Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Apr through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
Nevada · Zones 4–9
Native Butterfly Plants in Nevada
Nectar and host plants that bring butterflies to your garden — and give their caterpillars something to eat once they arrive. Every species here is genuinely native to Nevada and the wider flora of the Great Basin and hardy through zones 4–9 — proven performers for Nevada's arid, wide day-night swings climate across Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, not a generic list. Local standouts include Autumn Sage and Desert Marigold. 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
15 native species for Nevada
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–9 · see this collection in other states.
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Mar through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Oct
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Easy nectar for visiting butterflies that blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant, and it blooms Mar through May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms May through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Flame Acanthus
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
Feeds butterflies and the caterpillars they hatch from, flowering as it blooms Jun through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Oct
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A butterfly nectar plant that blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
A landing pad and nectar stop for butterflies that flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
Nectar for the adults and a caterpillar host for their young, in one plant; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
A host plant whose foliage raises the caterpillars — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–20 in
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
A host plant whose foliage raises the caterpillars, flowering as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
A host plant whose foliage raises the caterpillars.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Nevada
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.