If you’re shopping for end-season bargains to attract butterflies next spring through fall, here are a few perennials to consider:
- Aster/Michaelmas Daisy (Aster spp.)
- Bee balm (Monarda didyma)
- Black-eye Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)
- Butterly bush (Buddleia spp.)
- Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
- Cape Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata)
- Catnip (Nepeta mussinii)
- Ceanothus (Ceanothus spp.)
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
- Coreposis (Coreopsis spp.)
- Gaillardia/Blanket flower (Gaillardia grandifola)
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- Liatris (Liatris spp.)
- Phlox(Phlosx spp.)
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- Scabiosa (Scabiosa atropurpurea)
- Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina)
Most of these nectar plants grow well in California. For more choices within your zone, check with a local nursery or master gardener office.