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Herbs That Attract Butterflies

Asked by:

George Brinkmann, Horticulturalist, Butterfly Pavi

Posted at:

January 26, 2025

I am looking for a source of herbs that provide nectar for butterflies. Presently, I have some herbs that have been successful, salvias and mints. If you have any suggestions that I could try, please let me know.
According to the Butterfly Gardeners' Quarterly (No. 8, Spring 1996), some herbs that attract butterflies are: borage, calendula, cornflower, fennel, sunflower, marigold, nasturtium, hollyhock, pleurisy root, echinacea, joe-pye weed, bergamot, nettle, milkweed, passionflower and black-eye susan. Some of these produce nectar but we do not know whether they all do. Among tropical plants that were mentioned are banana and ginger.
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