Some perennials butterflies love

[ncgardengirl]

I've had some great success with bee balm attracting butterflies. What a showy perennial. It needs a good sunny spot to get established, but when it does.... I do try to plant this near a bird bath or water source as the butterflies will be more apt to rest in a place with both food and water.

I have some coreopsis planted in some containers that they really seem to love. Again, these are pretty near to a bird bath.

Gaura, specifically "Whirling Butterflies", attract both butterflies and hummingbirds. I have become a big fan of this perennial. Not only do they present these beautiful dainty flowers, but in the heat of the summer, they are usually crawling with hummingbirds.

[Newt]

Sounds like a really nice mix of plants. I'm sure you have a list of others you could use. Consider having a saucer of mud near your water source for them to go mud-puddling. The male transfers sodium he gathers from the mud to the female when they mate. If memory serves me it's only the males that are drawn to the mud.

Do you have any larval food plants for your butterflies?

Newt

[TraceyG]

a mud puddle, I did not know this.
Some wonderful advise thanks

[Mo Plants]

Perennials that attract butterflies fall into two categories, one that feeds the adults and the other that feeds the young. Some plants fill both roles.

Adult Food Plants These plants produce flowers filled with nectar accessed by a an adult butterfly's long tongue. This is the best selection of perennials for the garden.

Larval Food Plants Butterflies lay their eggs on larval food plants to ensure the caterpillar hatchlings will have plenty of leaves and flowers to feed on. These plants become caterpillar havens, which not only tatters the leaves but the larvae can travel to feed on other plants in your garden as well.

This list includes some of the most attractive perennials that are strictly adult nectar plants and do not support larvae:

Armeria meritima Common Thrift
Chrysanthemum maxima Shasta Daisy
Eupatorium greggii Joe Pye Weed
Penstemon hybrids Beard Tongue
Rudbeckia hirta Black Eyed Susan