are yellow, orange, pink, and red. Butterflies are also attracted to certain types of plants that have a lot of nectar.

What Flowers Attract Butterflies?

The best flowers for attracting butterflies are those with a lot of nectar. The nectar provides a food source for the butterflies, and the flowers themselves are often brightly colored and fragrant, which helps to attract the butterflies. Some of the best flowers for attracting butterflies include lantana, zinnias, and impatiens.

Types of Flowers

There are a variety of flowers that attract butterflies. Depending on what type of butterfly you want to attract, you will need to choose different flowers. For example, the monarch butterfly is attracted to milkweed, while the painted lady butterfly is attracted to thistle and clover.

Some other examples of flowers that attract butterflies include verbena, impatiens, zinnias, and petunias. If you are looking to attract a specific type of butterfly, it is best to do some research on what that species is attracted to.

.1 Annual Flowers

There are many annual flowers that will attract butterflies to your garden. Some of the best include:

* Asters
* Black-eyed Susans
* Celosia
* Cosmos
* Dianthus
* Geraniums
* Lantana
* Marigolds
* Morning glories
* Nasturtiums
* Pansies
* Petunias
* Phlox
* Poppies
* Snapdragon
* Zinnias

.2 Perennial Flowers

Perennial flowers are those that come back year after year. Many of them are easy to grow and require little maintenance. They come in a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes, so it’s easy to find one that will suit your garden. Here are some of the best flowers for attracting butterflies:

* Asters – These flowers come in a variety of colors, including white, pink, purple and blue. They bloom from early summer to fall, making them a great choice for attracting butterflies that are active during these months.
* Bee balm – Bee balm is a member of the mint family and it’s easy to see why it’s attractive to bees and butterflies! It has nectar-rich flowers that come in shades of pink, purple, red and white. Bee balm blooms from mid-summer to early fall.
* Black-eyed Susans – These plants are native to North America and they’re one of the most popular flowers for attracting butterflies. They have bright yellow or orange flowers with dark centers that bloom from mid-summer to fall.
* Butterfly bush – As the name suggests, butterfly bush is an excellent choice for attracting these insects to your garden. It has showy blooms in a variety of colors, including pink, purple, red and white. Butterfly bush blooms from summer to fall.
* cosmos – Cosmos is a annual plant that’s easy to grow from seed. It has pretty daisy-like flowers in a range of colors, including pink, purple, red and white. Cosmos blooms from summer to fall.
* impatiens – Impatiens is a annual or perennial plant that comes in a wide range of colors, including pink, purple, red and white. They have nectar-rich flowers that bloom from late spring to fall.

.3 Wildflowers

There are many commercially available flowers that will attract butterflies to your garden, but you can also encourage them by growing wildflowers. Many butterfly larvae feed on wildflowers, so by planting them you’ll be giving the butterflies a place to lay their eggs as well as a source of food. In addition, most wildflowers are annuals, so they’ll reappear every year without needing to be replanted.

Some of the best wildflowers for attracting butterflies include:

Aster: This flower blooms from late summer into fall, making it a great choice for extending the butterfly season in your garden.

Black-eyed Susan: This flower is a favorite of both adults and larvae of the painted lady butterfly.

Butterfly weed: As its name suggests, this is an excellent plant for attracting butterflies to your garden. The larvae of the monarch butterfly feed on the leaves of this plant.

Coneflower: Coneflowers bloom from early summer into fall and come in a variety of colors including pink, purple, white and yellow. They’re a favorite of many different types of butterflies.

Lantana: Lantanas are heat-tolerant annuals that produce brightly colored flowers from spring until fall. They’re especially attractive to sulphur butterflies.

How to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden

One of the best ways to attract butterflies to your garden is to plant flowers that they are attracted to. Some of the best flowers to plant are milkweed, daisies, and lantana. You can also put out a butterfly feeder with sugar water to attract them to your garden.

Plant a Variety of Flowers

One of the best ways to attract butterflies to your garden is by planting a variety of flowers. Butterflies are attracted to brightly colored flowers with a strong aroma. Some of the best flowers to attract butterflies include:

Asters
Black-eyed Susans
Blanket Flowers
Buttercups
Cardinals Flower
Cosmos
Daisies
Fiery Lilies
Four O’Clocks
Geraniums
Gladiolas
Hibiscus

Use Bright Colors

Butterflies are attracted to flowers by color and nectar. Many butterflies have a fondness for red, yellow, orange, and pink flowers; some prefer white flowers. plant groupings of the same species of flower to attract more butterflies. Butterflies are also attracted to blue and purple flowers, but these colors are not as common in nature as the others.

Keep Your Flowers Healthy

If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, you need to have healthy flowers. This means that you should not use pesticides on your plants. Pesticides will kill not only the bad bugs, but also the good bugs, including butterflies. If you must use pesticides, only use them as a last resort and be sure to choose one that is specific to the problem you are trying to solve. You should also avoid using herbicides in your garden. While they may not kill butterflies outright, they will damage the nectar-producing flowers that butterflies rely on for food.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many different types of flowers that can attract butterflies. Some of the best varieties include impatiens, marigolds, zinnias, asters, and petunias. When choosing plants for your butterfly garden, be sure to select a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes to provide food and shelter for a variety of species.

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