Which native perennial is the right fit for your garden?

Want to add more native perennial blooms to your pollinator garden this year but not sure which plants to choose? Explore the key differences between black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers to help you decide which native flowers are best for your garden. Both perennials attract pollinators and wildlife with long-lasting, colorful blooms — so whichever you choose, your garden will benefit!

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)

• Blooms: Golden daisylike flowers are 2 to 3 inches across with a brown-purple central disk that later forms seedheads.
• Habit: Upright, clump-forming plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide.
• Leaves: Oblong, serrated dark-green leaves alternate up the stem. Those at the base of the plant are larger, have a short petiole (stalk that attaches the leaf to the stem) and are hairy when young. Upper leaves are smaller and attached directly to the stem.
• Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9.

Black-eyed Susan’s daisylike flowers splash vibrant yellow color across gardens from midsummer to late fall. And if you leave the distinctive brown-purple seedheads to ripen on the plants, birds will enjoy them long after the colors fade. In addition, its evergreen basal leaves provide an attractive ground cover through the winter. If all of these great qualities aren’t enough to recommend it, this North American native perennial is also deer resistant!

Where black-eyed Susan works best in the garden

Standing 2 to 3 feet tall, black-eyed Susan is perfect for the front or middle of a perennial bed or pollinator garden border. Plants grow best in full sun in dry to medium, well-drained soil and are cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9.

How to grow black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan spreads by underground rhizomes or self-seeding, forming large clumps over time. Deadheading encourages continuous blooming throughout the season and can prevent unwanted seedlings. Divide clumps every three to four years in spring to keep plants healthy and vigorous. Black-eyed Susan endures hot, humid summers and is drought tolerant once established, and it doesn’t require fertilizer to put on a show. A little compost at planting time should provide enough nutrients for it to thrive.

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Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

• Blooms: Purple-pink daisylike flowers are up to 5 inches across. Spiny central dark cones are covered in tubular “disk flowers,” which contain the pollen and nectar. After pollination, disk flowers develop seeds.
• Habit: Multistemmed, upright, clump-forming plants grow 12 to 60 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide.
• Leaves: Coarse, serrated dark-green leaves are large at the base of the plant and get smaller as they alternate up the stem.
• Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.

Purple coneflower blooms start appearing in early summer and usually finish by midfall. The distinctive, often drooping pink-purple petals surround a spiky dark-orange center. If you love this bloom shape, try one of the many hybrids available in a variety of colors that include red, orange, green, white and yellow. Many gardeners find both purple coneflower and black-eyed Susan to be deer resistant.

Where purple coneflower works best in the garden

The species grows 2 to 4 feet tall, and cultivars extend the range to 1 to 5 feet. This means that there are options for the front, middle or back of a border. Wherever you put it, bees and butterflies will enjoy the pollen and nectar.

Coneflower growing tips

Purple coneflower thrives in USDA zones 3 to 8 in full sun. Unlike black-eyed Susan, it also will grow in part shade, although plants may bloom a bit less and grow a little taller there. Plants grow best in well-drained soil but also tolerate dry and rocky planting sites. Purple coneflower is also drought tolerant once established and doesn’t require extra fertilizer. Deadhead early-season flowers to encourage reblooming and to help prevent unwanted seedlings, but if you’d like to feed the birds in winter, leave the late-season flowers in place so the seeds can ripen for our feathered friends.

Which native perennial do you choose — Black-eyed Susan or purple coneflower?

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Ironweed ‘Southern Cross’ (Vernonia hybrid)

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Purple flowers in late summer to early fall
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained but adaptable to dry or rocky soil
Pests: Powdery mildew, rust
Size: 30 to 36 in. tall and wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

Attract wildlife with this cultivar of native vernonia

Grow ‘Southern Cross’ ironweed and in early to late fall you’ll enjoy its beautiful masses of fringed, bright purple flower clusters. And you’re not the only one: Bees and butterflies swarm the blooming plants for nectar, while deer and rabbits tend to pass it by. Once flowers fade, the spent blooms look attractive all winter. Be prepared to see more birds, who happily eat the seeds.

‘Southern Cross’ is a naturally occurring hybrid of native Vernonia species. At 3 feet tall with slightly wider leaves and a more compact habit than other ironweeds, it fits perfectly in a cottage garden or mini meadow without looking weedy. In fact, the fine-textured, lance-shaped foliage lends an airy look to a border, even when it’s not in bloom.

Pair late-blooming perennials with ironweed

Create a spectacular autumn floral display by combining ‘Southern Cross’ ironweed with other summer- to fall-blooming partners. Its purple flowers complement warm reds, oranges and yellows. Choose wildlife-friendly companion plants that attract bees, beneficial wasps, butterflies and birds, and watch the border come alive with color and movement.

Tips for growing ‘Southern Cross’ ironweed

• Grow ‘Southern Cross’ in full sun to achieve the best flowering and sturdiest plants.
  
