Want to turn your landscape into a place that butterflies love to visit? Plant a variety of colorful bushes and shrubs known to attract the beautiful-winged creatures.
Butterfly bush, or Budleia davidii, is a favorite.
“Butterfly bush can be planted statewide any time of the year,” said Dr. Dave Williams, a horticulturist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. “Butterfly bush will flower in late spring and last through the summer. It is a permanent woody shrub that can grow up to 12 feet tall.
The shrub will not die back in the winter, but it can be cut back to keep it small. The shrub also has no serious pest problems.
Some good varieties of butterfly bush include Black Knight, Charming, Lochinch, Nanho Purple and Royal Red. Black Knight has dark purple flowers, while Charming has pink flowers. Lochinch has fragrant, lavender-blue flowers, Nanho Purple has small purple flowers, and Royal Red produces red flowers.
Lantana is another bush that attracts butterflies and can be planted in the spring. Although it is smaller and not as hardy as butterfly bush, it will flower from late spring through summer. This shrub can have pink, yellow, orange, red or a variety of solid colored blooms. It is most recognized for its yellow flowers trimmed in orange. Cultivars of lantana are compact and refined.
Planting annuals and perennials also will attract butterflies and complement the shrubs. Annuals such as zinnias, French hybrid marigolds, moss verbena, tithonia and cosmos are good selections and come in a variety of colors.
Perennials, such as thrift (creeping phlox) or purple coneflower provide lots of color for summer gardens. They will die back to the ground in winter.
Gardeners don’t have to rely on plants alone to attract butterflies. They can create a habitat for butterflies by including a moisture source and flat stones for perching and basking in the sun.
