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
5 ratings

Friday - August 14, 2009

From: Atlanta, GA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Shade Tolerant
Title: Butterfly garden plants for partial shade in Georgia
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I have a patio that is brick with 2 small areas for planting. The area has partial shade and soil is moist and looks dense. Currently there is an Ivy Bush in the back left corner which I like and has started to climb the fence, several Hosta's and some Monkey Grass lining the space. I want to add some color and make the plant area more colorful. I was wondering if I could have a butterfly garden of some type with the partial shade that I have?? Also what other types of flowers would work? nothing tall though. Thanks!!!

ANSWER:

Absolutely!  You can have a very colorful butterfly garden and you can choose the plants yourself by going to our Recommended Species page and selecting Georgia from the map or pull-down menu.  You can then use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option to select criteria for your plants.  For instance, under GENERAL APPEARANCE, select 'Herb'; under LIGHT REQUIREMENT select 'Part shade' and under SOIL MOISTURE select 'Moist'.  When you scroll down the page for each plant you will see a section called BENEFIT which will tell you if the plant is a larval food or nectar host for butterflies.

Here are a few recommendations from Mr. Smarty Plants, but there are many more possibilities:

Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine)

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed)

Coreopsis auriculata (lobed tickseed)

Conoclinium coelestinum (blue mistflower)

Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)

Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox)

Stokesia laevis (Stokes' aster)


Aquilegia canadensis

Asclepias tuberosa

Coreopsis auriculata

Conoclinium coelestinum

Monarda fistulosa

Phlox divaricata

Stokesia laevis

 

 

More Shade Tolerant Questions

Plants for shady courtyard classroom garden in Weatherford, TX
March 27, 2007 - I am wanting to create an outdoor classroom area in the courtyard of my school. The courtyard is enclosed by all four sides and the building is two stories high. It does not receive much sunlight. Mos...
view the full question and answer

Native plants for small pots in sun in Austin
January 24, 2011 - Hello Mr. Smarty Plants! We are renting our house, so while we have a yard, the landlord would prefer us to only add plants to his landscaping in pots. I have filled some large ones, but have been una...
view the full question and answer

Plants to grow under pine trees in Riverside, CA
October 15, 2014 - Please tell me what plants would do well under pine trees in somewhat moist soil in Riverside, Ca. Also, I would prefer perennials that are easy to weed. (I currently have violets which are overrun wi...
view the full question and answer

Ground cover for a dry slope in PA
May 23, 2013 - My side yard is a slope with rocky (a lot of small serpentine rocks) soil under white and black pine trees. I can grow lots of weeds :-) but would like to plant a low (0-3in) evergreen ground cover th...
view the full question and answer

Enough sun from San Marcos TX
February 22, 2013 - I would like to plant both Lantana urticoides and Salvia farinacea in area that only has morning to 1pm sun..Will this amount of sun be enough?
view the full question and answer

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