• It’s clay-tolerant and once established, will also adapt to drought.
  
• Ironweed prefers lean soil, so there is no need to fertilize.
  
• To prevent powdery mildew and rust, don’t overcrowd this plant. Air movement between plants helps keep fungal diseases from getting established.
  
• Deadhead the plant to prevent possible reseeding, though ‘Southern Cross’ is less likely to have viable seed than the species.
  

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Plant a fall feast for pollinators

Create a spectacular autumn floral display by combining ‘Southern Cross’ ironweed with other summer- to fall-blooming partners. This plant combination provides nectar sources in autumn for migrating butterflies and other insects.

Growing conditions for this fall garden border with ironweed

The plants in this fall-peaking combination grow best in full sun. They'll tolerate dry conditions but will thrive with an inch of water per week during the hottest part of the summer.

Plant care tips

• Leave spent ‘Southern Cross’ ironweed flowers on the plant. This cultivar is not likely to reseed in the garden, but does provide a food source for birds. Cut stems back in early spring.
• Tall sedum flowers dry brown and can stay standing all winter, providing color and interest. Shear off the dried stems in early spring as new growth emerges.
• Zinnia blooms all summer until frost. Deadhead faded flowers only if you want to tidy up the plant. Pull up zinnia plants after a hard frost and compost them.
  

A) Ironweed (Vernonia‘Southern Cross’)
Perennial; purple flowers in late summer to early fall; full sun to part shade; 30 to 36 in. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

B) Tall sedum (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Purple Emperor’)
Perennial; pink flower clusters from midsummer to fall; purple-black foliage by summer; full sun; 12 to 15 in. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

C) Zinnia (Zinnia marylandica Zahara^™ Yellow)
Annual; yellow flowers from late spring to frost; full sun; 12 to 18 in. tall and wide

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Grow these host plants to support different types of butterflies

Butterflies are beautiful and fascinating creatures with scales on their wings and “taste buds” on their feet. But populations have been declining, partly due to habitat loss. The good news is that gardeners can help! If you grow the host plants that specific butterflies love, you can support them through the entire life cycle. Host plants are where butterflies choose to lay eggs, which hatch into caterpillars that feed there until they form chrysalises and undergo metamorphosis.

Perfect plants for butterflies

How do female butterflies know which plant to lay eggs on? They have special taste organs on their forelegs and feet to help determine if a plant, such as the black-eyed Susan above, is what they’re looking for. Some species lay single eggs; others lay in clusters, usually on the underside or top of a leaf. Newly hatched caterpillars are little eating machines that typically have four to five stages of growth, or instars, over several weeks before forming a chrysalis.

What do caterpillars eat?

Foliage is the most popular item on the menu, but some caterpillars also eat flowers. Some species are very specific about which plants are best for their young — for example, monarchs only eat milkweeds. Others aren’t picky at all. Painted lady larvae have been found feeding on 100 different plants, such as thistles, hollyhock and members of the pea family.

Besides growing host plants, the best thing you can do to help butterflies is to avoid using pesticides and herbicides (even organic solutions, such as neem oil or pyrethroids). They’re just as deadly to butterflies and their young as they are to insect pests.

If you’re wondering which butterflies might be stopping by the garden, ask your county extension agency or visitbutterfliesandmoths.org/. Now let’s take a look at a few host plants for some common North American butterflies.

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Butterfly host plants to add to your garden

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Host plant for: checkerspot and malachite butterfly

There’s a lot to love about black-eyed Susans. This resilient native wildflower is drought tolerant and deer resistant, and tolerates clay soil. Plants flower best in full sun, and deadheading helps encourage additional blooms. Cultivars, such as the popular ‘Goldsturm’, are more likely to be found in garden centers than the species.

Black-eyed Susan is also a host plant for the wide-ranging silvery checkerspot and the malachite butterfly, which are found in the southern United States, mostly in Florida and Texas. They both eat the leaves of black-eyed Susan. Look closely and you may find the malachite’s prickly black-and-red larva taking a rest on the underside of a leaf.

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Single golden-yellow blooms with a brown center from summer to fall
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, well-drained
Size: 2 to 3 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 3 to 9
Source: Local garden centers

Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)

Host plant for: dogface, striped, Reakirt’s blue and Mexican blue butterflies

Purple prairie clover is an easy-care native perennial found across much of North America. It grows best in full sun and well-drained soil but tolerates sandy and clay soil too. New plants are slow to take off because they’re busy forming a long taproot, which can grow up to 6 feet deep. Because of this, purple prairie clover doesn’t like to be moved once it gets established, but the taproot does make plants super drought- and heat-tolerant.

Small thimblelike cones covered with tiny individual flowers arrive in summer and keep going to early fall. They’re a magnet for all kinds of bees and butterflies. At the same time (and depending on the region), southern and California dogface butterflies will be making a meal of the foliage. Striped, Reakirt’s and Mexican blue caterpillars eat the leaves and nibble the flowers.

