Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Illinois · Zones 5–7
Native Butterfly Plants in Illinois
Nectar and host plants that bring butterflies to your garden — and give their caterpillars something to eat once they arrive. For Illinois, the right natives are shaped by Central Tallgrass Prairie and a humid continental climate. Every species below, from Obedient Plant and Golden Alexanders to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Illinois and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
55 native species for Illinois
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from, and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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
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
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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
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
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant — it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant, and it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
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
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
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–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
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
31 more also qualify: Prairie Blazing Star, Scarlet Beebalm, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Cup Plant, Anise Hyssop, Maximilian Sunflower, Buttonbush, Common Yarrow, Sideoats Grama, Spicebush, New Jersey Tea, Blue Grama, Showy Milkweed, Common Milkweed, American Elderberry, Virginia Creeper, Purple Prairie Clover, Common Boneset, Stiff Goldenrod, Creeping Phlox, Rattlesnake Master, Ninebark, Blue Vervain, Wild Lupine, Fragrant Sumac, Pennsylvania Sedge, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Illinois
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.