Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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- New Jersey
- Butterflies
New Jersey · Zones 6–7
Native Butterfly Plants in New Jersey
Nectar and host plants that bring butterflies to your garden — and give their caterpillars something to eat once they arrive. Every species here is genuinely native to New Jersey and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–7 — proven performers for New Jersey's humid, four-season climate across Pine Barrens & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Swamp Milkweed and Serviceberry. 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
47 native species for New Jersey
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
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
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Does both jobs of a butterfly garden — nectar and host leaves, and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Does both jobs of a butterfly garden — nectar and host leaves, and it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
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
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 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
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
23 more also qualify: Dense Blazing Star, Arrowwood Viburnum, New England Aster, Culver's Root, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Blue Vervain, Common Boneset, Creeping Phlox, Virginia Creeper, New Jersey Tea, Ninebark, Stiff Goldenrod, Fragrant Sumac, Spicebush, American Elderberry, Common Milkweed, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Switchgrass, Indian Grass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New Jersey
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.