California Gardens - The Year Round Gardening Site

Fatal Metalmark - Calephelis nemesis

The Painted Lady Butterfly will rest on the ground or on flowers to get a drink of nectar to keep them going. Painted Lady Butterflies come into the yard's adjacent to weedy lots commonly in the Spring. They thrive on a wide variety of plant material including a number of plants in the hibiscus family and aster family, particularly thistles, hence the other common name for Vanessa cardui, Thistle Butterfly. One of the larger Genera of thistles is Carduus.

Painted Lady Sipping Nectar from Scabiosa Black Knight

Painted Lady Butterfly sipping nectar from Scabiosa Black Knight. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.

Painted Lady Butterfly, Vanessa cardui

Painted Lady Butterfly sipping nectar from a Yerba Santa. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.

Painted Lady Butterfly, Vanessa cardui

Painted Lady Butterfly sipping nectar from a freeway daisy. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.

Plants to include in your Butterfly Garden from the hibiscus and aster families to attract the Painted Lady Butterfly:
Abronia villosa * Desert Sand Verbena, Hairy Sand Verbena
Achillea Apple Blossom
Achillea Cerise Queen
Achillea clavennae
Achillea Desert Paprika * Desert Paprika Yarrow
Achillea filipendulina Coronation Gold
Achillea Hoffnung
Achillea kellereri
Achillea lanulosa
Achillea Moonshine
Achillea Paprika
Achillea Pomegranate
Achillea ptarmica
Achillea Salmon Beauty
Achillea Sonoma Coast
Achillea Terracotta
Achillea The Beacon
Achillea tomentosa
Alyogyne hakeifolia * Red Centered Hibiscus
Alyogyne Monterey Bay * Monterey Bay Blue Hibiscus
Alyogyne Mood Indigo * Mood Indigo Blue Hibiscus
Alyogyne Santa Cruz * Santa Cruz Blue Hibiscus
Anchusa capensis * Summer Forget Me Not
Anisodontea hypomandarum * Cape Mallow
Anisodontea Tara's Wonder * Tara's Wonder Cape Mallow
Anthemis tinctoria * Dyer's Chamomile, Golden Marguerite
Arctotis acaulis Torch Purple
Arctotis gumbletonii
Arctotis Opera Rose * Opera Rose African Daisy
Arctotis Pink Sugar
Arctotis stoechadifolia
Arctotis Sun Spot Orange
Argyranthemum Chelsea Girl * Chelsea Girl Silver Marguerite, Chelsea Girl Paris Daisy
Argyranthemum Madeira Cherry Red * Madeira Cherry Red Marguerite, Madeira Cherry Red Paris Daisy
Argyranthemum Silver Lady * Silver Lady Marguerite, Silver Lady Paris Daisy
Asclepias curassavica * Tropical Milkweed, Bloodweed
Aster Chilensis Purple Haze * Purple Haze California Aster, Purple Haze Pacific Aster
Asteriscus maritimus
Asteriscus sericeus
Beloperone californica * Chuparosa
Beloperone californica Tecate Gold * Tecate Gold Chuparosa
Camissonia boothii condensata * Booth's Evening Primrose, Woody Bottle Washer
Camissonia boothii decorticans * Desert Shredding Evening Primrose
Catananche caerulea * Cupid's Dart
Centaurea cyanus * Bachelor's Button
Centaurea cyanus Black Gem * Black Gem Bachelor's Button
Centaurea gymnocarpa * Pink Dusty Miller
Centaurea montana * Perennial Bachelor's Button, Mountain Bluet
Chaenactis artemisiifolia * White Pincushion
Chrysactinia mexicana * Damianita
Chrysothamnus nauseosus * Rabbit Brush
Cirsium occidentale * Cobwebby Thistle
Coreopsis bigelovii * Bigelow's Coreopsis, Desert Coreopsis
Cosmos atrosanguineus * Chocolate Cosmos
Cosmos sulphureus * Sulfur Cosmos
Dahlia imperialis Tree Dahlia
Echinacea Cheyenne Spirit * Cheyenne Spirit Cone Flower
Echinacea purpurea * Purple Cone Flower
Echinacea Salsa Red * Salsa Red Cone Flower
Echinacea Sunset * Sunset Cone Flower
Echinacea White Swan * White Swan Cone Flower
Encelia californica * California Brittlebush, Coast Sunflower
Encelia californica El Dorado * El Dorado Brittle Bush
