FAVORITE PERENNIALS FOR ATTRACTING
BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS
Achillea (Yarrow) – nectar plant
Actaea / Cimicifuga (Bugbane) – nectar plant
Agastache (Anise Hyssop) – nectar plant
Ageratina / Eupatorium – nectar plant
Alcea rosea (Hollyhock) – nectar plant & host plant for Common Hairstreak & Painted Lady, biennial
Allium (Ornamental Onion) – nectar plant
Amorpha canescens (Lead Plant) – nectar plant & host plant for
Dogface Butterfly
Anaphalis margaritacea (Pearly Everlasting) – nectar plant & host plant for
American Painted Lady
Anemone (Windflower) – nectar plant
Angelica atropurpurea (Purple-stem Angelica) – host plant, biennial
Antennaria (Pussy Toes) – host plant for American Painted Lady
Apocynum (Dogbane) – nectar plant
Aquilegia (Columbine) – nectar plant
Arabis (Rock Cress) – host plant
Armeria (Sea Pink) – nectar plant
Aruncus (Goatsbeard) – nectar plant
Asclepias (Milkweed) – nectar plant & host plant for Monarch
Aster (Aster) – nectar plant & host plant for Pearly Crescentspot
(North American native Asters may also be found listed under the following generic names: Ampelaster, Doellingeria, Eurybia, Ionactis, Oclemena, Seriocarpus & Symphyotrichum)
Aubrieta (False Rock Cress) – nectar plant
Aurinia saxatilis (Basket of Gold) – nectar plant
Baptisia (Wild Indigo) – nectar plant & host plant for Dogface Butterfly
Boltonia asteroides (Thousand Flower Aster) – nectar plant
Buddleja (Butterfly Bush) – nectar plant, tender
Calamintha (Calamint) – nectar plant
Campanula americana (Tall Bellflower) – nectar plant
Carex (Sedge) – host plant
Caryopteris (Blue Mist Spirea) – nectar plant, tender
Centaurea (Centaurea) – nectar plant
Centranthus ruber (Red Valerain) – nectar plant
Cephalaria gigantea (Tatarian Cephalaria) – nectar plant
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Leadwort) – nectar plant, tender
Chelone (Turtlehead) – nectar plant & host plant for Baltimore Checkerspot
Chrysanthemum (Mum) – nectar plant
Clethra (Summersweet) – nectar plant, tender
Coreopsis (Tickseed) – nectar plant
Crocosmia (Montbretia) – nectar plant, tender
Dalea candida (White Prairie Clover) – nectar plant & host plant for Dogface Butterfly Dalea purpurea (Purple Prairie Clover) – nectar plant & host plant for Dogface Butterfly Daucus carota (Queen Anne’s Lace) – nectar plant & host plant for
Eastern Black Swallowtail, biennial
Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William) – host plant, biennial
Dictamnus albus (Gas Plant) – nectar plant
Digitalis (Foxglove) – nectar plant, biennial
Echinacea (Coneflower) – nectar plant
Echinops (Globe Thistle) – nectar plant
Epilobium angustifolium (Fireweed) – nectar plant
Erigeron (Fleabane) – nectar plant
Eryngium (Sea Holly) – nectar plant
Eupatorium / Eutrochium (Joe-pye Weed) – nectar plant
Filipendula (Meadowsweet) – nectar plant
Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) – nectar plant
Gaura lindheimeri (Wand Flower) – nectar plant, tender
Gentiana septemfida var. lagodechiana (Dwarf Blue Gentian) – nectar plant
Grasses – host plants for Blazing Star Skipper
Helenium (Helen’s Flower) – nectar plant
Helianthus (Sunflower) – nectar plant & host plant
Heliopsis helianthoides (Oxeye Sunflower) – nectar plant
Hemerocallis (Daylily) – nectar plant
Heuchera (Coral Bell) – nectar plant
Hibiscus (Rose Mallow) – nectar plant & host plant for host plant for Common Hairstreak & Painted Lady
