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Butterfly Nectar Sources: Weedy, Non-Native, Naturalized
Plants
The plants listed below are weedy; they will establish and spread excessively
on their own. Some are typical
of roadsides and others are unwanted trespassers in lawns or formal gardens.
Still others are intentionally
planted and often become undesirably dominant in small gardens. None of the
plant species below are native
to Connecticut; all have been introduced from elsewhere and naturalized in the
State. All have been reported
to be used by butterflies in Connecticut or elsewhere.
These plants may be encouraged in disturbed, open areas or in non-formal
gardens. They also may be left to
flourish in waste places outlying a more formal garden.
Never encourage these naturalized species in or around natural areas because
even though they are
"naturalized" (capable of establishing, reproducing, and spreading on their own)
in Connecticut, they are not
actually native to the State. Non-native, naturalized species often are good
competitors for growing space, but
they do not necessarily interact the same way native plants do in an ecosystem
and they may cause harm.
| Common Name |
Scientific Name |
| Bee-balm, Oswego Tea |
Monarda didyma |
| Beggar’s Ticks |
Bidens spp. (some are native) |
| Black-eyed Susan |
Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima
aka R. serotina |
| Blanketflower (= Gaillardia ) |
Gaillardia
G. aristata
G. pulchella |
| Chicory |
Cichorium intybus |
| Clovers |
Trifolium spp. (some Clovers are
native) |
| Tickseeds |
Coreopsis spp. |
| Dandelion |
Taraxacum officinale |
Forget-me-nots; e.g.,
Do NOT plant or encourage the invasive M. scorpioides Forget-me-not |
Myosotis |
| Ox-eye Daisy |
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum |
| Queen Anne’s Lace |
Daucus carota |
| Red Clover |
Trifolium pratense |
| Showy Coneflower |
Rudbeckia fulgida var. speciosa |
Thistles
Do NOT plant or encourage the invasive Canada Thistle (Cirsium
canadensis) |
Cirsium spp. |
| White Sweet Clover |
Melilotus alba |
| Yarrow |
Achillea spp |
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