Edge Your Garden With A Pale Pink Perennial Flower Butterflies Love

If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, the first step is familiarizing yourself with what plants they adore. After all, choosing plants with characteristics that these pollinators actively look for is one of the best ways to create a space they won't ignore. But while you may be designing your garden with functionality in mind, it never hurts to consider design aspects either. That's why you may wish to grow juniper-leaved thrift (Armeria juniperifolia), a plant that can pull double-duty by attracting butterflies while providing a colorful edge for your garden.

Juniper-leaved thrift is an eye-catching flower with a unique appearance. It only grows to about 3 inches in height, and at a distance, all you may see are its open-faced pale pink flowers. However, upon closer inspection, you'll notice that it has interesting foliage more similar to pine needles than traditional leaves in appearance. It thrives when used as a ground cover, while its tufted silhouette makes it perfect for edging the borders of your garden. And the best part? Those show-stopping vibrant flowers are also a hit among butterflies, so you can readily incorporate them into your pollinator-friendly garden.

Juniper-leaved thrift is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 7. If you're outside of this range, you could still use it to edge your garden, but it wouldn't survive the winter; so, you'd have to grow it as an annual. If you're planting it as an edge, allow for 6 inches to a foot of space between plants — they will fill in the gaps nicely once they mature and spread. 

Despite its resilience, like other low-maintenance flowering plants, juniper-leaved thrift does require specific environmental and care factors if you want it to thrive. For one, you should grow it in a spot with full sun to encourage those bright, butterfly-attracting blooms. And although it does well in almost any soil type and pH level, the medium should be well drained (and preferably dry).

On top of being visually appealing and functional, juniper-leaved thrift is also quite resilient. While it attracts helpful pollinators, it is resistant to any grazing deer. It also tolerates salt and dry conditions. Because of its drought tolerance, juniper-leaved thrift is forgiving of minor mistakes, such as occasionally forgetting to water; this makes it a good plant for beginner gardeners looking to edge their pollinator garden.