35 Stunning Flowers That Attract Butterflies to Gardens

Aster

With their cheery purple and pink blooms, it's no wonder aster flowers attract butterflies. Plant asters in well-drained soil—in a spot that gets full sun—and these perennials will draw winged beauties to your yard year after year.

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Yarrow

With dense arrangements of blooms, yarrow offers a lush landing pad for butterflies. Better yet: It's easy to care for. Yarrow can deal with dry soil but prefers full sunlight. It will attract plenty of butterflies to your garden but is also deer-resistant.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

(Seedless) Butterfly Bush

As its name suggests, this plant with lush purple blossoms is a favorite among butterflies. The one catch: It is now categorized as invasive in some states, so search for and only shop for new "seedless" cultivars of butterfly bush that won't spread to the surrounding area.

Butterfly bush grows best in fertile, well-drained soil and full sun. Be sure to deadhead spent blooms to keep the vibrant flowers (and beautiful butterflies!) coming.

Hardiness Zones: 5-10

Lavender

You might think that soothing-scented lavender can't get any better, but the pretty purple stalks also lure butterflies to your garden. Lavender attracts all types of pollinators, so it will also boost the bee count in your yard. It thrives in drier soil and areas with low humidity.

Hardiness Zones: 5-9

Coneflower

If some flowers get all of the attention, coneflower makes the list. Its pink, yellow, and orange petals surround the signature cone-shaped center, attracting songbirds and butterflies to the garden. Like many other flowers for butterflies, coneflowers thrive in well-drained soil, can tolerate drought, and prefer full sun.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9 (thrive in 5-8)

Allium

This flower produces oversized spheres of brightly colored petals, signaling to butterflies with its dramatic blooms. Alliums are related to onions and garlic, so many species will have a subtle scent that helps repel deer and rodents while attracting pollinators. Plant them in soil with adequate drainage, and pick a spot in your yard that receives full sunlight.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Native Milkweeds

Milkweed is crucial to the survival of monarch butterflies since caterpillars of this species only eat milkweed. But to avoid doing more harm than good, be careful which type of milkweed you plant. While tropical milkweed can affect monarch butterflies' migration patterns, native milkweed species do not interfere with migration.

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Marigold

This annual is an easy-to-grow flower and blooms all summer long. Marigolds are essentially disease-free and come in various colors and heights. Try planting them near vegetable plants to help repel pests; at the very least, pollinators like butterflies and bees will help increase your vegetable yield.

Hardiness Zones: 2-11

Goldenrod

Goldenrods are perennials that love the sun. They're deer- and drought-resistant and can tolerate dry conditions. Butterflies (and you) will enjoy the lovely golden-yellow flowers that bloom from late summer through fall.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Cardinal

Also known as perennial lobelia, the cardinal flower is native to North America. It thrives in wet soil but will grow in nearly all sunny (or partially sunny) areas. The beautiful red flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds during the summer.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Salvia

The perennial variety of salvia (aka sage) comes in various colors and types and thrives in hot weather. Their blooms are nectar-rich, which attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Salvia is deer- and disease-resistant and can stand low amounts of water.

Hardiness Zones: 5-9

Sunflower

Growing from three to six feet tall, sunflowers are beautiful to look at. Bees and butterflies also find them attractive, so it's a magnificent plant to add to your flower garden. Their seeds are edible, so learning how to grow sunflowers is a plus.

Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Buttonbush

This shrub plant has unique pincushion blossoms with clusters of tiny flowers (usually white or pink). Many pollinators, including butterflies, are attracted to buttonbush's fragrant blooms. This plant is best for wet soil and can even thrive in areas with flooding.

Hardiness Zones: 5-11

Cornflower

Perennial cornflower—aka bachelor's buttons or mountain bluet—thrives in sun-filled spots. It tends to bloom in early summer and can grow to one to two feet in height. Cornflowers provide white, pink, or blue flowers, which butterflies love.

Hardiness Zones: 2-11

Clove Pink

The clove pink plant is related to the carnation—it even looks like a mini carnation flower. Their blooms give off a clove scent and will complement other perennial flowers in your garden. (See our handy perennials vs. annuals guide for more about each type of flower and when to plant each.)

Hardiness Zones: 5-8

Black-Eyed Susan

This perennial flower is a North American wildflower that's not difficult to grow. Its blooms can be bronze, yellow, or gold and flourish in the late summer. While this flower is known to attract butterflies, the seeds of a Black-Eyed-Susan will also attract birds, like finches.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Lantana

Lantana thrives in sunny and hot weather areas and tolerates humid conditions, like these humidity-loving plants. Its flowers are full of nectar—perfect for pollinating bees and butterflies—and will bloom during the summer. Lantana is also deer- and rabbit-resistant.

