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Butterfly gardening
Planning your site
Knowing your environment
Nectar plants
Host plants
Laying out your garden
Choosing the right plants >>>
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Do not miss : Butterflies Go Free
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Butterfly gardening
Choosing the right plants |
This table presents a list of those plant species that are the most likely to attract butterflies to your garden.
Those perennials that are not hardy in the Montréal region (zone 5) are listed with and may be grown as annual plants.
| Latin name |
English name |
Nectar (N)/
Host (H) |
Perennial (P)/
Biennial (B)/
Annual (A)* |
Hardiness Zone |
Blooming Period |
| TREES AND SHRUBS |
|
|
|
|
|
| Buddleja davidii |
Butterfly bush |
N |
A* (non-hardy perennial,
even with protection) |
- |
July-September |
| Betula papyrifera |
Paper birch |
H |
P |
2 |
|
| Malus cv. |
Crabapple (resistant to scab) |
N/H |
P |
3 to 5 depending on cultivar |
May |
| Prunus pensylvanica |
Pin cherry tree |
H |
P |
2 |
|
| Syringa vulgaris |
Common lilac |
N |
P |
3 |
May-June |
| Ulmus spp. |
Elms |
H |
P |
2 to 5 depending on species |
|
| HERBACEOUS PLANTS |
|
|
|
|
|
| Achillea millefolium |
Common yarrow |
N |
P |
2-3 |
July-September |
| Anthemis tinctoria |
Dyer’s chamomile |
N |
P |
3 |
May-July |
| Asclepias curassavica |
Bloodflower |
N/H |
A* |
- |
July-September |
| Asclepias incarnata |
Swamp milkweed |
N/H |
P |
3 |
July-August |
| Asclepias syriaca |
Common milkweed |
N/H |
P |
3 |
July-August |
| Asclepias tuberosa |
Butterfly weed |
N/H |
P |
4-5 |
July-August |
| Brachycome iberidifolia |
Swan river daisy |
N |
A |
- |
July-September |
| Centaurea dealbata |
Persian knapweed |
H |
P |
3-4 |
July-September |
| Cleome hassleriana |
Spider flower |
N/H |
A |
- |
July-September |
| Coreopsis grandiflora |
Tickseed |
N |
P |
3-4 |
July-August |
| Cosmos bipinnatus |
Common cosmos |
N |
A |
- |
July-October |
| Dahlia cv. |
Dahlia |
N |
A* |
- |
July-October |
| Digitalis purpurea |
Common foxglove |
N |
B/P depending on cultivar |
4 |
July-August |
| Echinacea purpurea |
Purple coneflower |
N |
P |
3 |
June-September |
| Echinops ritro |
Small globe thistle |
N |
P |
3 |
June-September |
| Eupatorium maculatum |
Spotted Joe-pye weed |
N |
P |
2-3 |
July-September |
| Helianthus annuus |
Sunflower |
N |
A |
- |
July-September |
| Heliotropium arborescens |
Common heliotrope |
N |
A* |
- |
July-October |
| Impatiens walleriana |
Impatiens |
N |
A* |
- |
July-October |
| Lavatera trimestris |
Herb treemallow |
N |
A |
- |
June-September |
| Liatris spicata |
Spiked gayfeather |
N |
P |
3 |
July-August |
| Lobularia maritima |
Sweet alyssum |
N |
A |
- |
May-October |
| Lupinus cv. |
Lupine |
N |
A/P depending on cultivar |
3-4 |
June-September |
| Nicotiana x sanderae |
Flowering tobacco |
N/H |
A |
- |
June-September |
| Nicotiana sylvestris |
Forest tobacco |
N/H |
A |
- |
June-September |
| Pentas lanceolata |
Star cluster |
N |
A |
- |
May-October |
| Petunia x hybrida |
Petunia |
N |
A |
- |
June-September |
| Rudbeckia fulgida |
Orange coneflower |
N |
P |
3-4 |
July-September |
| Rudbeckia hirta |
Black-eyed Susan |
N |
A |
- |
June-October |
| Salvia farinacea |
Mealy sage |
N |
A |
- |
June-September |
| Scabiosa caucasica |
Caucasian scabious |
N |
P |
3-4 |
July-September |
| Solidago canadensis |
Canada goldenrod |
N |
P |
3 |
August-September |
| Tagetes tenuifolia |
Signet marigold |
N |
A |
- |
June-September |
| Tithonia rotundifolia |
Mexican sunflower |
N |
A |
- |
June-September |
| Tropaeolum cv. |
Nasturtium |
N |
A |
- |
July-October |
| Verbena bonariensis |
Tall verbena |
N |
A* |
- |
June-September |
| HERBS AND AROMATIC PLANTS |
|
|
|
|
|
| Anethum graveolens |
Dill |
H |
A |
- |
|
| Foeniculum vulgare |
Fennel |
H |
A |
- |
|
| Hyssopus officinalis |
Hyssop |
N |
P |
4 |
July-September |
| Petroselinum crispum |
Parsley |
H |
A/B |
- |
|
| CLIMBING PLANTS |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ipomoea tricolor |
Morning glory |
N |
A |
- |
June-September |
| Lablab purpureus |
Hyacinth bean |
N/H |
A* |
- |
August-October |
| Lathyrus latifolius |
Perennial pea |
N |
A* |
- |
July-September |
| Thunbergia alata |
Black-eyed Susan |
N |
A* |
- |
June-September |
| TROPICAL PLANTS GROWN OUTDOORS IN SUMMER |
|
|
|
|
|
| Lantana camara |
Yellow sage |
N |
A* |
- |
June-September |
|
* Non-hardy perennials grown as annuals.
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