We suggest some plants to attract butterflies...
Pollinators are essential to the ecosystem and, as everyone knows, they are in decline. Butterflies are one of them. By choosing your plants, you can help to improve the situation.
Some plants are more attractive to butterflies than others. Here is a selection that you can find in our garden centre.
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
An annual plant known for its use as a kitchen herb, dill attracts bees and butterflies while in bloom. It needs sunny exposure and moist, but well-drained, light soil.
Astilbe (Astilbe spp.)
A perennial with a shrubby habit, it likes a sunny position, but can also be planted in semi-shade or shade. It flowers in feathery, downy spikes from July to September. Its foliage can be green or reddish and its flowers white, pink, red, lilac, etc., depending on the cultivar. Very interesting for use in cut flowers.
Baptisia (Baptisia spp.)
A large perennial in the same family as the lupines (often called false lupine), baptisia has blue flowers in spikes and leaves with three rounded leaflets. It flowers in June and July. It tolerates dry soils, but thrives best with a little compost. It is one of the plants that deer and groundhogs don't bother with!
Blueberry(Vaccinium angustifolium)
A small fruit-bearing shrub that needs sun or half-shade and acidic soil, the blueberry attracts pollinators and is an excellent honey plant. For a better yield, it is recommended to plant two different species, even for self-fertile plants.
David's Buddleia(Buddleia davidii)
Nicknamed the butterfly tree, Buddleia is a shrub that produces purple flowers. It forms a generous bush and flowers abundantly from July to September. As well as attracting butterflies, it also attracts hummingbirds. It likes a sunny or semi-shady position.
Capucine (Tropaeolum majus)
An annual, full-sun plant with edible flowers, the nasturtium has round leaves that appear to float and flowers ranging from yellow to red. Some varieties have variegated foliage. It can be used in pots or hanging baskets.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)
A vigorous, easy to grow, highly decorative climber with a very fragrant flowering. The tubular, rounded or bell-shaped flowers are particularly popular with butterflies. Honeysuckle tolerates sun, but prefers part shade and rich, fertile, well-drained soil.
Coreopsis(Coreopsis spp.)
Requiring a lot of sun, coreopsis is perennial and can remain in flower most of the summer if the spent flowers are removed. Deer are not very interested in them, but they are very popular with pollinating insects and their seeds can provide food for birds in winter.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
There are several cultivars of Echinacea, which come in different sizes and colours (white, yellow, pink, red, orange). Their long flowering period from mid-July to mid-September is spectacular. Their corymbs are an excellent landing strip for butterflies. Very hardy and drought tolerant, they like full sun and do not require much maintenance.
Lantana (Lantana camara)
An annual plant with an abundance of brightly coloured flowers (white, yellow, pink, orange, red) with florets that can be plain or multi-coloured. Versatile, lantana can be used in containers, in the flower bed and also in hanging baskets. Known for its excellent heat resistance, it likes sun and soil that is more dry than wet. It is the plant of choice for creating a pollinator's paradise, with its sweet and abundant nectar.
True Lavender(Lavender angustifolia)
A very fragrant perennial, lavender likes full sun and a well-draining substrate. Warmth favours its flowering, which usually occurs in July to August. It can be used in infusions as a medicinal plant to relieve headaches.
Potentilla frutescente(Potentilla fruticosa)
A small, bushy shrub, the potentilla has a long flowering period, which can be white, yellow, orange, pink or red, and which can last from June to September. It likes well-drained soil and is easy to grow, tolerating poor soils.
Rudbeckia (Rudbeckia spp..)
Rudbeckias have the same requirements as Echinaceas and are also easy to care for. They flower for a long time, easily from June to September. There are annual and perennial varieties and the colours vary according to the cultivar.