Plants that can attract butterflies

Emily Sherman
A yellow butterfly on a purple flower.
Canva

- Common name(s): Smallflower False Foxglove
- Attracted butterflies: Baltimore checkerspots
- Bloom colors: White, red, pink, yellow
- Bloom time: July-October
- Plant size: Up to about 2 feet tall
- Native states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin

Agalinis paupercula var. borealis
Pink Foxglove flowers.
Canva

- Common name(s): Smallflower False Foxglove
- Attracted butterflies: Baltimore checkerspots
- Bloom colors: White, red, pink, yellow
- Bloom time: July-September
- Plant size: Up to about 2 feet tall
- Native states: Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin

Agalinis paupercula var. paupercula
Green blooming amaranth.
Canva

- Common name(s): Roughfruit Amaranth, Water Hemp
- Attracted butterflies: Common checkered-skipper
- Bloom colors: White, pink, green
- Bloom time: June-November
- Plant size: Up to about 6 feet tall, occasionally taller
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia

Amaranthus tuberculatus
Giant Ragweed flowers.
Melinda Fawver // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Great Ragweed, Giant Ragweed
- Attracted butterflies: Bordered patch
- Bloom colors: Green, brown
- Bloom time: June-October
- Plant size: Up to about 12 feet tall, often shorter
- Native habitat: Waste places, fields, and roadsides.
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Ambrosia trifida
Small purple blooms.
Canva

- Common name(s): American Hogpeanut
- Attracted butterflies: Silver-spotted skipper, northern cloudywing
- Bloom colors: White, pink, purple
- Bloom time: August-September
- Plant size: Stems twining, up to about 5 feet long
- Native habitat: Woodlands
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia

Amphicarpaea bracteata
Tall grassy stalks with white-and-yellow blooms.
Ksenia Lada // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Tower Rockcress
- Attracted butterflies: Large marble
- Bloom colors: White
- Bloom time: March-July
- Plant size: Up to about 5 feet tall, often shorter
- Native states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Arabis glabra
A large orange butterfly on a yellow-and-white flower.
Joy Sagar // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Common Beggarticks, Shepherd's Needles, Spanish Needles, Butterfly Needles, Hairy Beggarticks, Romerillo
- Attracted butterflies: Florida duskywing
- Bloom colors: White, yellow
- Bloom time: January-December
- Plant size: Up to about 8 feet tall, often much shorter
- Native states: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania

Bidens alba
Small yellow flowers.
Canva

- Common name(s): Plains Evening-primrose
- Attracted butterflies: Kern primrose sphinx
- Bloom colors: Red, yellow
- Bloom time: March-July
- Plant size: Up to about 20 inches tall
- Native states: California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington

Camissonia contorta
A green blooming Lambsquarters plant.
Canva

- Common name(s): Lambsquarters
- Attracted butterflies: Common sootywing, western pygmy-blue
- Bloom colors: Green, brown
- Bloom time: June-October
- Plant size: Stems erect to sprawling, up to about 10 feet long
- Native habitat: Cultivated land, disturbed sites, and roadsides.
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Chenopodium album
A monarch butterfly on a purple thistle.
Sandra M. Austin // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Bristle Thistle, Yellow Thistle, Horrid Thistle, Purple Thistle, Spiny Thistle, Bull Thistle
- Attracted butterflies: Little metalmark
- Bloom colors: White, red, pink, yellow, purple
- Bloom time: May-August
- Plant size: Up to about 8 feet tall, often much shorter
- Native habitat: Shores, marshes, sandy or peaty fields.
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia

Cirsium horridulum
A green plant with small white blooms.
GOLAM MOSTOFA BHUIYAN // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Hogwort, Texas Goatweed
- Attracted butterflies: Goatweed leafwing
- Bloom colors: White
- Bloom time: July-September
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia

Croton capitatus
Light pink flowers.
Canva

- Common name(s): Abert's Buckwheat, Abert's Wild Buckwheat
- Attracted butterflies: Crescent metalmark
- Bloom colors: White, pink, yellow
- Bloom time: January-December
- Plant size: Up to about 28 inches tall
- Native states: Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas

Eriogonum abertianum
Silverleaf sunflowers.
Roberto Pascual Gomez // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Silverleaf Sunflower
- Attracted butterflies: Bordered patch and silvery checkerspot
- Bloom colors: Yellow
- Bloom time: August-November
- Plant size: 3 to 10 feet tall
- Native states: Florida, North Carolina, Texas

Helianthus argophyllus
A monarch butterfly on a bluebonnet.
Leena Robinson // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Texas Bluebonnet, Bluebonnet, Texas Lupine, Buffalo Clover, Wolf Flower
- Attracted butterflies: Hairstreak butterfly, elfin butterfly
- Bloom colors: White, blue
- Bloom time: March-May
- Plant size: Up to 60 cm tall
- Native habitat: Prairies; open fields; roadsides
- Native states: Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

Lupinus texensis
A purple rocky mountain bee plant.
Canva

- Common name(s): Rocky Mountain Bee-plant, Stinking-clover, Bee Spiderflower, Navajo Spinach, Pink Cleome, Toothed Spiderflower, Skunkweed
- Attracted butterflies: Checkered white
- Bloom colors: White, purple
- Bloom time: May-September
- Plant size: Usually to about 32 in height Can reach 6 feet in height
- Native habitat: Shortgrass and mixed grass prairies, pastures, pinyon pine and juniper woodland, desert scrub, roadsides, stabilized sand dunes
- Native states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Peritoma serrulata
A white rabbit tobacco plant.
Canva

- Common name(s): Blunt-leaf Rabbit-tobacco, Rabbit Tobacco, Sweet Everlasting, Fragrant Cudweed
- Attracted butterflies: American lady
- Bloom colors: White
- Bloom time: August-October
- Plant size: Up to about 3 feet tall
- Native habitat: Dry clearings; woodland edges; fields
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium ssp. obtusifolium
A lowi swallow tail butterfly on yellow rudbeckia flowers.
Christiane Godin // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Black-eyed Susan, Common Black-eyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, Blackeyed Susan
- Attracted butterflies: Bordered patch
- Bloom colors: Red, orange, yellow
- Bloom time: March-November
- Plant size: Up to about 3 feet tall
- Native habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas, Woodlands' edge, Opening
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Rudbeckia hirta
Bright yellow black-eyed Susan flowers.
Canva

- Common name(s): Black-eyed Susan, Blackeyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, Pinewoods Coneflower
- Attracted butterflies: Silvery checkerspot
- Bloom colors: Red, orange, yellow
- Bloom time: March-November
- Plant size: Up to about 3 feet tall
- Native habitat: Prairie/Meadow/Field
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima
A yellow flower.
RMX IMG // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Cuban Jute, Axocatzin
- Attracted butterflies: Tropical checkered-skipper
- Bloom colors: Yellow
- Bloom time: January-December
- Plant size: Up to about 3 feet tall
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia

Sida rhombifolia
A monarch butterfly on a purple wooly verbena.
Randy Bjorklund // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Hoary Verbena, Hoary Vervain, Tall Vervain, Woolly Verbena
- Attracted butterflies: Common buckeye
- Bloom colors: Blue, purple
- Bloom time: June-September
- Plant size: Up to about 6 feet tall
- Native habitat: Fields; prairies
- Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Verbena stricta
A purple northern bog violet.
Dominic Gentilcore PhD // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Northern Bog Violet, Wanderer Violet, Entire-leaved Prairie Violet, Small Mottled Blue Violet
- Attracted butterflies: Nokomis fritillary
- Bloom colors: White, purple, violet
- Bloom time: January-September
- Plant size: Up to about 6 inches tall
- Native states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

Viola nephrophylla
A green zizania aquatica.
Bayu_Prasetyo // Shutterstock

- Common name(s): Annual Wildrice, Wild Rice
- Attracted butterflies: Broad-winged skipper
- Bloom colors: Green
- Bloom time: June-August
- Plant size: Stems up to about 15 feet tall, often much shorter Usually emergent
- Native habitat: Marshes, ponds, lakes, borders of sluggish rivers.
- Native states: Alabama, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin

Data reporting by Elena Cox. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.

Zizania aquatica
A butterfly on a pink and yellow flower.
juk atrasat // Shutterstock