You’ll find plants for sale, but seeds are a more economical solution if you have a large space to fill. Direct sow or start them indoors four to six weeks before your last frost date. Seedlings should emerge in 10 to 12 days and can go outdoors when nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees F.

Did you know?

You may notice ants hanging around the Reakirt’s blue caterpillars that are eating your purple prairie clover — they have a symbiotic relationship. The caterpillars release a pheromone to attract the ants, then secrete a sweet solution to keep them around and help protect against parasitic wasps and flies.

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Tiny rose-purple flowers open on stubby gray-green cones from early summer to early fall
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 12 to 36 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 3 to 8
Source:Prairie Moon Nursery (plants and seeds)

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

Host plant for: painted lady and common checkered skipper butterflies

Tall or short, single or double, upright hollyhocks add interest and excitement to any sunny border or container. Long stems are covered with saucer-shaped blooms in about every color but blue. Hollyhocks are a cottage garden favorite that hosts the larvae of painted lady and common checkered skipper butterflies. If you notice a silky covering on top of a hollyhock leaf with a spiny dark brown to black caterpillar inside, that’s a painted lady. Common checkered skipper caterpillars are green with a brown head and fold leaves around themselves as they eat.

Technically, hollyhocks are biennial, growing just a mound of foliage the first year and flowering the second. While some older varieties follow this pattern, many of the newer series, such as Spotlight or Halo above, bloom the first year from seed. The key is to start hollyhock seeds early indoors — 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date. When seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall, they can go outdoors for the season.

Type: Biennial
Blooms: Pink, white, black, peach, yellow, red or burgundy in summer
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 3 to 8 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 2 to 10
Source:Swallowtail Garden Seeds

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Host plant for: monarch butterflies

Most animals won’t eat butterfly weed — it tastes bad and can make them sick. But monarchs love to lay their eggs on this boldly colored perennial. After hatching, the caterpillars eat the leaves and sometimes the flowers, even though the plant is filled with toxins to most creatures. The caterpillar’s body is able to store the poison to ward off predators.

While there are lots of different milkweed species in a range of sizes and flower types, butterfly weed (above) has the brightest blooms, doesn’t spread as aggressively as some of the others and doesn’t have the milky white sap when you break a stem.

You can buy butterfly weed plants at the garden center or direct sow seeds. Fall is the best time to do this because seeds need stratification, or a period of cold temperatures, for the best germination. You can mimic this process by keeping seed packets in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months before planting. Give butterfly weed full sun and well-drained soil.

Good to know

The Xerces Society can help you find a seed source in your area. Visit their Milkweed Seed Finder here for more information.

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Clusters of bright orange blooms from early summer to fall
Light: Full sun
Soil: Dry, well-drained
Size: 12 to 30 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 3 to 9
Sources:High Country Garden, Prairie Moon Nursery, Prairie Nursery

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)

Host plant for: common buckeye butterflies

Though common buckeyes migrate north in late spring to summer, this butterfly is a year-round resident in the southern United States and along the coasts of California. So having a steady supply of cool-weather-loving snapdragons in the garden will ensure the caterpillars have plenty of leaves to snack on.

Find snapdragons in a range of colors and sizes

Snapdragon’s unique blooms come in a wide range of colors that you can use to create gorgeous early-season bouquets. There’s also a range of sizes that will keep borders filled with color from front to back. Edge the garden with the 6-inch-tall Candy Showers series and keep midborders bright with ‘Rocket Orchid’ above, which grows 3 feet tall. At the back of the border grow Potomac series, which can reach 5 feet.

Cool weather is when snapdragons are at their best. Once nighttime temperatures reach 70 degrees F regularly, plants slow down and can look a bit ragged. You can cut them back and keep watering to get more blooms in fall. Or pull the plants and replace them with warm-weather lovers.

Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: White, yellow, red, orange, pink, purple and peach from spring to frost
Light: Full sun
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Size: 4 to 36 in. tall, 6 to 24 in. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 7 to 10
Source:Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

When your parsley patch goes from lush, beautiful growth to ragged, leafless stems, it could mean that swallowtail caterpillars have turned it into their personal buffet line. There are 30 species in North America. Two of the most common are the black swallowtail, which is mostly black with a band of yellow spots on the lower portion of the wing, and the Eastern tiger swallowtail, which is mostly yellow with black markings. Eastern swallowtail larvae will often spin a mat of silk on top of the leaf to feed from.

Two types of parsley

There are two common types of parsley: curly- or flat-leaf (also called Italian). Both are biennial and are often grown as an annual. Plants produce lush foliage the first year and send up yellow spring flowers the next. Parsley leaves aren’t as flavorful after flowering (the caterpillars won’t mind). But if you let the blooms dry in place, they’ll reseed, providing you with more plants the following year.

Did you know?

Mature swallowtail caterpillars stop feeding on parsley late in the season and search for a dry stem or leaf on which to form chrysalises. The last generation hibernates through winter and emerges in spring.

Type: Biennial
Blooms: Yellow flowers in spring
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Moist, well drained
Size: 12 to 18 in. tall, 9 to 12 in. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 4 to 11
Source: Local garden centers

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Sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis)

Host plant for: endangered Karner blue butterfly

These elegant spires will turn heads from late spring to early summer. Sundial lupine blooms in shades of lavender to blue, white and on the rare occasion, pink, and stems grow up to 2 feet tall. Once the blooms fade, they form 2-inch-long seedpods that look like fuzzy beans. Plants will reseed and spread by rhizomes where they’re happy.

Plants are generally trouble-free and easy to care for as long as they have well-drained to sandy soil. Too much clay, and this perennial will rot.

Sundial lupine is the only larval host for the endangered Karner blue butterfly found in scattered locations from eastern Minnesota to New Hampshire and New York. Eggs hatch in April to early May from overwintered eggs. Caterpillars eat the leaves and flowers, growing quickly to form chrysalises in 3 to 4 weeks. In July the second generation lays eggs in lupine seedpods or on stems near the ground, where they will overwinter.

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Spires of pealike lavender or blue and white flowers in late spring to early summer
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Dry, sandy, well-drained
Size: 12 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 3 to 8
Source:Prairie Nursery (plants and seeds)

Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis)

Host plant for: Uncas and Rhesus skippers, Garita skipperling, Ridings’ satyr butterflies

Did you know that even ornamental grasses can be a host plant for butterflies? Blue grama grass is a favorite of the Uncas and Rhesus skippers as well as Garita skipperling and Ridings’ satyr butterflies. All of these caterpillars eat leaves. Uncas skipper even creates a little nest of foliage so it can eat in comfort, out of any hungry predator’s sight.

While this drought-tolerant grass is native to the Great Plains and Southwestern United States, it makes a great garden plant across much of North America, and has even been used as a lawn replacement. Its small size means blue grama grass works well near the front of the border, where the slender blue-green foliage provides plenty of texture and tan horizontal flowers bob in the breeze. By fall, plants mature to golden brown and stay standing for most of winter.

‘Blonde Ambition’ above is popular cultivar that looks like the species but has chartreuse flowers that age to lighter tan. It’s larger than the species too, growing 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Blue grama grass forms broad clumps and makes a polite border companion with lots of other sun-loving perennials. This easygoing grass tolerates a wide range of soils except poorly drained ones, which could cause it to rot. Where plants are happy, they’ll even self-seed.

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Tan horizontal flowers in summer to fall
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Dry to moist, well-drained
Size: 12 to 24 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 3 to 10
Source:High Country Gardens (plants)

Purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

Host plant for: zebra heliconian, gulf and variegated fritillaries

The amazingly ornamental 2½-inch blooms of purple passionflower are easier to grow than you might think. This native vine flowers best in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil. Plants are drought tolerant once established. An inch or two of organic mulch helps conserve water and keep roots cool.

Purple passionflower is the hardiest of this genus, and while you can grow it in USDA zone 5, it’s not always reliable. To keep it coming back in cold winter areas, provide a protected spot in the garden or plant it in a container so you can move it into the garage after freezing temperatures kill the foliage.

Keep an eye on the vines, and you may notice the caterpillars of gulf or variegated fritillaries lumbering along its slender stems looking for the next leaf or flower to nibble. Zebra heliconian larva eat the foliage, but to see one, you might need a flashlight — these caterpillars come out at night.

Type: Vine
Blooms: Fragrant white flowers with an ornate purple crown, or center, in summer
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 6 to 8 ft. tall, 3 to 6 ft. wide
Cold hardy: USDA zones 5 to 9
Source:Logees (plants)

Grow berries for the birds

One of the easiest and most efficient ways to invite birds to your garden is by planting berry-producing plants. These plants with berries will attract songbirds and other feathered friends to your yard for years to come. Not only are berries among the most natural and essential food sources for birds, they’re also easy to grow. Berries (and other fruits) are the icing on the cake, the final act before winter finally shuts down the garden. And many plants go out with a bang!

Red, orange, blue, purple or white, berries glow among leaves or on bare stems, transforming an already attractive plant into a work of art. And many berry plants hold their fruit into winter, sometimes even until spring, giving you an extra season or two of interest.

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Winter fuel for feathered friends

The colorful berries you see on trees, shrubs and even some annuals and perennials are lovely to look at. But they’re not there just to be beautiful. While these colorful fruits are really for reproduction, if you only grow these plants for one reason, do it for the birds. Winter’s just around the corner, and they’re looking for a high-energy meal to get them ready for cold weather. Sure, you can buy bird food, but don’t you prefer your produce homegrown?

Pretty & practical plants

Make sure you put these plants where you can enjoy them. For example, the bright red fruits of a crabapple or winterberry look great from a distance. But others are more subtle, like the white fruits of snowberry. Grow these near a path where you can admire them up close.

