Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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- Butterflies
Mississippi · Zones 7–9
Native Butterfly Plants in Mississippi
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 Mississippi and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 7–9 — proven performers for Mississippi's hot, humid subtropical climate across Gulf Coastal Plain & Black Belt prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Flowering Dogwood and Turk's Cap. 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 Mississippi
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 7–9 · see this collection in other states.
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
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
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
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
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
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Does both jobs of a butterfly garden — nectar and host leaves — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
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
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
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, and it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant, flowering as it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from; it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
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
23 more also qualify: New England Aster, Cup Plant, Short-Toothed Mountain Mint, Golden Alexanders, Buttonbush, Ninebark, Fragrant Sumac, Wild Lupine, Stiff Goldenrod, Creeping Phlox, New Jersey Tea, Spicebush, Blue Vervain, American Elderberry, Virginia Creeper, Common Milkweed, Common Boneset, Rattlesnake Master, Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Indian Grass, Pennsylvania Sedge, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Mississippi
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.