08/22/2026
Published in The Gazette, Saturday, August 15, 2026
Year Round Gardening-Pollinator Host Plants
By Kim Snowdon, Colorado Master Gardener , Emerita
Photo Credit: Allisa Zurbuchen, Horticulture Specialist, CSU Extension El Paso County
"Don't waste your time chasing butterflies. Mend your garden, and the butterflies will come." (Mario Quintana)
As gardeners, we enjoy seeing bees and butterflies feasting on the spoils of our efforts. But their needs may not be at the forefront of our minds when we're making design or planting decisions. Native pollinators often have very specific habitat requirements to thrive in our planted spaces. While adult butterflies may be generalists and able to find nectar from a variety of flowering plants, their larval stage (the caterpillar) must eat certain host plants particular to their species. For example, the monarch butterfly lays its eggs on milkweed and only milkweed, the food source for monarch caterpillars. There are about 100 species of native milkweed, but monarch populations have declined by nearly 90 % in the past 20 years. Milkweed used to be found in abundance along edges of fields but has been greatly reduced largely because of farming practices. Deforestation has further reduced habitat for overwintering adult butterflies.
Many hybridized annuals and perennials have been bred for more dramatic flowers but often don't have the nectar that the original species did. So including some native perennials and shrubs in your landscape improves the chances that pollinators will find the food they're looking for. Include early, mid, and late season flowers to maximize their choices.
Early Season Flowers:
• Sulphur flower (Eriogonum umbellatum)
• Wallflower (Erysimum spp.)
• Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
• Blue Mist Penstemon (Penstemon virens)
• Pasque flower (Pulsatilla nuttalliana)
• Golden Banner (Thermopsis rhombifolia)
• Chokecherry (shrub; Prunus virginiana)
• Serviceberry (shrub; Amelanchier alnifolia)
Mid Season Flowers:
• Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
• Aspen Daisy (Erigeron speciosus)
• Blanket flower (Gaillardia spp.)
• Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus)
• Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii)
• Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
• Coneflower (Echinacea spp.)
Later Season Flowers:
• Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleomella serrulata)
• Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
• Spotted Gayflower (Liatris spicata)
• Aster (Xanthisma coloradoense)
• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
• Rabbitbrush (shrub; Ericameria nauseosa)
• Boulder Raspberry (shrub; Rubus deliciousus)
Host Plants for Butterfly Caterpillars:
• Painted Lady – Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Mint (Mentha spp.), Sage (Salvia spp.), Wormwood (Artemesia absinthium)
• Black Swallowtail, Anise Swallowtail – Dill (Anethum graveolens), Caraway (Carum carvi), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Wild Carrot (Daucus carrota)
• Red Admiral – Hops (Humulus lupulus)
• Cabbage White – Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.)
• Fritillary – Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)
More than 70 % of the world's flowering plants rely on pollination. Urban gardeners can play an important role in creating pollinator friendly places for bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators. Diversity of planting, in drifts rather than individual plants, gives native pollinators the best opportunity to find nectar. Avoid using pesticides and herbicides. Allow some patches of bare ground for nesting bees. Creating a diverse and healthy garden habitat will reduce troublesome pests, encourage a variety of pollinators and increase your own enjoyment of your thriving garden. Read more at: https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/butterfly-larval-host-plants/
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/creating-pollinator-habitat/
https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/attracting-butterflies-to-the-garden/
Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help
desk is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Visit elpaso.extension.colostate.edu and register for upcoming classes at epcextension.eventbrite.com.