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Plant a bird banquet

Birds can sometimes be picky eaters. Like children, they’ll often eat their favorites first. But give them time, or a very cold winter, and the birds that stick around will eventually eat the rest. To make sure your feathered guests have choices, it’s a great idea to grow a variety of plants, such as annuals, perennials and grasses, that have edible seeds, too. The plants may not be as showy; however, the birds will spend more time visiting your garden if you provide lots of options. Since gardeners enjoy colorful autumn fruit almost as much as the birds, let’s take a look at some of the best and brightest Mother Nature has to share.

Which type of hummingbird is visiting your garden?

Are you keeping your eye out for a visit from a hummingbird? Well, there are multiple types of these fascinating creatures, and they vary in color and location. This list of four common types of hummingbirds will help you know which type is most likely to visit your garden, according to which region you live in.

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Black-chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)

Common in much of the western United States, from southern Canada south into Mexico, this more subtly colored hummingbird reaches 3¼ to 3¾ in. long. You’ll often see black-chinneds repeatedly flicking their tails as they fly. See the full range map here for more information on black-chinned hummigbird ranges.

Males and females have black bills, green backs and sides, with pale gray undersides. But males, like the one in the photo, have a black throat that, in certain lights, shines with a brilliant iridescent purple. Like other hummingbirds, a hungry black-chinned hummingbird can eat up to eight times its body weight in a day.

Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

At 3½- to 4-in. long, this hummer breeds farther north than any other hummingbird and has the longest migration trek: from Alaska to Mexico — an amazing 4,000 miles! Some also winter in the Gulf States from Texas to Florida. See the full range map here for more information on rufous hummingbird ranges.

The male rufous is one of the most colorful, as well: white breast with reddish “vest,” a scarlet to orange throat and brilliant red-brown back. The female (in the photo) is similar, but has a green head and lacks the bright throat and vest.

Did you know?

Known for its irascible nature, it can be aggressive, even to larger birds. Make sure to hang up multiple feeders to avoid conflict.

Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

This may be the only hummingbird gardeners east of the Great Plains see. At 3¼ to 3¾ in. long, the male, shown here, sports a red throat with a narrow black band at the top. Iridescent green glows on his back and sides with white below. Females have a white throat and are gray below with buff sides. See the full range map here for more information on ruby-throated hummigbird ranges.

Did you know?

These tiny birds gorge themselves to prepare for migration, often doubling their body weight. To reach Mexico, many cross the Gulf of Mexico — a 500-mile nonstop flight, averaging 20 hours!

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Broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)

The broad-tailed hummingbird, common in areas around the Rocky Mountains, is 3¾ to 4½ in. from tip to tail. See the full range map for broad-tailed hummingbirds here.

Males, like the one shown above, wear bright rose-pink to red on their throat with a white breast, olive green cheeks and back, and a white belly with a gray-green “vest.” Duller-colored females have a white chin and breast, with red-brown on their flanks and the sides of their tails.

Did you know?

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backward. They can be quite acrobatic hunting food!

Plant a garden with fall-blooming perennials to support butterflies

Butterflies need your help more than ever this time of year. Fall gardens are critical to their survival, providing shelter for overwintering species and food for those that migrate. Jane Hurwitz, editor of the North American Butterfly Association’s Butterfly Gardener magazine and author of Butterfly Gardening, has years of real-world experience gardening for butterflies. She has some great suggestions about how to create a welcoming fall garden. Give a look at her design tips below, and then scroll on to find 6 fall perennials butterflies love.

Tips for designing a fall butterfly garden

• Keep fall cleanup to a minimum to provide shelter for eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises and adults that don’t migrate. It’s beneficial for your garden, too. Keeping a 2- to 3-inch layer of fallen leaves as mulch won’t smother your plants but still protects any caterpillars that are sheltering in them. Besides that, as the leaves break down they create leaf mold, a form of compost, to enrich the soil.
• If leaving the garden on its own in fall sounds a bit too wild for your style, designate a butterfly area that’s out of sight, such as behind the garage, or position your butterfly garden far from the house where the messiness isn’t as obvious. (Another hint: Use decorative iron fencing to give your butterfly area some structure. A fence will help keep floppy plants upright, too.)
• Later in spring, don’t hurry to remove the previous fall’s layer of debris everywhere — give the butterflies time to get moving. Some plants will need to be uncovered, and there’s usually some dead growth that needs to be cut back. But as you do this, keep an eye out for well-camouflaged chrysalises. If you find one, carefully move the stem to an out-of-the-way spot so the butterfly can finish maturing.
• Recent research at Cornell University suggests that one reason for the dwindling monarch population may be a lack of late-season nectar plants on their migratory routes. Grow plants that flower into fall to provide the pockets of habitat they need to refuel along the way. Other butterflies that are often active in fall, such as American ladies, red admirals, common buckeyes and sulphurs, will also benefit.
• Whatever you choose to grow in your fall garden, plant in groups so butterflies don’t have to work as hard to find their meals. To a tiny insect with a short life span, a big patch of flowers is easier to find than one or two plants here and there.

