Good for: Butterfly garden

Scientific Name Common Name(s) Ground cover? Evergreen? Plant Form(s) Tolerates
Acer rubrum Red maple No No Large Trees Air pollution, Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought, Soil compaction, Urban environments, Wet conditions, Fire, Heat
Achillea borealis Common yarrow Yes No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Air pollution, Salt, Soil compaction, Urban environments, Mowing
Aconitum uncinatum Blue monkshood No No Herbs
Actaea racemosa Common black cohosh, Bugbane No No Herbs
Agalinis purpurea Purple false foxglove No No Herbs
Agastache scrophulariifolia Purple giant hyssop No No Herbs
Ageratina altissima White snakeroot No No Herbs
Ageratina aromatica Small white snakeroot, Lesser snakeroot No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Agrostis hyemalis Winter bentgrass, Ticklegrass No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Poor soil (sand/clay)
Allium cernuum Nodding onion No No Herbs Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Alnus serrulata Smooth alder, Hazel alder No No Shrubs & Small Trees Soil compaction, Dry soils/drought, Some foot traffic, Wet conditions, Heat, Fire
Amelanchier canadensis Canadian serviceberry No No Medium Trees Wet conditions, Fire
Amorpha fruticosa False indigo-bush, Tall indigo-bush No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay), Wet conditions
Andersonglossum virginianum Wild comfrey No No Herbs Poor soil (sand/clay)
Andropogon gerardii Big bluestem, Turkeyfoot No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Air pollution, Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought, Salt, Wet conditions
Anatherum glomeratum Bushy bluestem, Bushy beardgrass No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Air pollution, Allelopathic plants **, Wet conditions, Salt
Anatherum gyrans Elliott's bluestem, Bluestem, Broomsedge No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes
Andropogon virginicus Broomsedge No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Antennaria plantaginifolia Plantain-leaved pussytoes, Everlasting, Ladies' tabacco, Mouse ear, Plantain-leaved everlasting, Plantain pussytoes, Pussytoes No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Antennaria solitaria Single-head pussytoes Yes No Herbs
Apios americana Groundnut No No Herbs, Vines
Aquilegia canadensis Wild columbine, Eastern red columbine No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Salt
Aralia spinosa Devil's walking-stick No No Medium Trees, Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought, Air pollution, Urban environments
Aronia melanocarpa Black chokeberry No No Shrubs & Small Trees Salt, Soil compaction, Wet conditions
Aruncus dioicus var. dioicus Goat's-beard No No Herbs
Asarum canadense Common wild ginger Yes No Herbs Wet conditions
Asclepias amplexicaulis Clasping milkweed, Sand milkweed, Blunt-leaved milkweed No No Herbs
Asclepias incarnata var. pulchra Swamp milkweed, Swamp butterfly weed, Marsh milkweed No No Herbs Poor soil (sand/clay), Wet conditions
Asclepias syriaca Common milkweed No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly milkweed, Common butterfly weed, Butterfly weed, Common butterfly-weed No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Salt
Asclepias variegata White milkweed No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Asclepias verticillata Whorled milkweed No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Asimina triloba Pawpaw, Common pawpaw No No Medium Trees Allelopathic plants **, Fire
Baptisia tinctoria Yellow wild indigo, Horsefly weed No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Betula nigra River birch, Red birch No No Large Trees Air pollution, Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought, Salt, Soil compaction, Wet conditions, Fire, Heat
Carex lupulina Hop sedge No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Wet conditions
Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania sedge, Plantainleaf sedge, Plantain-leaved sedge, Seersucker sedge Yes Yes Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Mowing, Some foot traffic, Wet conditions, Dry soils/drought
Carpinus caroliniana American hornbeam, Ironwood No No Medium Trees, Shrubs & Small Trees Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought, Wet conditions, Urban environments
Carya glabra Pignut hickory No No Large Trees
Carya ovata Shagbark hickory No No Large Trees Allelopathic plants **
Carya tomentosa Mockernut hickory No No Large Trees Dry soils/drought
Castanea pumila Allegheny chinquapin No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought
Ceanothus americanus New jersey tea, Redroot, Mountain snowbell No No Shrubs & Small Trees Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay), Urban environments
Celtis occidentalis Common hackberry, Northern hackberry No No Large Trees Air pollution, Poor soil (sand/clay), Wet conditions, Salt, Soil compaction, Acidic soils, Alkaline soils
Cephalanthus occidentalis Buttonbush No No Shrubs & Small Trees Soil compaction, Wet conditions, Fire, Heat
Cercis canadensis Eastern redbud No No Medium Trees Acidic soils, Allelopathic plants **, Alkaline soils, Soil compaction
Chamaecrista fasciculata Partridge pea, Prairie senna, Common partridge-pea No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Chasmanthium latifolium River oats, Indian wood oats, Inland sea oats, Wild oats, Wood-oat, Northern sea oats No No Grasses, Sedges & Rushes Dry soils/drought, Allelopathic plants **, Salt, Wet conditions
