Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
1 rating

Monday - February 11, 2008

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Butterfly Gardens
Title: Native plants for a school butterfly garden
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

My son's school is having a beautification work day and one of the projects is a butterfly garden. Parents are being asked to donate plants, and we would like to suggest appropriate plants for this area (Austin). Could you give us a list of suggestions?

ANSWER:

Here is a list of appropriate butterfly-attracting plants for Texas. We are going to make you a customized list of plants we like for this purpose and believe will do well in the Central Texas area. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is dedicated to the use, care and propagation of plants native to North America. Being native, these plants will require less water, fertilizer and be better able to cope with the temperatures of the area for which they are selected.

By clicking on the links for each plant in our list, you will be able to read about that plant, its needs for sun, and some of the butterflies or moths it will attract. Many of these may be available in area nurseries, or you can go to our Native Plant Supplier list for Texas. This gives you a list of 37 nurseries in Texas that specialize in native plants, of which several are in the Austin area. Most have phone numbers so you can call them and determine if they have what you are looking for before you make the trip. These plants are all perennials, and should return each year.

Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine)

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed)

Callirhoe involucrata (purple poppymallow)

Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper)

Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower)

Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas barometer bush)

Penstemon cobaea (cobaea beardtongue)

Phyla nodiflora (turkey tangle fogfruit)

Rhus lanceolata (prairie sumac)

Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (blackeyed Susan)

Tecoma stans (yellow trumpetbush)

Wedelia texana (hairy wedelia)


Aquilegia canadensis

Asclepias tuberosa

Callirhoe involucrata

Campsis radicans

Echinacea purpurea

Leucophyllum frutescens

Penstemon cobaea

Phyla nodiflora

Rhus lanceolata

Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima

Tecoma stans

Wedelia texana

 

 

More Butterfly Gardens Questions

Butterfly garden in Austin
May 28, 2008 - I am located in North Central Austin, and just bought a house with a large back yard. One half is shade-part sun, and the other half is full sun. The shade from three large (55-60) foot trees. I am...
view the full question and answer

Growing Green milkweed vine from seed
July 29, 2015 - I was given some seed for the pearl milkweed vine which I intend to plant, but I can find no information on whether to stratify or scarify them or just plant them. I know some milkweeds require strati...
view the full question and answer

Plants for attracting butterflies in Austin
April 28, 2012 - My 9 year-old son is interested in finding butterfly eggs this Spring. His 3rd grade class is studying butterflies right now. I found a Wildflower Center article that lists several plants butterflie...
view the full question and answer

Pollinators for Washington State
June 26, 2015 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I am removing invasive knotweed in the Pacific Northwest and I would like to provide native plant alternatives that would flower and provide pollen in the late summer/fall f...
view the full question and answer

Plant that attracts butterflies, perhaps?
October 06, 2014 - What is that one plant/flower in your Center that attracts wildflowers like crazy? It's got a cute name, not a Latin or Scientific name. I have the plant, but don't know how to make it spread.
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.