Find other butterfly gardeners

Jane also finds connecting with other local butterfly gardeners is a great resource. Want to meet more butterfly gardeners? Visit the North American Butterfly Association website for a listing of local chapters where you can meet other butterfly gardeners.

6 fall-blooming perennials for butterflies

‘Sheffield’ garden mum (Chrysanthemum hybrid)

The single flowers of this perennial garden mum are a better food source for butterflies than the petal-packed double flowering types sold in the fall. Plant ‘Sheffield’ in spring so it has time to establish a good root system and a better chance of surviving winter.

Growing Tip

To get the most flowers from your garden mum, be sure to provide consistent moisture and apply slow-release fertilizer with a 16-9-23 formula annually in spring.

Type Perennial
Blooms Pale pink flowers from late summer to frost
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well-drained
Size 24 to 36 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide
Hardiness Cold hardy USDA zones 5 to 9

Aster (Aster spp. and hybrids)

Asters are one of the backbone flowers of autumn, almost as popular as mums. They can be airy and delicate, or they may have tall, stiff, sturdy stems. Many have cool pastel shades that make great color contrast to all of the reds and oranges you usually find in fall. You can buy asters in pots just in time for fall, like mums. But if you buy starts in spring, you’ll have lots more options.

Growing Tip

Make sure to give asters even, or consistent, moisture. Some asters are notorious for losing their lower leaves if they get too dry. If that’s a concern, grow plants in front of the asters to hide the bare knees.

Type Perennial
Blooms Shades of blue, pink and white in mid- to late autumn
Size 4 to 72 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide
Light Full sun
Soil Moist to dry
Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

‘Fireworks’ goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)

Butterflies love [goldenrod](https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/flowers-plants/plant-guide/goldenrod/ "Goldenrod"), but if you need a more compact plant for your garden, try ‘Fireworks’. Arching stems full of tiny individual flowers pack the plant and bloom a long time — up to five weeks, usually starting around mid-September. It’s an easy-to-care-for plant that’s super drought-tolerant, once established.

Growing Tip

This plant is easy to care for and doesn’t require any deadheading. Just cut back the dead stems in spring.

Type Perennial
Blooms Yellow flowers from late summer to frost
Light Full sun
Soil Well-drained, sandy to clay
Size 2 to 3 ft. tall and wide
Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

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Verbena (Verbena bonariensis)

Verbena’s rose-violet flower clusters are a butterfly banquet from late spring to frost. Besides that, it’s drought-tolerant and deer-resistant.Direct sow the seeds outside or start them inside to get flowers a bit earlier. Once you grow this verbena you probably won’t need to plant it again. It reseeds easily (and can even become too prolific in areas where it’s cold-hardy).

Growing Tip

Because plants have small flowers on long, slender stems, be sure to group plants together to create a more noticeable mass of color to enjoy.

Type Tender perennial (Usually grown as an annual)
Blooms Rose-violet from late spring to frost
Light Full sun
Soil Well-drained
Size 24 to 48 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide
Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 7 to 11

Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp. and hybrids)

Looking for a unique late-season focal point? Joe-Pye weed may be just the ticket. Joe-Pye weed’s leaves alone can get up to 12 inches long, while the plant itself can grow 7 feet high, sometimes even more. But don’t worry about staking: It has strong, sturdy stems. Or plant a compact cultivar, such as 'Little Joe', pictured here. Pink-mauve flowers in 12- to 18-inch domes bloom in late summer, and butterflies can’t resist their nectar.

Growing Tip

After the flowers fade, leave the stems standing — fuzzy seedheads will add interest to your autumn garden. If you don’t want them to reseed, cut the stems back.

Type Perennial
Blooms Panicles of rosy mauve flowers in summer into fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well-drained
Size 3 to 8 ft. tall, 2 to 5 ft. wide
Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

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Tall sedum (Hylotelephium spp. and hybrids)

Tall sedum is a low-maintenance perennial you can count on. It’s incredibly cold hardy and can tolerate a wide range of difficult conditions. Tall sedum is a succulent, a plant with soft, juicy leaves and stems that store water, making it extremely drought tolerant. And it doesn’t need much soil to grow in, making it a great choice for rock gardens. The long-lasting, flat blooms are a sustained food source for butterflies and a favorite of painted lady butterflies.

Growing Tip

Grow it in lean soil on the dry side. Rich soil makes it grow spindly and get crown rot. Shade tends to make tall sedum flop, so keep it in full sun.

Type Perennial
Blooms Pink, burgundy, white or chartreuse-yellow blooms that often age to shades of russet reds and browns
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well-drained, lean
Size 18 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

Have you ever watched butterflies as they flit from flower to flower? They don’t look like they know where they’re going, do they? Their flight patterns look as if they’ve been designed by a 2-year-old. But they do know what they’re doing — they’re looking for nectar.