Chrysogonum virginianum Green and gold, Golden knees Yes No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Chrysopsis mariana Maryland golden-aster, Maryland golden aster No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Wet conditions, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Cirsium pumilum Pasture thistle No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Comptonia peregrina Sweet-fern No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought, Wet conditions, Wind
Conoclinium coelestinum Mistflower, Ageratum, Blue boneset, Blue mistflower, Wild ageratum Yes No Herbs Wet conditions, Fire
Coreopsis verticillata Whorled coreopsis, Thread-leaf coreopsis Yes No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay), Salt
Cornus florida Flowering dogwood No No Medium Trees Soil compaction, Fire, Wind
Cornus racemosa Gray dogwood No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay), Urban environments, Wet conditions
Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington hawthorn No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought, Air pollution, Urban environments
Cunila origanoides Common dittany, Wild oregano, Stonemint No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Desmodium marilandicum Smooth small-leaf tick-trefoil, Maryland tick-trefoil No No Herbs
Desmodium paniculatum Narrow-leaf tick trefoil, Panicled tick trefoil, Velcro vine No No Herbs
Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's breeches No No Herbs
Diospyros virginiana Common persimmon, American persimmon No No Large Trees Wet conditions, Poor soil (sand/clay), Wind
Doellingeria umbellata Flat-top white aster, Parasol whitetop, Flat-topped white aster, Parasol white-top, Tall white-aster No No Herbs Wet conditions
Elephantopus carolinianus Carolina elephant's-foot No No Herbs
Elephantopus tomentosus Hairy elephant's-foot, Devil's grandmother No No Herbs
Epigaea repens Trailing arbutus No Yes Shrubs & Small Trees
Erigeron philadelphicus Philadelphia fleabane No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Salt, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Eupatorium hyssopifolium Hyssop-leaf thoroughwort, Hyssop-leaved boneset No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Urban environments, Salt
Eupatorium perfoliatum Boneset, Common boneset No No Herbs Wet conditions
Eurybia divaricata White wood aster Yes No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Eutrochium fistulosum Hollow joe-pye-weed, Joe pye thoroughwort, Joe-pye weed No No Herbs Wet conditions, Fire
Gentiana clausa Bottle gentian, Closed gentian No No Herbs Poor soil (sand/clay)
Helenium autumnale Common sneezeweed, Autumnale sneezeweed No No Herbs Poor soil (sand/clay), Wet conditions
Helianthus angustifolius Narrow-leaved sunflower No No Herbs Poor soil (sand/clay), Salt, Wet conditions
Helianthus divaricatus Woodland sunflower No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Hibiscus moscheutos Swamp rose-mallow, Eastern rose-mallow, Crimson-eyed rose-mallow No No Herbs Salt, Wet conditions
Houstonia caerulea Common bluets, Azur bluets, Quaker ladies No No Herbs
Hypericum hypericoides St. andrew's cross No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought
Hypericum prolificum Shrubby st. john's-wort No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought, Salt, Soil compaction
Impatiens capensis Orange jewelweed, Spotted jewelweed, Touch-me-not No No Herbs Wet conditions
Iris cristata Dwarf crested iris Yes No Herbs Some foot traffic, Dry soils/drought
Itea virginica Virginia-willow, Virginia sweetspire No No Shrubs & Small Trees Wet conditions, Dry soils/drought
Juglans nigra Black walnut No No Large Trees Dry soils/drought
Juniperus virginiana Eastern redcedar No Yes Large Trees, Medium Trees Dry soils/drought, Salt, Soil compaction, Wet conditions
Kalmia latifolia Mountain laurel, Ivy No Yes Shrubs & Small Trees Acidic soils, Soil compaction, Dry soils/drought
Lespedeza capitata Round-headed lespedeza, Round-headed bush-clover No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Lespedeza virginica Slender lespedeza, Slender bush-clover No No Herbs Dry soils/drought
Liatris pilosa Grass-leaf blazing star, Grass-leaf gayfeather No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Liatris spicata Dense blazing star, Dense gayfeather, Dense liatris, Marsh blazing star, Marsh gayfeather, Marsh liatris No No Herbs Poor soil (sand/clay), Wet conditions, Dry soils/drought
Lindera benzoin Spicebush No No Shrubs & Small Trees Wet conditions, Fire
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal flower No No Herbs Wet conditions, Salt
Lobelia puberula Downy lobelia No No Herbs Wet conditions
Lobelia siphilitica Great blue lobelia No No Herbs Wet conditions
Lonicera sempervirens Trumpet honeysuckle, Coral honeysuckle Yes No Vines Poor soil (sand/clay), Allelopathic plants **, Soil compaction
Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay magnolia No Yes Medium Trees Alkaline soils, Salt, Wet conditions, Soil compaction
Monarda didyma Scarlet beebalm, Oswego tea No No Herbs Wet conditions, Allelopathic plants **
Monarda fistulosa Wild bergamot No No Herbs Allelopathic plants **, Dry soils/drought
Monarda punctata Horse-mint, Horsemint, Spotted bee-balm No No Herbs Dry soils/drought, Wet conditions, Poor soil (sand/clay)
Morus rubra Red mulberry, Common mulberry No No Medium Trees Air pollution, Dry soils/drought
Ostrya virginiana Hop-horn-beam, Eastern hop-hornbeam, Ironwood No No Shrubs & Small Trees Dry soils/drought, Soil compaction
Subscribe to Butterfly garden