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
Not Yet Rated

Friday - February 05, 2016

From: Round Rock, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Butterfly Gardens
Title: Making a perennial cutting garden friendly to butterflies.
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I would like to start a perennial cutting garden friendly to butterflies Where can I get a list of plants .

ANSWER:

Please visit our Special Collections page where you will find two links to lists of plants that are especially attractive to butterflies:

On both lists you can use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option in the sidebar to pick plants with your criteria.  Pick "Texas" from the SELECT STATE OR PROVINCE slot and "Perennial" from the LIFESPAN slot.  You can also narrow the results by using other criteria such as GENERAL APPEARANCE, LIGHT REQUIREMENT, BLOOM TIME, etc.

I chose several perennial shrubs that are native to Texas and will bloom in April:

and several herbaceous perennials native to Texas that bloom in September:

There are many more for you to choose from on the three lists.

 

From the Image Gallery


Cenizo
Leucophyllum frutescens

Barbados cherry
Malpighia glabra

Yellow bells
Tecoma stans

Eastern red columbine
Aquilegia canadensis

Butterflyweed
Asclepias tuberosa

Drummond's ruellia
Ruellia drummondiana

More Butterfly Gardens Questions

Creating a garden based on fragrance
May 04, 2012 - I would like to know which Fragrant Flowers are easy to grow and hearty for the climate i live in. Eastern part of washington state. Desert like in summer, warm summers.
view the full question and answer

Hardy plants for Oklahoma raised garden at Oklahoma school
February 12, 2014 - I am planting a raised flower bed with fifth graders. It will have a little shade in the morning and evening possibly. What plants are durable and can withstand OK summer heat. We will be planting ...
view the full question and answer

Butterfly gardening in Wood County, TX
February 11, 2009 - What food and host plants should be planted for butterflies in Wood County Texas.
view the full question and answer

Growth rate of non-native Asclepias curassavica
April 29, 2014 - As a volunteer at the National Butterfly center, I wonder how long from starting the seeds until the plant reaches approximately 20 cm tall does it take a tropical milkweed (asclepias curassavica) to ...
view the full question and answer

Butterfly plants for Austin
May 21, 2008 - Hummingbirds come to our Mexican honeysuckle early in the spring, and then come late in the summer when the Turk's caps bloom. We have rocky soil, and a fairly shady garden. What could we plant that ...
view the full question and answer

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