Butterfly Bonanza

One of the fun things about perennial gardening is that attracting butterflies doesn’t take a whole lot of effort. You can attract butterflies and add color to your perennial garden very easily. Cone Flowers, for example, are attractive to butterflies, and come in several different colors. Cone Flowers grow rather tall, so you may want to plant them near the back of your garden to keep them from overshadowing shorter plants. They are great for adding shades of pink, white and pale purple to any space.

Another butterfly favorite is the Aster. Asters can be found in pink or purple, and they also grow fairly tall. One thing to keep in mind with an Aster is that they are root-runners, so you’ll want to give it plenty of space to spread out when you plant it. One Aster can easily consume a four by four foot space from one spring to the next. If space is an issue, plant the Aster in a metal container, like an old wash tub, and then put the whole container into the ground. This will allow you to enjoy an Aster without having it take over your garden. Another neat thing about an Aster is that they bloom late in the year. So when everything else is done for the season, you’ll still have the Aster to look forward to.

Yarrow is another butterfly-friendly plant to consider. Yarrow can have white, yellow or pink blooms. The flower looks like a cluster-flower. Yarrow has foliage that resembles a fern. It grows pretty fast, but not nearly as fast as an Aster does. Yarrow makes an attractive addition to any perennial garden, and the butterflies love it.