Native Butterfly Plants in Washington

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 Washington and the wider flora of the Pacific Northwest and hardy through zones 4–8 — proven performers for Washington's wet maritime west, dry east climate across Puget lowland, Cascades & Columbia Plateau, not a generic list. Local standouts include California Lilac and Common Yarrow. 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.

6 native species for Washington

Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–8 · see this collection in other states.