Grow a garden that brings all the butterflies to the yard! Having plants that butterflies love not only improves your landscape aesthetic – it also provides a bolstering ecosystem for these beautiful creatures (which is extremely important because the monarch population is decreasing).

Improve your landscape design, beautify your garden with colorful plants all season long, and keep butterflies coming back for more with these highest-favored plants by butterflies:

Asclepias Tuberosa: No milkweed, no monarchs! Known as “Butterfly Weed”, Asclepias Tuberosa is great for attracting butterflies. In fact, Asclepias milkweed is the sole food source of monarch butterfly larvae. This perennial features narrow, glossy dark green leaves and bright orange flower clusters. It grows great in wildflower gardens and can get to be 1 ½ to 2’ tall. The best growing conditions include full sunlight with dry or moist soil.

Asclepias ‘Hello Yellow’: Similar to Asclepias Tuberosa, this perennial will make butterflies flock to your garden! ‘Hello Yellow’ features bright yellow blooms in the summer and requires the same growing conditions as the standard orange variety of butterfly weed. Try planting both varieties of Asclepias for a great color contrast!

Nepeta: An easy to grow plant, Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ is a Catmint perennial with clouds of blue flowers that are very attractive butterflies. It has an appearance similar to lavender with a height of 30”. Nepeta is a great plant to fill up space and let it go – they almost thrive on neglect and can grow well in a wide range of soil types.

Echinacea: Also known as Cone Flower, Echinacea are sturdy, colorful flowers – including colors ranging from pinks to yellow and orange. Along with its durability and color, Echinacea flowers function as a major butterfly attraction factor. This plant’s prairie heritage gives it the ability to withstand drought and heat and will grow well just about anywhere.