Getting started with gardening

Plants for butterflies

Few would argue about the beauty of butterflies. If you’d like to see more of them in your yard one of the most important things you can do is provide the plants that they love.

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.

Find out more local gardening tips

Just beginning your gardening journey? Head to our gardening hub for more tips and tricks.

Main image Australian painted lady, courtesy of Jeremy Gramp.

saymmm