CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 02/02/00

Pick Best Plants for Butterfly Garden

For a successful butterfly garden, it's vital to select nectar-producing plants with accessible flowers. Even in hot weather, when many flowers aren't in bloom, butterflies still need nectar.

Lantana and purple coneflower (Echinaceae purpurea) produce nectar and attract butterflies continuously, even in the hottest droughts.

Butterfly gardeners need to look at annuals and perennials in a different light. It may mean a trip to the library or World Wide Web to learn more about bloom time, nectar and forage characteristics.

Bloom Time

Provide plants that will bloom in sequence, providing nectar from March 1 to the first killing frost.

Georgia has two butterfly broods, or flushes: one in early spring and another in midsummer. It's essential to have nectar then.

Verbena 'Homestead Purple' will flush in early spring through early summer, then "rest" and flower again in late fall. This provides nectar for early- and late-season butterflies such as question mark, red admiral and zebra and tiger swallowtails.

Plants such as blue anise sage (Salvia guaranitica) and purple coneflower will flush in cycles if you pick off the spent flowers.

Verbena bonariensis will stop flowering. But you can cut it halfway back in early August to stimulate new flowers.

Almost all of your plants will be blooming when butterfly numbers surge in August.

Food for caterpillars

Having a food source for caterpillars is vital, too. To accommodate this early butterfly stage, include an ornamental fennel, the favorite food of eastern black swallowtails.

About midsummer, look for tiny, yellow eggs on the plant. Check every couple of days, and you'll see a green caterpillar with yellow and black stripes.

These black swallowtail larvae may eat your fennel to the base. But in three weeks, lots of beautiful butterflies will reward your patience.

Dill, fennel, carrot and parsley do well, too. Add these to your garden freely to encourage more caterpillars.

Plant height, vigor

Pay attention to plants' height and vigor. Lantana camara 'Miss Huff' and the butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii 'Black Knight') may look small the day you plant them. But each can grow into a bush 4 feet wide. Planted too close to other plants, these "towers with flowers" can crowd out and even kill them.

Take note of each plant selection's dimensions. Space them accordingly. 1996 Gold Medal selection Petunia 'Purple Wave' will spread fast. But it's OK to let it run, since it will die at the first frost.

Examples of potentially troublesome, but wonderfully spreading, plants include Monarda, Physostegia, Lycoris, Helianthus Viola and Lysmachia.

Examples of improved, noninvasive plants include Passiflora 'Byron's Beauty,' a sterile, nonrunning Maypop with dark green leaves and huge, fragrant flowers. A great forage plant for frittilaries, it's like a butterfly garden in a container.

Here are some butterfly-attracting flowers (those with asterisks may be considered annuals in more northern climates):

Annuals

Tithonia rotundifolia, Salvia splendens, Phlox drummondii, Zinnia elegans, Impatiens capensis, Nasturtium glauca, Petunia x hybrida, Justica brandegeana, Nicotiana alata, Plumbago aurantiaca, Pentas lanceolata, Catharanthus roseus (Vinca), Bougainvillea spectabilis and Antirrhinum majus.

Vines

Aristolochia (most kinds)*, Passiflora (most kinds)*, Ipomoea quamoclit*, Lonicera japonica, Campsis radicans and Phaseolus coccineus*.

Perennials

Salvia coccinea*, Lantana camara*, Lavandula (most kinds), Liatris spicata , Nepeta gigantea*, Rudbeckia hirta, Echinacea purpurea, Sedum (most kinds), Verbena bonariensis*, Verbena tenuisecta*, Verbena canadensis*, Veronica spicata, Gaura lindheimeri, Asclepias tuberosa, Amsonia tabernaemontana, Aster novi-belgi, Salvia (most kinds)*, Phlox paniculata, Centranthus ruber*, Kniphofia uvaria, Lobelia cardinalis, Monarda didyma, Penstemon barbatus, Boltonia asteroides, Passiflora (perennial sp.)*, Solidago (most kinds).

Woody Ornamentals

Abelia grandiflora, Aesculus pavia, Weigela florida, Lonicera sempervirens, Azalea (most kinds), Rhododendron (most), Buddleia davidii, Caryopteris x clandonensis and Viburnum (most kinds).

Herbs, Vegetables and Fruits

Anethum graveolens, Foeniculum vulgare, Daucus carota, Petroselinum crispum, Pimpinella anisum, Ruta graveolens and Citrus sinensis.

Paul Thomas is a horticulturist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Paul A. Thomas
After a hearty climb, Connect Abroad Italy students pose in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. (Photo by Angel Bhardwaj) CAES News
UGA ranks as leading doctoral institution for study abroad 12/20/24 Angel Bhardwaj
The University of Georgia remains among the top 10 U.S. universities for study abroad participation, according to the 2024 Open Doors Report released by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. UGA boasts the highest study abroad participation to enrollment ratio of the top 7 ranked doctoral institutions, earning the No. 7 spot in overall participation and No. 3 in short-term study abroad programs.
HurricaneHeleneGreenhouseDamageCropped CAES News
UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera
Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.
From left, CAES Associate Professor Abigail Borron and Fulbright Romanian-American Foundation Scholars Mihai Suteu, Daniyar Memedemin, Alina Zaharia, Andreea Ona and Daniel Chiciudean stand in front of an image of the Romanian flag projected onto a barn at UGArden. CAES News
Fulbright Scholars unite with UGA Extension to envision ag outreach model in Romania 12/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Arriving on the Athens campus of the University of Georgia in August 2023, five Romanian scholars experienced the same anticipation, excitement and apprehension as many first-year students.  Chosen as Fulbright Romanian-American Foundation Scholars, each serves on the faculty at one of three Romanian universities, specializing in fields from economics and engineering to plant breeding and biotechnology. The five scholars comprised the first cohort of the Romanian Extension Education Development Program, an ambitious three-year pilot effort to facilitate planning and implementation of extension services in Romania. 
Janiver in sunflower field AI web CAES News
A larger-than-life legacy: CAES student’s contagious enthusiasm inspired others 12/17/24 Jordan Powers
When Miriam Edelkind-Vealey applied for a summer role at a University of Georgia pollinator biodiversity lab in 2020, the junior undergrad didn’t quite know what to expect. After being told she got the position, Edelkind-Vealy didn’t hear anything for a few weeks. It was only then that she learned a collaborator on the project, second-year master’s degree student Amy Joy Janvier, had passed away.
In developing markets where making staple foods is a daily task and warmer climates where food spoilage is common, foods that have more longevity and are easily preserved can enhance economic opportunities by reducing food preparation tasks and lower environmental impact. CAES News
CAES researchers look to reduce food waste by extending shelf life 12/16/24 Lillian Sosbee
“Use by,” “Sell by” and “Best by” dates on food packaging can be helpful indicators of how long a consumer can store a food item before eating, but often these dates lead to high quantities of wasted food. About one-fifth of food produced for human consumption is discarded before it can be eaten, equating to 1 billion meals a day and contributing to global food insecurity.
Recognizing the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UGA graduates CAES News
UGA celebrates 15 years of Bulldog 100 12/13/24 Rachael Andrews
The University of Georgia Alumni Association released the 2025 Bulldog 100, a list of the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UGA graduates. The program, organized by the Division of Development & Alumni Relations, celebrates 15 years of honoring alumni and their entrepreneurial endeavors. Among this year’s class, businesses are headquartered in a total of eight states, with 87 of the businesses located in Georgia. In total, 142 alumni representing over two dozen industries are being recognized as a part of this year’s list.