Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Missouri · Zones 5–7
Native Butterfly Plants in Missouri
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 Missouri and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Missouri's humid continental to subtropical climate across Ozarks, glades & prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Buttonbush and Cup Plant. 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
56 native species for Missouri
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
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
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–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
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from, and it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
32 more also qualify: Cardinal Flower, Obedient Plant, Flowering Dogwood, Purple Coneflower, Showy Goldenrod, Golden Alexanders, Culver's Root, Serviceberry, Butterfly Weed, Spicebush, Showy Milkweed, Purple Prairie Clover, Ninebark, Rattlesnake Master, Common Milkweed, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Blue Vervain, Wild Lupine, Sideoats Grama, Stiff Goldenrod, Virginia Creeper, Common Boneset, Blue Grama, American Elderberry, Creeping Phlox, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Pennsylvania Sedge, Indian Grass, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Missouri
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.