Are you ready to play host to more of these fascinating, fluttering fliers?
Then let’s take flight into 21 of the best flowering perennials to attract butterflies to your small garden!
Here’s a peek at what’s up ahead:
21 Best Flowers for Butterflies
1. Anise Hyssop
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is a North American wildflower, highly attractive to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds for their plentiful blooms that have an abundance of nectar.
An aromatic herb, the shield-shaped leaves have a delightfully sweet and refreshing scent of licorice and mint and the long, cylindrical bud spikes are loaded with whorls of small purple blooms.
Anise hyssop has a long blooming period from midsummer to fall and has a good tolerance for deer and drought.
Anise Hyssop
Plants grow up to 48 inches tall and are hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 8.
Container plants of anise hyssop are available at Nature Hills.
Learn more about anise hyssop here.
2. Aster
Native North American asters (Aster, Eurybia, Symphotrichum) are highly valuable for butterflies, acting as host plants and providing essential late season food sources for many migrating species.
The small, daisy-like blooms come in appealing shades of blue, pink, purple, and white on upright, branching stems that flower for several weeks from late summer and well into fall.
Asters are a handsome choice for late-season color in beds, containers, islands, and cottage or wildflower gardens.
They grow from 12 to 72 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 3 to 8, depending on the species.
‘Purple Dome’ New England Aster
Symphotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’ is a New England aster that features deep purple blooms and thrives in Zones 4 to 8.
You can find ‘Purple Dome’ plants in one-gallon containers available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Our guide to growing asters has more information about these stunning flowers.
3. Bee Balm
Bee balm (Monarda spp.) has pretty, moppish blooms with rays of tubular, nectar-rich flowers in sweet shades of mauve, pink, red, purple, and white.
Beloved by butterflies and other pollinators, the seeds are a good food source for wintering birds as well.
A richly aromatic native species, bee balm flowers for up to eight weeks in the summer and early fall garden, adding color and fragrant allure to cottage, cutting, and wildflower gardens as well as mixed beds and planters.
Reliable and low-maintenance, plants grow one to four feet tall and are hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
‘Grape Gumball’ Bee Balm
‘Grape Gumball’ is part of the Sugar Buzz™ series and has a densely branched, compact size of up to 24 inches, and deep purplish-pink blooms.
You can find this outstanding cultivar available in one-gallon pots at Nature Hills Nursery.
Want more info? Check out our guide to growing bee balm.
4. Black-Eyed Susan
A common indigenous wildflower in meadows, woodlands, and along roadsides, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) has cheerful, daisy-like blooms of bronze, brick red, gold, orange, and yellow with distinctive dark centers.
The bright flowers open in early summer and continue to the start of fall, attracting many pollinators, and the seeds provide a favorite food for foraging winter songbirds.
They’re ideal for adding a sunny presence to beds, foundations, islands, and cottage, cutting, or naturalized gardens.
Plants grow 12 to 48 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
‘Viette’s Little Suzy’ Black-Eyed Susan
‘Viette’s Little Suzy’ is a dwarf cultivar that tops out at 24 inches tall, with bright yellow petals surrounding a dark brown central disc.
This prolific bloomer is available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Check out our guide to growing black-eyed Susans to learn more.
5. Blazing Star
A favorite for an array of pollinators and winter birds, blazing star (Liatris spicata) is a delightful grassland and prairie native with bold, upright spikes of bottlebrush flowerheads in mauve, pink, purple, or white.
Hardy and reliable, the buds open from the bottom up and bloom from the middle to the end of summer, when it forms attractive, downy seed heads with handsome, coppery foliage.
Blazing Star Liatris
A charming addition to mixed beds and planters or in cutting, cottage, and xeric gardens where they grow from 12 to 72 inches tall. Blazing star is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
Packets of 20, 40, or 100 corms with rosy-mauve flowers can be found at Eden Brothers.
6. Butterfly Bush
With fragrant, conical flowers in shades of magenta, mauve, rosy pink, purple, white, or yellow, butterfly bush (Buddleia spp.) is a magnet for Lepidoptera species and other pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds.
Although these plants can grow up to 15 feet tall, attractive dwarf cultivars are available that maintain a compact size of 48 to 60 inches tall and wide – ideal for city or courtyard gardens, foundations, and planters.
‘Miss Molly’ Butterfly Bush
For an impressive dose of “good golly” in small spaces, ‘Miss Molly’ is a compact cultivar with luscious, upright plumes of magenta pink to wine red flowers. Buddleia species are hardy in Zones 5 to 9.