Hardiness Zones: 8-11

Zinnia

This annual requires little maintenance and is easy to care for. Zinnia plants come in various shapes and sizes and produce flowers in plenty of colors—except for blue. It's no wonder that butterflies and hummingbirds love this flower—add a hummingbird feeder, and your garden is complete!

Hardiness Zones: 3-10

Joe-Pye Weed

Joe-Pye weed is an easy-to-grow native perennial that grows in the late summer. It loves the sun and slightly moist soil. When it blooms, you'll see beautifully dark foliage and white flowers.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Phlox

This fragrant plant is easy to care for and provides blooms in various colors from the middle of summer through fall. It pairs well with flowers, like daylily and black-eyed Susan, and is full of nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies. Phlox is also deer-resistant.

Hardiness Zones: 2-9

Verbena

Verbena needs little care and attention and will bloom the entire summer until fall. It enjoys lots of sun and its flowers come in various colors. While it may attract pollinators, it will help repel deer.

Hardiness Zones: 6-10

Bee Balm

Bee balm (aka monarda) thrives in sunny conditions and is a deer- and rabbit-resistant perennial. It blooms from the middle of summer through early autumn. Its various colors of flowers are loved by pollinators.

Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Sedum

This plant is so easy to take care of that you can just plant it and let it grow—without worry. Sedum blooms in late summer and fall, adding to the list of fall flowers you can grow. Its flowers come in many colors, and during its off-season, this plant has lovely shades of foliage (gray, red, green, etc.). 

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Hollyhock

Hollyhock works wonderfully in hot, sunny areas and will thrive in times of drought. Blooming in mid-to-late summer, its flowers can be pink, red, purple, and even black. Hollyhock is fairly deer-resistant and will attract hummingbirds and other pollinators to your garden.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Helenium

Also known as sneezeweed, helenium provides plenty of color to your butterfly garden. This perennial thrives in the sun and is easy to take care of; it's disease-, drought-, and deer-resistant. Since it tends to bloom later in the summer, birds and pollinators can enjoy its pollen and nectar later in the season.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Daylily

You may have heard of this plant, as it's one of the most popular perennials. Though a daylily flower only lasts a day, they come in a wide variety of colors and are produced often. This flower enjoys lots of sunshine and can grow almost anywhere.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Forget-Me-Not

This flower is popular with brides and weddings and will attract butterflies. Forget-me-not thrives best in shady spots where the weather is hot. It's also deer- and rabbit-resistant and provides beautiful blue flowers for your spring garden, though other colors also exist.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Pansy

Pansies come in many colors, including yellow, red, blue, purple, and more. Primarily blooming in the spring or fall, it can also provide beautiful flowers during the winter (in areas with a mild climate). Hot summers, however, are not well tolerated by this plant.

Hardiness Zones: 4-8

Snapdragon

Much like the pansy, this fun annual flower thrives in cool weather and provides blooms in plenty of color options. Snapdragons are deer-resistant but attract butterflies and hummingbirds with their lovely scent and bright colors. The fun part is squeezing the flower (gently) to open it, making it look like a dragon's mouth.

Hardiness Zones: 7-10

Ironweed

Ironweed grows best in moist soil and can even endure brief flooding. Ironweed's gorgeous purple flowers are a beautiful summer garden addition. With such a deep color, it will certainly help attract pollinators to your garden.

Hardiness Zones: 4-9

California Poppy

The state flower of California blooms from February to September and provides bright yellow or orange flowers (sometimes with a mix of both colors). Its blooms will close in the evening but can be enjoyed all day by you and pollinators.

Hardiness Zones: 8-10

Butterfly Weed

Commonly known as butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa is a perennial plant that typically blooms from April to September with brightly colored flowers in shades of red, orange, and yellow. While it may look similar to lanceolate milkweed it’s differentiated by its large number of flowers and stems that are not milky when broken. It gets its name because butterflies can’t resist the bright colors of the flowers and copious nectar the plant produces.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Blazing Star

A stunning perennial native to North America with vibrant purple flowers, Blazing Stars, also known as Gayfeathers or Liatris, are deer resistant. Their grassy foliage and tall, colorful blooms are perfect for attracting bees, birds, and butterflies.

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

Anise Hyssop

Otherwise known as blue giant hyssop or lavender giant hyssop, the Anise Hyssop is in the same family as the mint family Lamiaceae, but the two plants could not be more different. From June to September, each plant can produce almost 90,000 brightly colored lavender flowers. 

Hardiness Zones: 4-8

Coreopsis

Commonly called Calliopsis or Tickseed, these sunny flowers come in shades of yellow and orange and can even produce bi-colored petals with a toothed tip. Native to North, Central, and South America, these flowers bloom in the early summer to add sunny bursts of color to your garden.

Hardiness Zones: 4-9