Six versatile native host plants that support butterflies and moths at every life stage while providing nectar for bees and hummingbirds, seeds for birds, and creating a complete wildlife habitat from caterpillar to chrysalis to flight.
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias Incarnata)
Fragrant pink flower clusters bloom profusely in mid-summer, serving as the essential host plant for monarch butterfly caterpillars while attracting ruby-throated hummingbirds, eastern tiger swallowtails, great spangled fritillaries, and long-tongued bumblebees. This moisture-loving native supports the complete monarch lifecycle and provides nectar for diverse native bees including leafcutter bees and small carpenter bees.
Height: 2-5 feet tall
Sunlight: Full Sun to Part Shade
Bloom Period: Blooms August to September
Soil Moisture: Medium to Wet
Seeds Per Packet: Approx. 75 seeds per pack, covers 30 ft²
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-9
*Wet and cold stratification required. Mix seeds with moist substrate (vermiculite, perlite or moss) and place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 6-8 weeks. Sow seed at 1/8 inch depth. Do not let seedling dry out while it is establishing.
OR
Sow directly outdoors in late fall to overwinter.
Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum Leave)
Delicate lavender-blue daisy-like flowers blanket the plant in late summer and fall, providing critical pollen and nectar for specialist mining bees, sweat bees, bumblebees, and migrating monarch butterflies preparing for their journey south. This drought-tolerant native offers essential fall forage for chickadees and goldfinches that hunt insects among the flowers and later harvest the seeds.
Height: 3-4 feet tall
Sunlight: Full Sun to Part Shade
Bloom Period: Blooms August to October
Soil Moisture: Dry to Medium
Seeds Per Packet: Approx. 325 seeds per pack, covers 20 ft²
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-9
*No pre-treatment required. Sow seed at depth specified on packet. Do not let seedling dry out while it is establishing.
Boneset (Eupatorium Perfoliatum)
White fuzzy flower clusters bloom in late summer, attracting migrating monarch butterflies, eastern tiger swallowtails, short-tongued native bees, small butterflies, and beneficial wasps with abundant nectar and pollen. This moisture-tolerant native serves as a host plant for several moth species including the clymene moth, providing caterpillars that feed baby warblers and other insect-eating birds.
Height: 3-6 feet tall
Sunlight: Full Sun to Part Shade
Bloom Period: Blooms July to October
Soil Moisture: Medium to Wet
Seeds Per Packet: Approx. 150 seeds per pack, covers 40 ft²
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-8
*Cold, moist stratification required. Mix seeds with moist substrate (vermiculite, perlite or moss) and place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 6-8 weeks. Sow seed at depth stated on packet. Do not let seedling dry out while it is establishing.
OR
Sow directly outdoors in late fall to overwinter.
Golden Alexanders (Zizia Aurea)
Bright yellow umbrella-shaped flower clusters bloom in late spring, providing essential early-season nectar for mining bees, sweat bees, and small carpenter bees while serving as a critical host plant for black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. This adaptable native is one of the first nectar sources available to emerging native bees in spring when few other plants are blooming.
Height: 1-3 feet tall
Sunlight: Full Sun to Part Shade
Bloom Period: Blooms April to June
Soil Moisture: Medium to Wet
Seeds Per Packet: Approx. 80 seeds per pack, covers 15 ft²
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-8
*Cold, moist stratification required. Mix seeds with moist substrate (vermiculite, perlite or moss) and place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 6-8 weeks. Sow seed at 1/8 inch depth. Do not let seedling dry out while it is establishing.
OR
Sow directly outdoors in late fall to overwinter.
Dotted Mint (Monarda Punctata)
Unique tiered whorls of yellow tubular flowers with purple spots bloom from summer into fall, surrounded by showy pink bracts that attract specialist bees including long-horned bees, leafcutter bees, and the dotted mint bee (Hylaeus Modestus). This drought-tolerant native also attracts ruby-throated hummingbirds, monarch butterflies, and serves as a host plant for hermit sphinx moth caterpillars.
Height: 1-3 feet tall
Sunlight: Full Sun
Bloom Period: Blooms August to October
Soil Moisture: Dry to Medium
Seeds Per Packet: Approx. 200+ seeds per pack, covers 30 ft²
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-9
*No pre-treatment required. Sow seed at soil surface. Do not let seedling dry out while it is establishing.
Canada Tick Trefoil (Desmodium Canadense)
Pink-purple pea-like flowers bloom in mid-summer, serving as a host plant for eastern tailed-blue, hoary edge, and silver-spotted skipper butterflies while attracting bumblebees and long-tongued bees for nectar. This nitrogen-fixing native provides dense foliage that shelters nesting birds and supports caterpillars that feed baby chickadees, warblers, and other songbirds.
Height: 3-6 feet tall
Sunlight: Full Sun
Bloom Period: Blooms July to September
Soil Moisture: Dry to Moist
Seeds Per Packet: Approx. 50 seeds per pack, covers 20 ft²
Hardiness Zones: Zones 3-7
*Cold, moist stratification required. Mix seeds with moist substrate (vermiculite, perlite or moss) and place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 6-8 weeks. Sow seed at depth stated on packet. Do not let seedling dry out while it is establishing.
OR
Sow directly outdoors in late fall to overwinter.
