How to Make Your Own Butterfly Planters

pentas flowers and monarch butterfly — Monarch on pentas flowers

Good butterfly gardeners know it takes both nectar plants for adults and host plants for caterpillars to draw the most butterflies to your yard. The wider the variety of host plants you have, the wider the variety of butterfly species you’ll attract. However, it doesn’t take a lot of space to bring in the butterflies. Even if you only have a space for a few pots on an apartment balcony or condo back porch, you can create butterfly planters that give pollinators everything they’re looking for all in one place. Try these container recipes and learn how to make an all-in-one butterfly garden planter.

Monarch Butterfly Planters

Narrow leaf milkweed plant starters for the garden butterflys — Narrowleaf milkweed plants starting in containers

Host plant: milkweed. Choose a variety that is native and available in your area.
Nectar plants: red and white pentas. In some areas of the country, this planter will also draw queen butterflies.

Black Swallowtail Planter

black swallowtail butterfly planters Jill Staake

Host plant: parsley
Nectar plants: Salvia farinacea (Mealy blue sage) and pink pentas

Get more tips to attract black swallowtail butterflies to your yard.

Giant Swallowtail

Host plant: dwarf Meyer lemon tree
Nectar plant: ‘Gold Mound’ lantana (eastern and southwestern U.S.)

Learn how to identify a giant swallowtail butterfly.

Painted Lady

april birth flower — Painted lady butterfly on daisies

Host plant: hollyhocks
Nectar plants: pink zinnias and purple verbena

Find out how you can support the painted lady butterfly life cycle.

Whites (Checkered, Cabbage, etc.)

Host plant: Spiderflower (cleome)
Nectar plants: purple and white sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima), yellow marigolds

Great Spangled Fritillary

Host plant: violets
Nectar plants: dwarf butterfly bush (Buddleia) and cosmos (any regions except deep south and southwest)

Meet the gorgeous great spangled fritillary butterfly.

Now that you have a general idea of how to create butterfly planters, do some research and learn which species of butterflies are found in your area. Then get creative and design your own combination. Remember that a wide variety of nectar plants can be used to benefit butterflies. Substitute those that are available at your local garden center and grow well in your area.

Next, check out the best monarch butterfly flowers you should grow.

Author

Jill Staake

During the 14 years she's written for Birds & Blooms, Jill Staake has relied on the expertise gained during her time as Assistant Curator of outdoor exhibits at the Museum of Science & Industry, Tampa. There, she helped grow gardens full of host and nectar plants for more than 20 species of native butterflies, raised from caterpillars to sh...