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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
Schizachrium    little blue stem                      
Viola violet

Native Butterfly Nectar Plants

Trees and Shrubs

BOTANICAL NAME   COMMON NAME
Amelanchier serviceberry or shadbush        
Clethra spicebush
Rhododendron  rhododendron and 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.
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    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

  • Book Cover 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
  • Book Cover 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
  • Book Cover 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: Nov 25, 2018 1:20 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.nybg.org/butterflygardens
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Subjects: Attracting Wildlife, Theme Gardens

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