Wildflowers That Butterflies Can’t Resist

If you love to watch butterflies {and who doesn’t?} invite them to your home garden by growing wildflowers that butterflies can’t resist. Wildflowers are very easy to grow in a home garden. But on the flip side, be aware that wildflowers will also spread if you let them. Be prepared by giving them a lot of space. Now get ready to learn about the wildflowers that butterflies love best!

Butterflies love red clover! It’s technically a herb that many people enjoy using for herbal teas and medicinal purposes, so I’ve included it in this list. If you enjoy watching the butterflies and then using your own red clover for health reasons, you get the best of both worlds if you grow it in your yard. Red clover is of course, a perennial. It loves partial shade and will grow to be as much as 2-3 feet tall.

Wildflowers that attract butterflies include Bee Balm, also known as Bergamot. Bee Balm kind of looks like a messy Mum. They grow about 2 feet tall, and they like moist soil and partial shade. It is possible to grow them from seed, but it takes some time. If you can, purchase seedlings to speed up the time until you can enjoy watching the butterflies visit your Bee Balm flowers.

Black eyed Susan is a well-known variety of wildflower that attracts butterflies–monarchs in particular. These flowers grow from 1-3 feet tall. They bloom all summer and fall, and appreciate anything from partial to full sun. To prevent them from taking over, divide Black eyed Susan every 3 or 4 years. This will also promote healthier flowers.

Butterfly weed is fittingly named, because butterflies love it. However, it’s not actually a weed at all! It needs lots of sun and a spot in well-drained soil, and it will reward you by attracting numerous beautiful butterflies to its bright orange flowers when the summer sun is hottest.

Other wildflowers that attract butterflies include:

• Coneflower
• Aster
• Sweet Joe-pye weed
• Ironweed
• Blanketflower

Plant some or all of these wildflower varieties, and watch the butterflies flock to your garden!