If you have been thinking about establishing a butterfly garden in your own backyard, October is a generally great month to do this in the Houston area. October tends to be a mild month as far as temperatures go and we also see an uptick in rain. These two factors can really help your perennials get established before our first freeze comes. It is also the start of the Monarch migration and they will need fuel as they come through Texas.
When we are selecting plants for our butterfly gardens, the first thing that we like to keep in mind is sticking mostly to native plants. Filling your butterfly garden with native perennials means that 1. they are going to be able to handle the intense heat and drought that often finds us in late summer each year and 2. you will spend less money each year as the plants will last with basic care.
The second thing we like to think about is what kinds of pollinators we are looking to attract. If your goal is butterflies, you might want to choose a selection of host plants. Below is a list of our favorite host plants and the butterfly you can expect to stop by:
Milkweed – Monarch
Dutchman’s Pipevine – Pipevine Swallowtail
Passion Vine – Gulf Fritillary
Cassia/Senna – Sulfur
Dill, Parsley, Fennel, Queen Anne’s Lace – Eastern Swallowtail
In addition to having host plants, the list of native flowers below is where we tend to see butterflies of all kinds, bees and hummingbirds hanging out:
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Lantana
Buddleia
Salvia – we commonly see hummingbirds on our red salvias! We also love ‘mystic spires’ salvia
Porterweed
Turks Cap
This, of course, is not a comprehensive list of all possible perennials that do well in Houston; just some of our favorites! We would love to see what you are growing in your garden at home. Tag us on social media @readygrowgarden! Happy Growing!
