Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Indiana · Zones 5–7
Native Butterfly Plants in Indiana
Nectar and host plants that bring butterflies to your garden — and give their caterpillars something to eat once they arrive. For Indiana, the right natives are shaped by Eastern Corn Belt Plains & oak savanna and a humid continental climate. Every species below, from Serviceberry and Trumpet Honeysuckle to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Indiana and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7. A real butterfly garden does two jobs: nectar for the adults and host leaves for the caterpillars. Flat-topped flowers make the best landing pads, and warm, sheltered, sunny spots out of the wind get the most visits. Tolerate a little leaf damage — those chewed leaves are the whole point, and a caterpillar today is a butterfly next month.
The plants
51 native species for Indiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Does both jobs of a butterfly garden — nectar and host leaves, and it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant — it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A butterfly nectar plant that flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
27 more also qualify: Common Yarrow, Black-Eyed Susan, Culver's Root, New England Aster, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, Prairie Blazing Star, Common Milkweed, Virginia Creeper, Purple Prairie Clover, Stiff Goldenrod, Wild Lupine, Creeping Phlox, Ninebark, Sideoats Grama, American Elderberry, Fragrant Sumac, Blue Vervain, New Jersey Tea, Rattlesnake Master, Spicebush, Common Boneset, Pennsylvania Sedge, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Indiana
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.