Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Saturday - September 13, 2014
From: Chicago, IL
Region: Midwest
Topic: Butterfly Gardens, Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs, Trees, Wildflowers
Title: Butterfly Plants for Chicago
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
I live near Chicago, IL and am interested in planting a butterfly garden. Not sure when to start, but I want all native plants that would attract butterflies. Can you please let me know which plants to buy and when will be the best time to buy them?ANSWER:
The first place to go to find a list of potential plants for your new butterfly garden is our list of 353 native plants that are hosts for butterflies and moths of North America.
From here, select those that are native to Illinois by selecting your state from the “narrow your search” section on the left side of the page. This will select 185 that are native to Illinois. You can further refine the list by selecting specifics like your sun exposure, soil moisture level, blooming time and color, etc.
Early fall (while the soil is still warm) or late spring (after the soil has dried out a bit) are two of the best times to plant your butterfly garden plants.
If you would like to see a butterfly garden created with native plants, visit the Chicago Botanic Garden. They have a Native Plant Garden that has a specific section that is a habitat garden designed to appeal to birds and butterflies. The garden is an official demonstration site for Chicago Wilderness.
Also, there are five native plant suppliers listed for Illinois on our website. Scroll down and take a look at them when you have your plant list created.
Good luck with your new butterfly-attracting garden.
From the Image Gallery
More Trees Questions
Differentiating between red oak, Shumard oak and American sycamore
February 05, 2006 - I have a few trees growing in an arroyo and I'm pretty certain that they are either red oak, shumard red oak, or Texas sycamore. The trees are deciduous and have a scaled grey bark which becomes lig...
view the full question and answer
Quercus polymorpha botanical name for Mexican white oak
June 19, 2007 - What is the scientfic name for the Monterrey Oak?
view the full question and answer
Planting ornamental cherries in GA
February 18, 2011 - What is the correct way to plant ornamental cherry trees in N. Georgia Mountain clay soil? Which is the hardiest variety?
view the full question and answer
Japanese maple in New York
August 15, 2008 - I have a few questions: Do you know what zone Brooklyn, NY. is in? If I plant a Japanese Maple in my backyard, do you think it can tolerate almost full shade (1-2 hours of sun per day)? Also, is it...
view the full question and answer
Transplant shock in my Nuttall Oak tree in Moore, OK.
July 23, 2009 - I had a Nutall oak tree planted; it is 5 inches in diameter and about 24 feet tall. It was planted in March of this year, leafed out ok; now since June 20th I have had a large quantity of the leaves t...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |