A painted lady on New England aster.
Gardening with native plants that are appropriate for your site is a great way to support butterflies, bees and birds. Include a diversity of wildflowers, grasses, trees and shrubs to ensure a buffet of pollen, nectar, seed and fruit.
Not sure where to start? Check-out this selection of native plants for Toronto and area gardens!
Here’s a list of some of the best native plants for gardens within the Greater Toronto Area and throughout Eastern Canada.
In addition, these common herbs attract and support butterflies and bees:
- Borage
- Dill
- Fennel
- Parsley
- Oregano
- Chives
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Sage
- Thyme
- Lemon Balm
Here is a short list of butterfly species found in the Toronto area:
- Mourning cloak
- Red admiral
- Painted lady
- Monarch
- Milbert’s tortoiseshell
- Silver-spotted skipper
- Black swallowtail
- American copper
- Clouded sulphur
- Cabbage white (non-native)
- Question mark
- Viceroy
Refer to Southern Ontario Butterflies and their Natural History by Jay Cossey for a longer list, detailed photos and lifecycle details. Visit iNaturalist.org for a more complete picture of butterfly (and other wild) species found in the Toronto area and beyond!
The Butterflyway Project
The Butterflyway Project is a citizen-led movement growing highways of habitat for bees and butterflies across Canada, one butterfly-friendly planting at a time.
Volunteer Butterflyway Rangers have connected with local schools, city agencies and homeowners to plant thousands of wildflowers in hundreds of pollinator patches, establishing Butterflyways in nine neighbourhoods and cities!
