Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Arkansas · Zones 6–8
Native Butterfly Plants in Arkansas
Nectar and host plants that bring butterflies to your garden — and give their caterpillars something to eat once they arrive. For Arkansas, the right natives are shaped by Ozark Highlands & Mississippi Alluvial Plain and a humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Showy Goldenrod and Spotted Joe-Pye Weed to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Arkansas and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–8. A real butterfly garden does two jobs: nectar for the adults and host leaves for the caterpillars. Flat-topped flowers make the best landing pads, and warm, sheltered, sunny spots out of the wind get the most visits. Tolerate a little leaf damage — those chewed leaves are the whole point, and a caterpillar today is a butterfly next month.
The plants
56 native species for Arkansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Does both jobs of a butterfly garden — nectar and host leaves, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
32 more also qualify: Aromatic Aster, Serviceberry, Black-Eyed Susan, Buttonbush, Swamp Milkweed, Woodland Phlox, Anise Hyssop, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Purple Coneflower, Rattlesnake Master, Common Boneset, Purple Prairie Clover, Showy Milkweed, New Jersey Tea, Wild Lupine, Blue Vervain, Ninebark, Fragrant Sumac, Spicebush, Virginia Creeper, Creeping Phlox, American Elderberry, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Milkweed, Blue Grama, Sideoats Grama, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Big Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Arkansas
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.