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Butterfly Gardens: Native Plants for Common Butterflies

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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail photo courtesy of Flickr cc/John Flannery
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail photo courtesy of Flickr cc/John Flannery

Some common butterflies that you will find in the New York City area include Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Clouded Sulphur, Buckeye, Spring Azure, Monarch and Pearl Cresent.  Using native plants, you can create a garden that our native butterflies can't resist.  

Native Butterfly Host Plants

Trees and Shrubs

Botanical Name

Common Name

Betula
birch
Fraxinus
ash
Prunus
flowering cherries, chokeberry
Quercus
oak
Vaccinium
blueberry

Perennials

Botanical Name

Common Name

Antennaria
pussy-toes
Aster
aster
Baptisia
false indigo
Carex
sedge
Helianthus
sunflower
Panicum
switch grass
Scizachyrium
little blue stem
Viola
violet

Native Butterfly Nectar Plants

Trees and Shrubs

Botanical Name

Common Name

Amelanchier
serviceberry or spicebush
Clethra
spicebush
Rhododendron
rhododendron or azalea
Viburnum
viburnum

Perennials

Botanical Name

Common Name

Baptisia
false indigo
Coreopsis
tickseed
Echinacea
coneflower
Eupatorium
Joe-Pye weed
Helianthus
sunflower
Liatris
blazing star
Phlox
phlox
Rudbeckia
black-eyed Susan
Solidago
goldenrod
Veronia
ironweed

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  • NYBG Garden Navigator
    Use this resource to explore the NYBG grounds, including information about specific plants, bloom times, and garden features.
  • NYBG Garden Guides
    Guides from the Plant Information Office related to specific NYBG gardens, including their history, design, and current plantings.

Monarch Butterfly News

  • Journey North - Track Monarch Butterfly Migration

Noteworthy Books on Butterfly Gardens

  • Raising Butterflies in the Garden by Brenda Dziedzic
    Call Number: QM 544.6 .D95 2019
    ISBN: 9780228102250
    Publication Date: 2019-09-14
  • Butterfly Gardening by Xerces Society Staff; Smithsonian Institution Staff; E. O. Wilson (Introduction by)
    Call Number: QM 544.6 .B87 1998
    ISBN: 0871569752
    Publication Date: 1998-11-10
  • Butterfly Gardens by Brooklyn Botanic Garden Botanists Staff (Editor); Alcinda C. Lewis (Editor)
    Call Number: QM 544.6 .B88 1995
    ISBN: 0945352883
    Publication Date: 1995-09-01
  • The Butterfly Gardener's Guide by Claire Hagen Dole (Editor)
    Call Number: QM 544.6 .B877 2003
    ISBN: 1889538582
    Publication Date: 2003-05-28
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  • Last Updated: Dec 28, 2019 3:52 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.nybg.org/butterflygardens
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Subjects: Attracting Wildlife, Theme Gardens

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