Attracting butterflies is a simple process. You need to have:
- A sunny location (at least 4 – 6 hours per day),
- A variety of native plants that provide nectar from spring to fall
- Native plants that are larval food for butterflies (for example, Milkweed plants for Monarchs, Pearly Everlasting plants for American Painted Lady)
- Roosting shelters (areas where butterflies can perch/roost, such as trees or shrubs)
Plants:
Our Pods have over 30 different species of native plants, 8 species of native shrubs and 4 milkweed species (common, swamp, whorled and butterfly flower) from our partnered grower:
Grange Hollow Gardens and Nursery.
The following table shows the variety of plants used in our Pods.
| Common Plant Name | Scientific Plant Name |
| Butterfly Gaura | Gaura lindheimeri |
| Great Lobelia | Lobelia siphilitica |
| Cardinal Flower | Lobelia cardinalis |
| Blue Vervain | Verbena hastata |
| Early Meadow Rue | Thalictrum dioicum |
| Turtlehead | Chelone glabra |
| Purple Coneflower | Echinacea purpurea |
| Gray-headed Coneflower | Ratibida pinnata |
| Black-eyed Susan | Rudbeckia hirta |
| Wild Bergamot | Monarda fistulosa |
| Bee Balm | Monarda didyma |
| Boneset | Eupatorium perfoliatum |
| Butterfly Bush | Buddleia davidii |
| Coreopsis | Coreopsis lanceolata |
| Wild Columbine | Aquilegia canadensis |
| Showy Goldenrod | Solidago speciosa |
| Spotted Joe Pye Weed | Eutrochium maculatum |
| Little Joe Pye Weed | Eupatorium dubium |
| New England Aster | Symphyotrichum novae-angliae |
| Primrose, Common Evening | Oenothera biennis |
| Showy Blanket Flower | Gaillardia pulchella |
| Cylindric Blazing Star | Liatris cylindracea |
| Spiked Blazing Star | Liatris spicata |
| Hairy Beardtongue | Penstemon hirsutus |
| Foxglove Beardtongue | Penstemon digitalis |
| Common Milkweed | Asclepias syriaca |
| Butterfly Milkweed | Asclepias tuberosa |
| Swamp Milkweed | Asclepias incarnata |
| Pearly Everlasting | Anaphalis margaritacea |
| Anise Hysop | Agastache foeniculum |
Moving forward, Butterfly Gardens of Saugeen Shores envisions the plants self seeding and spreading in a natural process to naturally blend in with the surrounding habitat of plant life.
Monarch Waystations:
Monarch Waystations are registered and certified Monarch butterfly gardens. Our goal from the outset was to have each of our gardens certified. A waystation is a Monarch Butterfly friendly garden that creates a habitat for Monarchs to have milkweed plants for its larvae and nectar rich plants for adults.