Did you realize that butterflies taste with their feet? It’s true: When they land on a leaf or flower, they can actually taste it. That helps them find plants on which to feed and lay eggs. After all, they want to put their eggs on a plant that will provide food for the caterpillars as they hatch.

Fresh nectar for butterflies

Butterflies don’t have mouths that let them chew food. Instead, they have a proboscis, a long strawlike structure that allows them to drink nectar and other liquids they need for energy. Clusters of small flowers are popular feeding sites. A butterfly can draw nectar from many flowers without having to take off again. Large butterflies, such as monarchs and swallowtails, prefer wide landing areas, such as big zinnias (Zinnia elegans). Make sure to plant several bloom shapes so there’ll be something for everyone. And group flowers in one spot so butterflies don’t have to travel far.

Learn How To Design a Garden to Attract More Pollinators

Build a butterfly buffet

Since butterflies can’t get all of their nutrients from nectar, they gather around muddy areas, where they can suck up salts and minerals. Butterflies also like rotting fruit, so before you throw away that overripe banana, peel it and set it out as a dessert for your winged friends.

Many butterflies can’t fly unless their body temperature is around 86 degrees F. That’s why you see them resting on cool mornings and feeding on sunny afternoons. So it makes sense that most of the flowers they like grow best in full sun. It’s also helpful to place a rock in a sunny spot where butterflies can absorb heat as they sit.

Even with these accommodations, flowers are still the best way to draw flocks of these colorful insects. Give your butterflies happy feet with these eight favorites and check out which butterflies love them.

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Your garden’s flowers fill your yard with beauty, color, shape and even fragrance. But that’s not where their interest ends — birds love plants, too! Throughout the year, seedheads, berries, nectar and fruit draw in winged visitors, such as songbirds and hummingbirds, providing them with the energy they need to perform essential functions, like flying, mating and migrating.

Provide shelter for the birds

Including a mix of trees and shrubs in your perennial border doesn’t just create more food options. It provides good cover, too, so birds can find shelter and feel protected while they eat. Now check out 6 plants birds love to eat below.

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Coneflower (Echinacea spp. and hybrids)

It’s easy to have impressive masses of stunning blooms with low-maintenance coneflower. But don’t cut back the summer flowers once they start to fade. The pointed seedheads are favorites for many birds in the fall and winter months. Plus, the dried cones add interesting shape to the landscape through winter and help the native wildflower spread — deadheading spent blooms prevents reseeding. In spring, just cut stems back to the base of the plant.

Besides the native, purple coneflower (E. purpurea) that you see above, recent breedubg has produced a wider range of blooms colors to choose from. They all have mid- to dark green foliage that’s covered in small, rough hairs — a trait that deters deer and makes for strong drought tolerance.

Coneflower growing tips

• All coneflowers thrive in almost any type of soil, from dry to clay to rocky.
• Be sure plants get at least 6 hours of sun to ensure lots of blooms that will attract hummingbirds and even butterflies throughout the summer.
• Leave dried seed cones to attract other birds in fall and winter and add late-season interest to your garden.
• Cut stems back to the base of the plant in spring.

Birds that love coneflower

• Blue jays
• Finches (American goldfinch shown above)
• Northern cardinals

Coneflower key facts

Type Perennial Blooms Purple-pink, white, yellow, orange, green or red blooms from early summer to frost Light Full sun to part shade Soil Well-drained, but tolerates most types Size 1 to 4 ft. tall, 1 to 3 ft. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Anise hyssop’s long-blooming blue flower spikes bring in hummingbirds, as well as butterflies and bees, from summer to fall.

‘Blue Fortune’ above has all the great qualities of the species, including drought tolerance and deer resistance. At 24 to 36 in. tall and 18 to 24 in. wide, this cultivar is more compact and a good choice for the middle of the border. Flowers stay upright on sturdy stems, and the foliage also has a pleasant black licorice fragrance.

Anise hyssop growing tips

• You can encourage more blooms early the season by snipping stems back to the next leaf joint as they fade.
• Leave spent stems standing in midfall, as flowers start to dry — finches love the clusters of tiny seeds. They hang on well into winter, providing energy when other food sources may be depleted.
• Be sure plants have a spot with well-drained soil — this perennial takes dry soil in stride, but its crown can rot in too much moisture.

Birds that love anise hyssop

• Finches
• Juncos
• Sparrows

Anise hyssop key facts

Type Perennial Blooms Blue flowers spikes from summer to fall Light Full sun to part shade Soil Well-drained Size 24 to 48 in. tall, 18 to 36 in. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

Annual sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Want to bring in birds with annual sunflowers? Then the bigger the flower’s center, the better, so choose single stem (just one flower per plant) variety that has dinner-plate sized blooms, such as the one you see at above. That’s because larger seedheads mean more seeds from late summer on, as well as a better landing surface for winged visitors — whether you leave the drooping seedheads or cut and stick stalks elsewhere.

