Seasonal

March 16, 2021

There are two parts to any successful butterfly garden: nectar sources and host plants. Nectar is an important source of food for many pollinators, and luckily there are many different types of annuals and perennials that provide this resource.

To attract native pollinators to your garden, we recommend planting native annuals and perennials that would typically be found in your area naturally. Butterflies see in ultraviolet light, so bright colored flowers with a lighter center can act as a target to help attract pollinators. Butterflies also prefer a space to land while feeding on the nectar, so native species with larger petals or petals that form in clumps will also help attract butterflies to your garden.

The National Wildlife Federation provides these additional tips when selecting nectar plants:

• Plant good nectar sources in the sun
• Select a variety of plants to promote continuous bloom throughout the season
• Say no to insecticides! Insecticides are lethal to butterflies while they are still caterpillars.

Here is a short list of nectar sources that have been used in our Butterfly Encounter at CNC throughout the years. 

Annuals: Lantana ‘New Gold’, Petunia ‘Wave White’, Calibrachoa ‘Blue Legend’, Zinnia ‘Profusion’, Verbena ‘Vepita Dark Red’, Plumbago

Perennials: Gaillardia pulchella, Indian Blanket, Coreopsis sp., Tickseed, Stokesia laevis<