Here’s some butterfly-attracting plants to consider for your Adelaide home.
| Common name | Scientific name | Good for coastal gardens*? |
|---|---|---|
| Coast bitterbush | Adriana quadripartita | Yes |
| Common everlasting | Chrysocephalum apiculatum | Yes |
| Satin everlasting | Helichrysum leucopsidium | Yes |
| Austral trefoil | Lotus australis | Yes |
| Drooping sheoak | Allocasuarina verticillata | Yes |
| Sticky hop-bush | Dodonaea viscosa | Yes |
| Ruby saltbush | Enchylaena tomentosa | Yes but could also consider climbing saltbush (Einadia nutans). |
| Twiggy bush-pea | Pultenea largiflorens | No |
| Twiggy daisy bush | Olearia ramulosa | No |
| Creeping boobialla | Myoporum parvifollum | Yes |
| Pale fanflower | Scaevola albida | No – consider the alternative cushion fanflower (Scaevola crassifolia). |
| Running postman | Kennedia prostrata | Yes |
| Kangaroo grass | Themeda triandra | No – consider a plant named after a similar animal, wallaby grass (Austrodanthonia spp.). |
| Common tussock-grass | Poa labillardieri | Yes |
| Knobby club-rush | Ficinia nodosa | Yes |
*Note: Coastal gardens are those within 5 kilometres of the coast.
For full details about these plants, visit the Adelaide gardens planting guide. Live within 5 km of the coast? Check out the coastal gardens planting guide instead.
Just beginning your gardening journey? Head to our gardening hub for more tips and tricks.
Main image Australian painted lady, courtesy of Jeremy Gramp.