Annual sunflower growing tips

• These long-lasting flowers need full sun to bloom their best — this keeps stems strong, too, so you don’t have to stake leaning stalks.
• For the most color, blooms and birds, plant seeds in succession about 3 weeks apart, beginning right after the last frost and continuing through midsummer.
• Thin seedlings to 1 to 3 ft. apart, depending on the cultivar.
• The larger the flower’s center = more seeds for the birds!

Birds that love annual sunflower

• Buntings
• Cardinals
• Chickadees
• Grosbeaks
• Nuthatches
• Sparrows
• Woodpeckers

Annual sunflower key facts

Type Annual Blooms Shades of yellow, orange, white, red, burgundy or bicolor from midsummer to early fall Light Full sun Soil Moist, well-drained Size 10 to 180 in. tall, 8 to 30 in. wide

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Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

Flowering dogwood’s showy white, red or pink petals are actually bracts. The flowers are the green-white buttonlike cluster at the center, and this is what matures to the bright early fall red fruits you see in the photo. Though inedible to humans, flowering dogwood berries are well-loved by birds and will hang on well into winter.

Flowering dogwood growing tips

• Low-branching with a relatively horizontal habit, this tree will still grow and bloom well under the canopy of larger trees. But for the most brilliant red fall foliage grow flowering dogwood in full sun.
• In areas with hot summers, flowering dogwood will benefit from some shade, especially early in the afternoon.

Birds that love flowering dogwood

• Bluebirds
• Dark-eyed junco
• Grosbeaks
• Tanagers
• Titmice

Flowering dogwood key facts

Type Tree Blooms White, pink or red in spring Light Full sun to part shade Soil Moist, well-drained Size 15 to 30 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9

American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus americanum)

You can get multiple seasons of interest from this shrub. Cranberrybush viburnum’s white lacecap flowers, above, bloom in spring, and in fall leaves take on tinges of purple and yellow. Tart and juicy bright red berries — similar to cranberries — form in late summer and feed birds in winter.

Dense summer foliage, along with a naturally rounded habit, make American cranberry bush a good hedge anywhere you need to add privacy or create a barrier.

American cranberry bush growing tips

• American cranberry bush handles a wide range of soils but does best in a moist, well-drained spot.
• To keep larger cultivars compact, prune after flowering finishes. Be patient, though — newly planted shrubs may not develop berries for a few years or until they’re well-established.

Birds that love American cranberry bush

• Cedar waxwing
• Grosbeaks
• Northern cardinal
• Robin

American cranberry bush key facts

Type Shrub Blooms White lacecap flowers in spring Light Full sun to part shade Soil Moist, well-drained loam; tolerates most types Size 8 to 12 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 2 to 8

Flowering crabapple (Malus spp. and hybrids)

Flowering crabapple is practically synonymous with spring, and for good reason: Blooms almost cover the entire length of branches, filling the warming air with sweet fragrance. Besides its striking spring look, flowering crabapple produces red or yellow fruit that matures in late summer to early fall, depending on the cultivar. This brings in all kinds of birds, such as the American robin, above. Plus, crabapple fruit hangs on reliably into winter for birds to enjoy as the fruit softens after each freeze.

Thanks to a range of sizes and canopy shapes, you can plant flowering crabapple trees almost anywhere — even in small yards. And since many cultivars have foliage that changes hues as it matures, plant where you’ll have a good view of your tree to watch the color show, as well as the birds that visit.

Flowering crabapple growing tips

• Flowering crabapple tolerates most soil types but prefers a slightly acid pH range between 6.2 and 6.8.
• For the most flowers and fruit, give these trees a spot with full sun.
• To keep trees tidy, always cut back sucker growth at the base of the tree.
• If you need to prune branches, do so in late winter or early spring.

Birds that love flowering crabapples

• American robin
• Bluebirds
• Blue Jays
• Cedar waxwing
• Thrushes
• Wrens

Flowering crabapple key facts

Type Tree Blooms Fragrant pink or red buds open white, pink or purple in spring Light Full sun to part shade Soil Well-drained, slightly acid Size 6 to 25 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

The easiest way to attract butterflies is to choose the right plants. Butterfly bush and butterfly weed are two of the most popular choices. (After all, they have “butterfly” right there in their names!) But did you know that yarrow, coneflower and bee balm attract butterflies as well? All of these plants offer nectar, butterflies’ main source of food.

Below, we’ll show you some of our favorite butterfly-attracting plant combos and help you design the perfect butterfly habitat. Read on, and in no time you’ll have a butterfly garden.

For more tips on how to design the perfect butterfly habitat, read our article [Five ways to bring more butterflies into your garden](https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/flowers-plants/bird-butterfly-friendly/five-ways-to-bring-more-butterflies-into-your-garden/).