Butterfly Plants for Bucks County

Bucks County is rich with butterflies. Unfortunately the biggest problem facing all butterflies is the destruction of their habitats. It's not only in Mexico and the Brazilian Rainforest but it is also right here in Bucks County. The more meadows we dig up and the more shopping centers and strip malls we plant the less butterflies we will have. So it is important to include some butterfly friendly plants into your landscape design. I have included lists with the best choices for your area along with their blooming periods.
You don't want every thing to come into bloom at the same time. You need to offer a butterfly buffet for the entire season which in B.C. runs from April until November with the high point being between May and Columbus Day.

SUGGESTED BUTTERFLY PLANTINGS

PERENNIALS
Asters - late summer to fall
Bee Balm -Bergamot - summer through fall
Butterfly bush (buddleia) - mid-summer to fall
Butterfly weed - summer through fall
Coreopsis - all summer
Hollyhock - summer
Lavender - summer
Lupine - late spring to early summer
Mints- all summer
Passionflower – summer to fall
Phlox - all summer
Purple coneflower - late summer into fall
Salvia - summer into fall
Shasta daisy - summer
Thistles - late spring through fall
Violet – spring
White or Red clover - summer
Yarrow (- mid to late summer


ANNUALS
Alyssum - summer to mid-fall
Candy Tuft - spring to summer
Common Stock –spring to summer
Cornflower- summer
Cosmos - late summer to fall
Dianthus -spring to fall
Heliotrope (perennial in South) - late spring to summer
Impatiens -- summer through fall
Lobelia - summer into fall
Marigold - summer into fall
Mexican sunflower
Nasturtium - late summer
Parsley - green from spring to fall
Sage – summer to fall
Salvia - summer through fall
Scabiosa - summer through fall
Sweet William - summer into fall
Verbena - spring to fall
Zinnia - mid-summer to fall



BIENNIALS VINES
Black-eyed-Susan – summer to fall Wisteria
Red Clover - summer Trumpet Vine
Queen Anne's lace - late spring through fall Cardinal Climber
Sweet William - spring through early summer Dutchman Pipe



CONTAINER PLANTS FOR FULL SUN

Container Gardening extends the formal garden onto the deck and surrounding pool areas. Not only do they add very useful splashes of color where needed, but serve an important purpose for butterflies.


Center Middle Edge
Heliotrope Verbena Alyssum
Aster Snap dragon Vinca vine
Hibiscus Marigold Straw flower
Lantana Zinnia Portulaca
Pentas Nicotiana Gypsophila
Globe Thistle Dahlia Pincushion
Foxglove Stonecrop Violet
Lavender Thrift Pansy



HERBS FOR BUTTERFLIES

Herbs are as popular now as ever but unfortunately butterflies love them as much as we do. So added extra to you garden or containerize them for easier hand maintenance


HERB HOST PLANT TO:
Anise Black swallowtail
Basil Good Nectar source
Bee Balm Good Nectar source
Borage and Burdock Painted Lady
Parsley Black Swallowtail Also Caraway, Dill, Fennel, Lavender, Yarrow
Clover Sulphurs and Whites
Dock Coppers
Wild Ginger Pipevine
Hop Vine Tortoise Shell, Red Admiral
Hyssop (water) Good Nectar source
Marjoram Sootywings
Mallow Painted lady, Hairstreak, Skippers
Mints Gray Hairstreak
Mustards Orange Tips, Marblewings
Nasturtium Cabbage White, Spring Azure
Nettle Question Mark, Comma, Red Admiral
Pennyroyal Repels Deer Ticks
Plantain Variegated Fritillary, Checkerspots, Buckeye,
Rue Black Swallowtail
Sage Good Nectar source
Sassafras Spicebush Swallowtail
Thyme
Vervain Checkerspot
Violet Fritillaries




DEER RESISTANT - BUTTERFLY PLANTS

Ageratum
Anise Hyssop
Asclepias-Butterfly Weed -host plant for Monarch
Black-eyed Susan
Bleeding Hearts -host plant for Diana
Buddleia Davidii-Butterfly Bush
Columbine -host for Columbine Duskywing
Coreopsis
Cosmos
Delphinium
Foxglove
Ferns & Ornamental Grasses provide hiding places
Globe Thistle
Goldenrod
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes)
Mint
Monarda-Bee Balm - Great for Swallowtails and humming birds
Montauk Daisy
Oregano
Purple Cone Flower
Phlox -Moss Pinks
Sage - Garden, Meadow, and Russian Sage
Tansy- Dried leaves are great for detering ants
Verbena
Yarrow - host plant for Black swallowtails
Zinnia

TOP TEN BUDDLEIA
Buddleia or ' Butterfly bush' is probably the single best flower for B-flies

#1- Pink Delight - Pink
#2- Royal Red - Red
#3- Charming Summer- Pink
#4- Petit Plum - Pink
#5- Nanho Blue - Dull lavender
#6- White Profusion - White
#7- Black Knight - Dark purple
#8- Lochinich - Light pink
#9- Empire Blue - Lavender blue
#10- Opera – Pink

Alternatives to Buddleia Eupatorium maculatum (Joe Pye Weed) or E. fistolosum
and Caryopteris x clandonensis, commonly called Blue Mist Shrub.
Shade Plants for Butterflies

Partial Shade
Ageratum
Asters -May not get quite as large as their sunny cousins,
Catchfly
Columbine
Dill and Parsley are both good host for Black swallowtails
Dutchman's breeches
Foxglove
Daylilies
Dianthus- Some varieties do very well in the shade.
Globe Amaranth- gives a lot of color and nectar to the garden
Goldenrod
Impatiens
Lobelia
Marigolds - can do great with very little sun
Milkweeds Red-Swamp milkweed A. incarnata, Butterfly weed A. tuberosa
Monarda
Moonbeam Coreopsis
Nicotiana
Periwinkle
Pink turtlehead
Purple Coneflower
Rudbeckia
Salvia - Lady in Red
Shasta Daisy - Seems to do ok in partial shade.
Sweet Alyssum
Thyme
Violets

Full Shade
Bleeding heart
Shooting star
Ferns
Hosta
Plantain lily
Cardinal flower
Meadow rue