5 Fantastic Flowers For A Simple Potted Butterfly Garden

If you are anything like me, when a butterfly shows up in the garden you drop everything to go stare at it in awe and wonder.  I am literally obsessed with these ethereal beings.  Butterfly sightings in my garden were rare until I started including more flowers that butterflies absolutely love! In this article I am recommending five fantastic flowers for a simple potted butterfly garden that will keep butterflies coming back again and again!

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Note: This is by no means a comprehensive list.  There are tons of flowers out there that butterflies love.  With that said, these five flowers are a great starting point for your potted butterfly garden.

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’

Firstly, if you want to create a potted butterfly garden, Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’ is a great place to start! This charming perennial pincushion is so incredibly easy to grow and blooms all season long and into winter in my zone 8b.  Butterflies flock to Scabiosa columbaria and so do the bees. Zoned 4-8, they grow great in pots in a full sun location. Be sure to deadhead often to keep the blooms coming.

Zinnia

Next, no potted butterfly garden is complete without zinnias.  An easy to grow full sun loving annual, zinnias are butterfly magnets. Luckily for us, zinnas are also super easy to grow in a pot! Stick to a three gallon pot or larger because these plants can get pretty big!   The best, tallest, varieties come from seed and they are super easy to start! Zinnias need the warmth of summer so don’t plant them too early or they could outgrow their starter pots when it is still cold outside.

One downside to zinnias is a susceptibility to powdery mildew.  You can try to treat it but it is difficult to completely eradicate it. Instead of limping along diseased plants, I succession sow to keep the fresh blooms coming. 

Dahlia

Thirdly, this year I realized that no potted butterfly garden is complete without open centered dahlias.  My potted dahlias are a hub of butterfly activity!  I was bemoaning the fact that my ball shaped dahlias were blooming with open centers, until I realized that the butterflies ADORE them! Dahlias can be grown in any zone, but are only winter hardy in zones 8-11.  I wrote an article all about growing dahlias in pots HERE.

Verbena

Verbena is the perfect addition to the potted butterfly garden. I have had butterflies flock to Verbena bonariensis (zone 7-11) as well as Verbena hybrids (zone 8-11).  Both do fantastic in pots and I have grown them for many years.  If you grow Proven Winners Superbena varieties you do not even have to worry about deadheading.  Verbena loves full sun but can also take part shade. 

Cosmos

Lastly, no potted butterfly garden is complete without cosmos. These are easy to grow annuals that can be started from seed or purchased in six packs at your local nursery.  I have found the ‘Bright Lights’ Cosmos sulphureus to be especially good at attracting butterflies, but any variety will work.  The taller varieties need a larger pot, even up to 5 gallon.  If you live in a hot windy area be aware that the tall varieties can get top heavy in their pots and blow over. 

Container Gardening Care Tips

Taking care of your potted butterfly garden is super easy! Remember to choose a good quality potting mix (I swear by FoxFarm Ocean Forest). Don’t use dirt from your backyard! All of these plants love full sun and if they don’t get that you will see less blooms and the plants will be spindly. Also, choose as large a pot as you can fit and afford, especially if you are planting more than one plant per pot. If you can set your garden up on a drip watering system you will thank yourself later. Otherwise, be prepared to water daily in the heat of summer. Check out THIS POST to learn all about helping your garden survive through summer.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I would love to have you join my community on Instagram! Are you planning to start a potted butterfly garden this year? I would love to know so comment below!

Happy Gardening,

Heather

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