Nothing feels more like summer than seeing butterflies floating around a colorful Atlanta garden. And since Georgia is home to a number of butterflies like monarchs, painted ladies, tiger swallowtails, and black swallowtails, it’s relatively simple to attract them to your lawn. In addition to adding beauty to your outdoor space, they will pollinate your flowers and help sustain a healthy garden. Below, we’ve listed a few flowers that are known to attract butterflies so that you can share your garden with these creatures.
Zinnias – In addition to being hardy and drought-tolerant, zinnias have tall stems and bright colors that attract butterflies of many types.
Verbenas – Butterflies love the purple blooms of this easy-to-grow plant with a long blooming period.
Butterfly Bushes – Though these bushes do not provide food for caterpillars, mature butterflies love their nectar. Make sure to remove any dead flowers, as this will encourage new growth.
Sunflowers – Caterpillars and butterflies alike feed off these big summer blooms. A quintessential summer plant, sunflowers love full sunlight and hot temperatures.
Daisies – The daisy is another low-maintenance plant that loves the sun. In addition to attracting butterflies, they’re a beautiful addition to summertime bouquets.
Black-eyed Susans – Bees and butterflies alike are attracted to black-eyed Susans. They are easy to pollinate and will generally bloom until October.
Lantanas – Lantanas appear in a variety of colors, and butterflies are enticed by their pink, yellow, and orange blooms. Lantana is also a hardy plant that thrives in hot weather.
And here are a few other tips to keep in mind. Butterflies feed in the sun, so planting these flowers in an area that receives morning or afternoon sun is ideal. It’s a good idea to make sure you include plants that caterpillars eat, too, to sustain your butterfly population. These include cherry trees, willow trees, blueberry bushes, and milkweed.
We think a colorful garden can make a big impact on the overall aesthetic of your lawn. And if you include these bright blooms, you’ll likely enjoy some pretty butterflies all summer long.