Hieracium aurantiacum (Orange Hawkweed) – nectar plant
Houstonia (Bluets) – nectar plant
Hyssopus officinalis (Hyssop) – nectar plant
Iberis (Candytuft) – nectar plant
Knautia macedonica (Crimson Pincushion) – nectar plant
Kniphofia (Torch-lily) – nectar plant, tender
Lavandula (Lavender) – nectar plant
Leucanthemum (Shasta Daisy) – nectar plant
Liatris (Blazingstar) – nectar plant
Lilium candidum (Madonna Lily) – nectar plant
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) – nectar plant
Lunaria annua (Money Plant) – nectar plant, biennial
Lupinus (Lupine) – nectar plant & host plant for Karner Blue
Lysimachia (Loosestrife) – nectar plant
Malva (Mallow) – nectar plant & host plant, short-lived
Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) – nectar plant
Mentha piperita (Peppermint) – nectar plant
Mentha spicata (Spearmint) – nectar plant
Monarda (Bee Balm) – nectar plant
Myosotis (Forget Me Not) – nectar plant
Nepeta (Catmint) – nectar plant
Oenothera biennis (Common Evening Primrose) – nectar plant, biennial
Origanum (Ornamental Oregano) – nectar plant
Paeonia (Peony) – nectar plant
Patrinia (Golden Lace) – nectar plant
Penstemon (Beard-tongue) – nectar plant
Perovskia (Russian Sage) – nectar plant
Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox) – nectar plant
Phlox (Meadow Phlox-Maculata Group) – nectar plant
Phlox (Summer Phlox-Paniculata Group) – nectar plant
Physostegia virginiana (False Dragonhead) – nectar plant
Polemonium (Jacob’s Ladder) – nectar plant
Prunella vulgaris (Common Selfheal) – nectar plant
Pycnanthemum (Mountain Mint) – nectar plant
Ratibida pinnata (Yellow Coneflower) – nectar plant
Rodgersia (Roger’s-flower) – nectar plant
Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) – nectar plant, tender
Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) – nectar plant
Salvia (Sage) – nectar plant
Sanguisorba (Burnet) – nectar plant
Saponaria (Soapwort) – nectar plant
Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower) – nectar plant
Sedum (Stonecrop) – nectar plant )Stonecrops may also be found listed under the following generic names: Hylotelephium, Petrosedum, Phedimus, Rhodiola & Sinocrassula)
Senna (Wild Senna) – host plant
Silphium perfoliatum (Cupplant) – water source
Silphium terebinthinaceum (Prairie Dock) – nectar plant
Solidago (Goldenrod) – nectar plant
(Goldenrods may also be found listed under the following generic
names: Euthamia & Oligoneuron)
x Solidaster luteus (Hybrid Goldenrod) – nectar plant
Stokesia laevis (Stoke’s Aster) – nectar plant, tender
Tanacetum (Painted Daisy-Coccineum Group) – nectar plant
Taraxacum officinale (Common Dandelion) – nectar plant
Thalictrum (Meadow Rue) – nectar plant
Thymus (Thyme) – nectar plant
Tradescantia (Spiderwort) – nectar plant
Trifolium pratense (Red Clover) – nectar plant & host plant for Common Sulphur, Gray Hairstreak & Southern Cloudywing
Trifolium repens (White Clover) – nectar plant & host plant for Common Sulphur &
Gray Hairstreak
Verbena (Vervain) – nectar plant
Vernonia (Ironweed) – nectar plant & host plant for American Painted Lady
Veronica (Speedwell) – nectar plant
Veronicastrum (Culver’s Root) – nectar plant
Vicia (Vetch) – nectar plant & host plant for Common Sulphur
Viola (Violet) – host plant for Great Spangled & Idalia Fritillary
Zizia (Golden Alexander) – nectar plant
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