Do you want an easy to grow flower that is a great butterfly attractor?
Buy some zinnia seeds. Joyful Butterfly has a great selection of seeds.
Zinnias are by far the easiest flower to grow, especially because they reseed and spread throughout the garden.
A while ago I purchased zinnia seeds from the Dollar Tree and was pleasantly surprised on how easy they were to grow and how many butterflies the flower attracted. After reading up on the zinnia, I found out that there are certain types you should plant in your butterfly garden. That type has yellow disk florets in the center, as the butterfly can sip nectar from this area.
I found a great website, Joyful Butterfly, that sells both plants and seeds. This is where I purchased my last batch of zinnias, zinnia elegans seeds, and they continue to reseed themselves quite a few times, and not in the same spot. They are now volunteering in other areas of the garden. It is definitely a plant that keeps giving.
It’s best if they grow in full sun, and really in any type of soil, as long as it is well drained. I have some in pots, and some in the ground. The one’s in the ground do much better.
One of the things I enjoy about gardening is the trial-and-error aspect of it all. Plant something here, plant something there. Plant this variety, or that. Some thrive, some shrivel up and die. Some give off lots of seeds, while others spread voluntarily. A garden becomes a work of art, as you continue to fill in the spaces and make it a butterfly wonderland.
Recently the plant of success has been the zinnia. This plant is incredibly easy to grow from seed and does not take too long to mature. It’s one that keeps giving, as well. The best part is it is doing well without our daily Florida rain, in the heat, nonetheless. I have found that they do best in the ground, though, and not so well in pots.
By far the best addition to the garden, the ever stunning, visited often, zinnia.
The polydamas swallowtail resting on a zinnia stem. It wasn’t until this year I began planting zinnia flowers by seed. I am so glad I did. This flower is a butterfly magnet and incredibly easy to grow. I have many guest-starters all over the garden from where the seeds flew.
It has been fascinating to watch how butterflies have dealt with Hurricane Idalia’s outer bands of rain and wind in my garden.
The polydamas swallowtail, gulf fritilary, monarch and orange-barred sulphurs have been constant throughout this storm. Every break in rain they fight the 20+ mile per hour winds and either lay eggs, or drink some nectar.
On the last walk outside, I found a gulf fritillary hiding deep in the vegetation of a zinnia plant. They definitely know where to hide and ride out the storm.
