Skip Hydrangeas: The Fragrant Bush With Flowers That Butterflies Love

If you're looking to start a pollinator garden that butterflies won't want to ignore and want vibrant clusters of colorful blooms, it may seem like hydrangeas are the best choice. While it is true that some varieties of hydrangeas can make the perfect addition for gardeners whose goal is to attract more butterflies to their yards, they aren't the only colorful fragrant flower you have to choose from. Instead, this spring-flowering shrub produces similarly showy clusters of fragrant flowers, all while attracting a wide variety of pollinators — including those butterflies that you adore.

Also known as common or English lilac, French lilac (Syringa vulgaris) may look similar to hydrangeas at a glance. It blooms throughout the spring, sporting flowers ranging from blue to pink to purple to white, each of these blooms as fragrant as they are show-stopping. While monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed, adult monarch butterflies readily visit lilac flowers for nectar, as do swallowtails. As a result, this hydrangea alternative can be a clever choice if you're looking for a different way to add both visual and hummingbird appeal to your garden scape.

As an added bonus, French lilac is also considered to be relatively low-maintenance, which many gardeners may enjoy as opposed to hydrangea's higher maintenance requirements. However, even low-maintenance plants benefit from the right care, especially those that you're growing in an attempt to bring more butterflies to your garden.

When growing French lilacs for the most flowers possible, you'll want to keep a few key factors in mind. First, one of the most important considerations is sunlight. French lilacs can grow both in full sun or partial shade. However, surviving doesn't always mean thriving. In many cases, you may find that your lilacs do better when they are offered full sun, as too much shade can dampen blooming. And, since the flowers are the key attraction feature for butterflies, you'll want to ensure that you're encouraging as many of those fragrant flowers as possible during the blooming season for peak butterfly appeal.

Another thing to keep in mind when growing French lilac to attract butterflies is USDA growing zones. French lilacs aren't hardy everywhere, and if you plant them outside their preferred climate, they may not survive the winter. Instead, if you're looking to skip hydrangeas in your butterfly garden using French lilac, double check your region beforehand. This shrub is generally hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 7, with some cultivars performing well into Zone 8.

Although low-maintenance, like many other shrubs, you will want to prune your French lilac bushes. This is especially true since they require good circulation to help keep common diseases at bay. The best time to prune your French lilac is right after they've finished blooming during the year. Be careful not to overprune, and follow the three D rule of pruning by removing diseased, damaged, and dead branches first.