Need Ideas on plants for a butterfly garden

[empireo22]

Hello! I need some help on picking plants for a butterfly garden that will be surrounding 2 gazebos. The garden is in Palm Bay in central florida zone 9b and I need flowering shrubs and flowers possibly a vine and im open to any ideas.

Thanks in advance.

[Benjamin D.]

Butterflies and hummingbirds love Anisicacanthus wrightii. Here in Texas it dies back every winter but I checked and it probably won't for you. This is a plant that has produced several "volunteers". Some say it spreads too much but that has not been my experience.

Gulf fritillaries love Passiflora incarnata, but this one is weedy. Maybe there are other Passifloras that could live in Florida that aren't as much so.

[empireo22]

Thank you Benjamin for your ideas. I will look into these plants. If you have any more ideas let know.

the garden will be planted in a school courtyard and I think Anisacanthus wrightii could work well.

[paulgila]

palms!

[Karen]

Go to this web site: thegardenhelper.com/butterflyflowers.html

They have a long list of flowers that attract butterflies that includes botanic & common names, descriptions & USDA zones. If you click on a plant name, it gives more info & includes photos of the plant.

One of the best here in Hilo's zoo is the Buddeleia - the butterfly bush!

Sounds like a fun project!

Aloha, Karen

[Kim]

One of the easiest and brightest I've ever grown was Asclepias currassavica. Check to make sure it's not an invasive weed before you plant. It tends to re-seed prolifically in dry California, which was a bonus, but might not be in other climates. It was so cool to watch Monarchs hatch from their crystalline cocoons hanging off the stems of the plant. Any of the milkweeds are butterfly magnets.

[MattyB]

Passiflora generally attract butterflies here in CA

[Steve the palmreader]

if hummingbirds are around they love bottlebrush shrubs

[Cindy Adair]

You might enjoy this link http://www.viveroanones.com/ where you can click on the butterfly section for lots of good plant information and photos. I know the owner and she's passionate about butterflies. Have fun!

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I went to a nice presentation last night about Florida natives and butterflies. They have a good selection of SoFla natives but some also from central & north Florida.

http://nativechoicenursery.com/dsp_plantList_learn_native_plants.php

A nice website too. One thing she (Susan, at the nursery) said was that the non-native milkweed attracts a lot of butterflies but is not that good for them. http://www.floridanativenurseries.org/info/why-plant-native/save-our-monarchs-plant-native-milkweed/

So if you can find the native stuff it would be more better.

[empireo22]

Thanks everyone for your help. Looks like I will have plenty of resources to select from.

I will keep everyone posted.

Thank you

[Eric in Orlando]

TREES

Callistemon citrinus- Lemon Bottlebrush NECTAR

Callistemon viminalis- Weeping Bottlebrush NECTAR

Caesalpinia mexicana- Mexican Poinciana NECTAR

Cassia fistula- Golden Shower Tree- LARVAL & NECTAR

Cassia leptophylla- Gold Medallion Tree- LARVAL & NECTAR

Cassia surratensis- Glaucous Cassia Tree- LARVAL & NECTAR

Citrus ssp.- Citrus trees LARVAL

Magnolia virginiana var. australis- Sweetbay LARVAL

Senna surratensis-Scrambled Egg Tree- LARVAL & NECTAR

Vitex agnus-castus- Chaste Tree NECTAR (the cultivar 'Shoal Creek' is best for central and south FL)

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis- Hercules Club LARVAL

Zanthoxylum fagara- Wild Lime LARVAL

SHRUBS

Abelia x grandiflora- Glossy Abelia NECTAR

Buddleia davidii- Butterfly Bush NECTAR (grow as an annual)

Buddleia madagascariensis- African Butterfly Bush NECTAR

Calliandra emarginata- Dwarf Powderpuff NECTAR

Callicarpa americana- Beautyberry NECTAR

Calotropis gigantea- Crown Plant LARVAL & NECTAR

Clerodendrum bungei NECTAR

Clerodendrum paniculatum- Pagoda Flower NECTAR

Clerodendrum specciosissimum- Java Glory bower NECTAR

Duranta erecta- Golden Dewdrop NECTAR

Gamolepis chrysanthemoides- African Bush Daisy NECTAR

Hamelia patens- Firebush NECTAR

Jatropa integerrima- Spicy Jatropha NECTAR

Jatropha multifida- Coral Jatropha NECTAR

Jatropha podagrica- Gout Plant NECTAR

Justicia brandegeeana- Shrimp Plant NECTAR

Lantana camara- Lantana NECTAR

Lantana montevidensis- Trailing Lantana NECTAR

Pentas lanceolata- Starflower NECTAR

Plumbago auriculata- Blue Cape Plumbago NECTAR

Salvia ssp. NECTAR

Senna alata- Candle Bush LARVAL & NECTAR

Senna bicapsularis LARVAL & NECTAR

Senna mexicana var. chapmanii (=Cassia bahamensis) LARVAL & NECTAR

Sophora tomentosa- Necklacepod LARVAL & NECTAR

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis- Purple Porterweed NECTAR

Stachytarpheta mutabilis- Pink Porterweed NECTAR

Stachtarpheta rubra- Red Porterweed NECTAR

Stachytarpheta urticifolia- Blue Porterweed NECTAR

HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS & ANNUALS

Anethum graveolens- Dill LARVAL

Asclepias curassivica.- Scarlet Milkweed LARVAL & NECTAR

Bidens pilosa- Spanish Needles NECTAR

Canna x generalis- Canna LARVAL & NECTAR

Carica papaya- Papaya LARVAL & NECTAR

Coreopsis ssp. NECTAR

Echinaceae purpurea- Coneflower NECTAR

Foeniculum vulgare- Fennel LARVAL

Helianthus ssp.- Sunflower NECTAR

Lycopersicon esculentum- Tomato LARVAL

Pastinaca sativa- Parsley LARVAL

Monarda punctata- Horsemint NECTAR

Phlox ssp.- NECTAR

Rudebeckia ssp.- NECTAR

Ruellia carolinianus.- Ruellia NECTAR

Salvia ssp. NECTAR

Stokesia laevis- Stoke’s Aster NECTAR

Tagetes ssp.- Marigold NECTAR

Tithonia ssp. NECTAR

Verbena ssp. NECTAR

VINES

Aristolochia elegans- Calico Vine LARVAL

Aristolochia gigantea LARVAL

Aster carolinianus- Climbing Aster NECTAR

Passiflora incarnata- Maypop Vine LARVAL & NECTAR

Passiflora suberosa LARVAL

Passiflora x ‘Blue Boutique’ LARVAL & NECTAR

Passiflora x ‘Incense’ LARVAL & NECTAR

Senecio confusus- Flame Vine NECTAR

[BigBpalms]

any of the milk weeds are a great choice

[gsytch]

Any of the Justicias, and Shrimp plant families, always attract many butterflies to my garden. I also plant Zinnias in spring, and during summer the butters are everywhere on them. My Rangoon Creeper also attracts them, and it is a vigorous vine to say the least. I am also Zone 9b *although most winters low 10a. Greg