The Butterfly Project NYC held a giveaway Saturday, and I scored these butterfly plants for 372’s garden! Native plants that give butterflies the nectar and/or hosts that they need are considered butterfly-friendly plants. Besides being extraordinary to observe, these insects are beneficial pollinators; gardeners want and need to attract them. I purchased the group’s Pollinator Curriculum Guide, which should help the science teachers craft garden-related lessons and give parents insights into butterfly gardening. Scroll down to see co-founder & programs coordinator Chrissy Word with me at the plant distribution in the Bronx. (To learn about each plant and see a picture of it, just click on the name.)
- Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamont)
- Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet honeysuckle vine)
- Aster Laevis (bluebird) Smooth Blue Aster
- Rudbeckia Lacinata Autumn Sun
- Little bluestem grass (bunchgrass)
- Liatrus spicata (Blazing star)
- Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)
- Geranium maculatum (Spotted Geranium)
- Pycanthomum muticum (Mountain Mint)
You can show your appreciation that Butterfly Project NYC’s supplied these hard-to-find plants for free, visit and like their Facebook page. Thanks! –-Denise Maher