You can find ‘Miss Molly’ plants available at Burpee.
Read our guide to growing butterfly bush for more information.
7. Butterfly Weed
A more restrained cousin of common milkweed and without the milky sap, the native butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is prized for its wands of flat-topped clusters of vibrantly colored blooms in flame orange or yellowish orange.
The flowers attract hordes of pollinators without taking over the garden.
Plants bloom throughout summer and make appealing cut flowers or colorful additions to mixed perennial beds, containers, islands, and naturalized settings.
Butterfly Weed
Butterfly weed grows 24 to 48 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
You can find packs of three or five bare root plants available at Nature Hills Nursery.
8. Catmint
A mint family member that butterflies love, catmint (Nepeta spp.) has aromatic leaves and pretty spires of pale blue, mauve, pink, purple, or white flowers with an exceptionally long bloom time.
Flowering from late spring through to fall, this aromatic herb provides a season-long nectar source for butterflies and other beneficial insects, adding mounds of colorful charm to beds, borders, containers, and rock or xeric gardens.
Catmint grows 12 to 36 inches tall and is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
‘Cat’s Pajamas’ Catmint
‘Cat’s Pajamas’ is a compact cultivar that tops out at 14 inches tall and sports bright indigo blooms.
You can find ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ available at Nature Hills.
Want to learn more about this aromatic herb? Check out our catmint growing guide here.
9. Chrysanthemum
A standard bearer in the late-season garden, chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum spp.) produce copious quantities of flowers in opulent shades of brick, burgundy, cerise, gold, mahogany, maroon, mauve, orange, peach, pink, salmon, scarlet, white, and yellow.
The colorful, mounding plants provide important food sources for late season butterflies and are ideal in beds, borders, patio pots, or city, cottage, and courtyard gardens.
Potted mums are perfect for decorating autumn get-togethers, from pickle-making parties to Halloween!
Hardy garden mums range in size from 12 to 36 inches and are hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
‘Coral Daisy’ Chrysanthemums
From the University of Minnesota’s Mammoth™ series, the delightful, semi-double ‘Coral Daisy’ is hardy down to Zone 3! With coral pink flowers, this one’s a stunner.
Plants in four-inch containers are available at Burpee.
For more chrysanthemum know-how, check out our growing guide.
10. Coneflower
Surging in popularity, native coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) are available in a juicy range of colors, including burgundy, brick, coral, lime green, mango, mauve, flame orange, hot pink, shell pink, purple, raspberry, salmon, white, and yellow.
Butterflies flock to the blooms and later in the season, small birds to the seed heads. Coneflowers grow from six to 30 inches tall, bearing bright daisy-like blooms throughout summer.
A good choice for adding steady color as container or specimen plants or grouped into dramatic displays for borders, courtyards, and foundations – plus they work well in cutting, wildflower, and xeric gardens. Plants are hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
‘Marmalade’ Coneflowers
‘Marmalade’ is a double-petaled cultivar, giving its large, orangey-yellow blooms a shaggy appearance.
You can find ‘Marmalade’ plants available at Burpee.
Want to learn more? Our coneflower growing guide can be found here.
11. Coreopsis
An indigenous wildflower, coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.), also called tickseed, features bright, daisy-like flowers in drenched shades of brick, mahogany, maroon, lavender, bubblegum and hot pinks, salmon, scarlet, white, and butter and sunshine yellows.
They bloom for weeks over the summer months and make a sunny splash in mixed beds, borders, and containers as well as native and water-wise gardens.
Most varieties grow in the range of 12 to 36 inches and are hardy in Zones 4 to 10.
‘Incredible! Swirl’ Coreopsis
‘Incredible! Swirl’ has beautiful, bicolor deep burgundy flowers with creamy white margins.
You can find packets of seeds available at Botanical Interests.
And check out our guide to growing coreopsis here!
12. False Indigo
False or wild indigo (Baptisia) is a prairie native with large, upright racemes of winged, pea-like flowers in pale or indigo blue plus white, with recent cultivars adding hues of burgundy, chocolate, mauve, burnt orange, pink, purple, and creamy or bright yellow.
The vibrant flower spikes bloom from midspring to early summer, providing a good source of nectar in the early season.
They’re gorgeous for cutting and add cool appeal to mixed beds, islands, and naturalized or wildflower plantings.
False Indigo
As herbaceous legumes, false indigo plants help to fix nitrogen in the soil and they have good drought tolerance as well. Plants grow up to 72 inches tall and are hardy in Zones 3 to 10.
