Best flowering shrubs to attract butterflies to your garden

Butterflies with their elegant and delicate wings add a touch of whimsy to your garden. One of the best ways to invite butterflies into your garden is by introducing flowering bushes and shrubs.

You don’t need to plant acres of shrubs to your terrain, just a small amount of space is necessary to provide what they require. Early spring to summer is usually when your shrubs will start to produce flowers that are a haven for butterflies.

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Here are 3 shrubs to include in your garden to attract butterflies:

River Indigo (Indigofera Jucunda)

Best grown in warm climates with ample humidity, river indigo bush shrubs are a favourite in the garden. Butterflies are attracted to the natural blue/indigo colours produced by the shrub. Under the right growing conditions, your river indigo bush shrub will start showing flowering blooms in around 2 to 3 weeks.

Buttonbush shrubs (Berzelia lanuginosa)

Buttonbush plants are native to wetlands, which means they thrive in moist areas. It’s important to plant them along the edges of ponds or in your garden near streams. They require moisture to bloom, usually around summertime.

The ping-pong-size blooms of the buttonbush are covered with white flower clusters, making it easy for pollination to occur. These clusters attract a variety of butterflies, but the tiger swallowtail butterflies are most commonly drawn to them.

African Dogwood shrubs (Rhamnus prinoides)

These shrubs are admired for their big, bold blossoms comprised of petal-like bracts that appear on the bare branches in spring. Dogwood shrubs grow fast and provide year-round garden interest with spring flowers, summer berries, and autumn colours.

Flowering of the Rhamnus prinoides takes place in spring and summer with colours ranging from white to pink to red. The shrubs generally bloom for about two to four weeks in spring. Although they can tolerate shade growing, it is preferred to grow these shrubs in full sunlight to attract more butterflies.

The ideal shrubs for attracting butterflies will vary based on your location and the soil conditions in your garden.

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