Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Does both jobs of a butterfly garden — nectar and host leaves; it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Montana · Zones 3–5
Native Butterfly Plants in Montana
Nectar and host plants that bring butterflies to your garden — and give their caterpillars something to eat once they arrive. Montana sits in a landscape of Northern Rockies & Great Plains steppe, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cold, semi-arid character. The list below — led by Swamp Milkweed and Wild Bergamot — is filtered to species genuinely native to Montana and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 3–5. 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
45 native species for Montana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
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
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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
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
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
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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
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
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
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Douglas Aster
Symphyotrichum subspicatum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
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
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
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Does both jobs of a butterfly garden — nectar and host leaves; it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
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
21 more also qualify: Obedient Plant, Maximilian Sunflower, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Boneset, Sideoats Grama, Blue Grama, Ninebark, Showy Milkweed, American Elderberry, Purple Prairie Clover, Rattlesnake Master, Common Milkweed, Blue Vervain, Fragrant Sumac, Virginia Creeper, New Jersey Tea, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Montana
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.