You can find false indigo with traditional blue flowers available at Nature Hills Nursery.
13. Goldenrod
A bold and beautiful wildflower native in part to North America, goldenrod (Solidago spp.) displays dense, conical or fan-shaped flower heads made up of tiny florets in saturated shades of yellow, including amber, gold, lemon, mustard, and sunshine plus creamy white.
Growing 12 to 72 inches tall, new cultivars are typically more refined in size than species plants, making them an ideal choice for smaller gardens.
And all varieties boast tall, upright plumes that blaze in the sunshine, attracting multitudes of pollinators looking for late season nectar.
Drought resistant and tolerant of poor soils, goldenrods have a long bloom time of midsummer into fall.
They are highly desirable as specimen plants in mixed beds and containers, or clustered in borders of herb, meadow, and wildflower gardens. Goldenrod is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
‘Little Lemon’ Goldenrod
‘Little Lemon’ is an adorable dwarf variety, growing only 18 inches tall, with vivid yellow flowers.
You can find ‘Little Lemon’ plants in one-gallon containers available at Burpee.
Learn more about goldenrod here.
14. Lavender
A favorite flowering herb beloved for its heavenly fragrance, lavender (Lavandula) spikes perch atop long, wiry stems with tiny, tubular blooms in rich shades of amethyst, violet blue, lavender, pale pink, rosy pink, purple, white, and even pale yellow.
A favorite summertime food source for many butterflies and pollinators, the low mounding, evergreen shrubs are drought tolerant and grow 12 to 48 inches tall.
Most varieties are hardy in Zones 4 to 10, with some suitable for cooler or warmer climates.
The aromatic flowers bloom from late spring to late summer, depending on the type.
Lavender makes a beautiful and reliable addition as specimens in containers, foundations, and cottage or rock gardens, or anywhere they can be massed, such as low barriers and borders.
English Lavender
English lavender, L. angustifolia, offers fragrant blue flowers and grows to a mature height of about 30 inches, with a spread of 18 inches.
You can find packets of 1,000 seeds available at Burpee.
Our guide to growing lavender can be found here.
15. Oregano
Many of the so-called Mediterranean herbs attract pollinators and oregano (Origanum vulgare) is among the best, with aromatic foliage and blossoms plus rich amounts of nectar drawing in a variety of bees and butterflies.
The small, star-shaped mauve, pink, or white flowers bloom in terminal clusters on upright stems, adding color and intense fragrance for weeks over the summer months.
Growing up to 24 inches tall, oregano is a must-have for kitchen potagers and adds fragrant charm to border fronts, containers, edging, or herb beds and in naturalized, wildflower, or water-wise gardens.
Common Oregano
Plants are hardy in Zones 4 to 10.
Packets of common oregano seeds can be found at Botanical Interests.
Get more oregano know-how here.
16. Phlox
Phlox (Phlox spp.) varieties, including the tall garden varieties (P. paniculata) and creeping types (P. stolonifera), are North American wildflowers that have strong appeal for butterflies.
The fragrant, tubular flowers bloom in clusters on tall stalks or short stems in beautiful shades of blue, coral, orange, pink, plum, purple, red, white, and yellow, blooming for weeks in summer in the case of P. paniculata, or early to mid-spring for P. stolonifera.
Garden varieties grow 24 to 48 inches tall and add outstanding appeal to beds, foundations, and islands.
The creepers reach only six inches in height and are superb in hanging baskets or window boxes, as mounding ground covers, and in rockeries or cascading over rock walls.
Both species are hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
‘Emerald Blue’ is a creeping phlox cultivar that features bright blue flowers.
‘Emerald Blue’ Creeping Phlox
You can find ‘Emerald Blue’ plants available at Burpee.
Prefer the upright type? ‘Uptown Girl’ is a showy garden phlox cultivar with showy panicles of bright pink flowers.
It’s also available at Burpee.
17. Sage
Common garden sage (Salvia officinalis) is another aromatic mint family member.
Grown for the flavorful, gray green leaves with an herbal/camphor flavor, the tall spikes of pretty tubular flowers in lavender blue, rosy pink, and white are a butterfly favorite.
Flowering for several weeks from early summer, these semi-woody shrubs are drought tolerant once established and grow up to 30 inches tall.
Common Sage
A good choice for adding cool, soothing tones to containers, herb knots, mixed shrub beds, and rockeries. Sage is hardy in Zones 4 to 8.
Seed packets are available at High Mowing Organic Seeds.
Learn more about growing sage here.
