7 Flowers for butterflies and pollinators in your garden

“The butterfly is a flying flower, The flower a tethered butterfly.” ~ Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun

Flowers make the world a better place! Flowers attract pollinators like butterflies and bees which can be vital to local ecosystems. Flowers also add a touch of aesthetic to your garden and can even add serious curb appeal to residential or investment properties! Flowers also improve our lives in immeasurable ways.

Imagine a peaceful morning breakfast in your home garden - the sun is rising gracefully, the spring temperatures are comforting, and the butterflies are lickin’ away at the yummy flowers in your garden! If you ask me, that’s one of the best ways to enjoy nature’s inexplicable beauty while also contributing to the environment in a positive way. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the best flowers for butterflies and pollinators. We’ll give you some insight into the top benefits of planting flowers for butterflies and get you excited for those gorgeous “flying flowers”!

Benefits of planting flowers for butterflies and pollinators

Planting flowers for butterflies and pollinators just feels good! Flowers are one of those things that buying only makes you wealthier - in ways beyond monetary measure. These are the top benefits of planting flowers for butterflies and pollinators in your home garden:

• Help with growing food: Many crops need pollinators to grow successfully. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, about 80% of the 1400+ crops we grow for food need pollinators. Growing butterfly gardens with flowers for bees and hummingbirds can help your local farmers grow crops more abundantly.

• Pest control: A lot of pollinators can help with controlling those annoying bugs. They eat these pesky bugs and can help save you the headache of losing valuable crops! For example, Lady Beetles eat aphids and some flies will munch on beetles and caterpillars. Wasps can even help eat the annoying bugs so keep that in mind if you are scared of them - try to observe them protecting your garden and pollinating your flowers!

• Quality time with family: Adding flowers for butterflies to your next landscaping project can be a fun way to spend time outdoors with family. Get away from that screen time and enjoy each other’s company - be truly present and mindful at the moment with the people who matter most to you! Each family member could pick their favorite flowers to plant and manage the responsibilities of that section in your garden. This is a great way to teach your kids responsibilities and gratitude for nature’s divine beauty.

• Improve outdoor aesthetics: Planting flowers for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds can be a great way to improve the outdoor aesthetics in your home. These pollinating flowers are beautiful and colorful additions to your outdoor space. The flowers themselves are stunning, but what really stops you in your tracks is how beautiful the pollinating animals are - lookout for unique butterflies with gorgeous colors!

Now that we touched on the benefits of these beautiful pollinating flowers, let’s get into a list of the top flowers for butterflies and pollinators: 

7 lovely Flowers for butterflies and pollinators in your garden

Mint

Mint is a perennial herb that flowers each spring! Mint is a popular plant to grow to make homemade tea. When mint flowers, pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds work their magic and ensure your perennial comes back the following spring! 

Snapdragon

Snapdragon attracts pollinators like bumblebees. It’s amazing how perfectly the two work together since bumblebees are large enough to open the flower. These beautiful flowers come in many different colors so you can get creative on your garden project Snapdragons are one of the best flowers for butterflies and other pollinators. There are perennial snapdragons which are lovely because they come back each year which can save you time and resources!

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are some of the yummiest flowers for butterflies and pollinators. They come in the perennial or annual form and can add a bright, beautiful touch to your garden. Another benefit of planting sunflowers is harvesting the seeds for snacks. Sunflower seeds are tasty and can have health benefits. 

Butterfly Flowers

Hence the name, this gorgeous plant is stuffed with nectar that butterflies can not resist! This plant is native to the U.S. Rocky Mountains and is commonly referred to as butterfly milkweed. These flowers are so successful at attracting pollinators that they named them the “butterfly flower”, so they make a great starter for beginner gardeners!

Sage

Unleash your inner hippy with sage flowers! Sage, often referred to as salvia, attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds! These pollinators can not get enough of the sweet nectar inside the sage flower. Sage is a useful flower to grow for food or even medical purposes. Sage is also drought tolerant which can be helpful to friends reading this article from arid climates. 

Lavender

Lavender is a beautiful purple flower that attracts pollinators. This is one of the best flowers for butterflies because the sweet smell is so attractive. Having lavender in your flower garden is useful to make homemade lavender shortbread cookies and other delicious treats. 

Daylily 

Daylily flowers have a cup-like shape so pollinators have an easy time getting up in there for some sweet lovin’! These pretty flowers look great all season and can improve the curb appeal in your home. 

These are some of the best flowers for butterflies and all your favorite pollinators. We’re passionate about gardening and making a positive impact on the environment - we’re glad you are, too! If you plant a butterfly garden, send us a photo so we can feature your garden in this article! 

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