18. Shasta Daisy
A cottage garden staple, Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum superbum) have pretty white or pale yellow petals in a classic, ray floret starburst pattern with a lemon or mustard yellow disc center.
A host plant and good source of nectar, Shasta daisies bloom from early summer to fall on stiff stems that reach from six to 48 inches tall, depending on type.
They make an appealing choice for mixed beds, edging, or rows, and add cheery light to cottage, cuttings, and wildflower gardens. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
‘Daisy Duke’ Shasta Daisy
‘Daisy Duke’ is a prolific bloomer, with bright white petals and mustard yellow centers.
You can find ‘Daisy Duke’ available in #1 containers at Nature Hills Nursery.
Want to learn more? Check out our Shasta daisy growing guide here.
19. Stonecrop
A diverse group of succulents, stonecrop or sedums (Sedum spp. and Hylotelephium spp.), are carefree and drought tolerant.
They typically flower from mid- to late summer with erect spikes topped with clusters of small, starry blooms in colors of mauve, pale and rosy pink, purple, salmon, white, and yellow, depending on the variety.
Sizes vary from the creeping varieties like English stonecrop that grow only three to six inches tall, and showy types like ‘Autumn Joy’ that can reach up to 30 inches high.
And some varieties also boast gorgeous foliage colors of burgundy, plum, or scarlet.
Stonecrops are both host plants and nectar sources for many butterfly species and can be used in containers and planters, as borders or ground covers, and in any xeric setting.
Most stonecrop varieties are hardy in Zones 3 to 10.
‘Autumn Joy’ Stonecrop
‘Autumn Joy’ is widely popular for good reason: it’s easy to grow and has gorgeous pinkish-red flowers, providing color in the late season garden.
You can find ‘Autumn Joy’ in #1 containers from Nature Hills Nursery.
Our guide to growing stonecrop has more information.
20. Thyme
Thyme (Thymus spp.) is a popular kitchen herb esteemed for adding savory flavor to fish, soups, stews, and stuffing.
The almost 200 species in the Thymus genus make outstanding ornamentals as well, flowering in late spring through summer, depending on the variety.
The small, woody shrubs or creeping (prostrate) ground covers are highly aromatic, with rounded or needle-like leaves and masses of tiny, pink or purple scented flowers, covering plants and drawing in clouds of bees and butterflies.
These compact herbs are highly drought tolerant and ideal for adding scented allure to border fronts, containers, and gravel or rock gardens. And the creeping varieties are perfect for stuffing into broken bricks, pathways, paver cracks, and rock walls.
Prostrate varieties are ground huggers with a height of three inches and common types grow up to 16 inches tall.
Thyme is hardy in Zones 5 to 9, although there are many cultivars suitable for colder winters right down to Zone 2!
‘Coccineus’ is a gorgeous creeping thyme (T. praecox) cultivar, creating a bright pink carpet of blooms.
‘Coccineus’ Creeping Thyme
You can find ‘Coccineus’ plants available from Nature Hills Nursery in quart-sized and #1 containers.
And if you prefer to grow some common thyme, you can find seeds available at Burpee.
Learn more about growing thyme here.
21. Weigela
Highly ornamental, weigela (Weigela spp.) shrubs feature masses of beautiful, trumpet-like flowers in mid to late spring, blooming in sumptuous shades of burgundy, mauve, pale and rosy pink, purple, and white.
The foliage comes in varied colors as well, including chartreuse, creamy variegations, green, gold, dusty pink, plum, purple, and almost black.
Dwarf varieties are ideal for small spaces, growing 24 to 36 inches tall, providing lustrous colors to borders, edging, foundations, and mixed shrub beds, plus city and courtyard gardens.
‘Spilled Wine’ Weigela
‘Spilled Wine’ has hot pink flowers, burnished maroon foliage, and grows up to 36 inches tall.
You can find ‘Spilled Wine’ weigela plants available at Fast Growing Trees.
Check out our guide to growing weigela for more information.
Butterfly Heaven
If you’d like to attract more butterflies to your garden, but don’t have the space for large drifts of blooms or blossoming trees, our selection of flowering perennials are ideal for small spaces!
Many are North American native wildflowers, and act as a host plant for indigenous Lepidoptera species and all act as important food sources, providing precious nectar for these fanciful fliers.
When planning your butterfly garden, be sure to choose a variety of plants with different flowering times to attract the greatest range of species from spring to fall.
Are you growing flowering perennials to attract butterflies? Let us know in the comments section below!
And if you’d like to learn more about attracting pollinators, add these guides to your reading list next.