Encelia farinosa * Brittlebush
Encelia Paleo Yellow * Paleo Yellow Brittlebush
Encelia ventorum * Baja Bush Sunflower
Eremalche rotundifolia * Desert Five Spot
Eremothera boothii condensata * Booth's Evening Primrose, Woody Bottle Washer
Ericameria linearifolia * Narrowleaf Goldenbush
Ericameria nauseosa * Rabbit Brush
Erigeron argentatus * Silver Fleabane
Erigeron blochmaniae * Blochman's Erigeron
Erigeron foliosus foliosus * Leafy Fleabane, Hartweg's Fleabane
Erigeron glaucus Bountiful * Bountiful Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus Cape Sebastian * Cape Sebastian Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus Sea Breeze * Sea Breeze Seaside Daisy, Pink Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus Wayne Roderick * Wayne Roderick Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus White Lights * White Lights Seaside Daisy
Erigeron karvinskianus * Santa Barbara Daisy, Mexican Daisy
Erigeron speciosus * Aspen Fleabane, Showy Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane
Eriodictyon crassifolium * Felt Leaved Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon tomentosum * Woolly Yerba Santa
Eriophyllum confertiflorum * Golden Yarrow
Eriophyllum staechadifolium * Seaside Golden Yarrow
Eryngium planum * Blue Eryngo, Flat Sea Holly
Eryngium variifolia * Moroccan Sea Holly
Eryngium yuccifolium * Button Eryngo, Rattlesnake Master
Euryops virgineus * Honey Euryops
Gaillardia aristata Arizona Apricot Arizona Apricot Blanketflower
Gaillardia grandiflora Blanketflower
Gaillardia grandiflora Mesa Red * Mesa Red Blanketflower
Geraea canescens * Hairy Desert Sunflower
Gnaphalium californicum * California Everlasting, California Cudweed
Grindelia camporum * Great Valley Gumweed, Great Valley Gumplant
Grindelia stricta * Coast Gumweed, Coast Gumplant
Hibiscus lasiocarpos * Wooly Rose Mallow
Hibiscus sabdariffa * Roselle
Hibiscus syriacus Jeanne D'Arc * Double White Rose of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus Lavender Chiffon * Semi Double Pink Rose of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus Minerva * Minerva Rose of Sharon
Isocoma menzeisii * Coastal Goldenbush
Justicia californica * Chuparosa
Justicia californica Tecate Gold * Tecate Gold Chuparosa
Lasthenia californica * Goldfields
Lavatera assurgentifolia * Tree Mallow, Island Mallow
Lavatera Barnsley Baby
Lavatera bicolor * Bush Mallow
Lavatera purisima * Purisima Tree Mallow
Lavatera trimestris Pink Blush * Annual Mallow
Layia platyglossa * Tidy Tips
Leptosyne bigelovii
Lessingia filaginafolia * California Aster
Leucanthemum superbum Shasta Daisy
Lobelia excelsa * Devil's Tobacco
Lobelia laxifolia * Mexican Lobelia
Malacothamnus clementinus * San Clemente Bush Mallow
Malacothamnus davidsonii * Davidson's Bush Mallow
Malacothamnus densiflorus * Yellow Stem Bush Mallow
Malacothamnus fasciculatus * Chaparral Bush Mallow
Malacothrix glabrata * Desert Dandylion
Malvaviscus arboreus * Turks Cap, Sleepy Hibiscus, Wax Mallow, Sleeping Mallow
Osteospermum Blue Eyed Beauty * Blue Eyed Beauty African Daisy
Osteospermum Bright Lights * Red Freeway Daisy
Osteospermum ecklonis Spider White * Spider White African Daisy
Osteospermum fruticosum * Freeway Daisy
Pavonia missionum * Red Mallow
Pavonia praemorsa * Yellow Mallow
Pseudognaphalium californicum * California Everlasting, California Cudweed
Rafinesquia neomexicana * Desert Chicory, New Mexico Plumeseed
Ratibida columnifera * Mexican Hat Flower, Upright Prarie Coneflower
Rudbeckia Tiger Eye * Black Eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy
Salvia Allen Chickering * Allen Chickering Sage
Salvia apiana * White Sage
Salvia brandegeei * Brandegee's Sage, Santa Rosa Island Sage
Salvia carduacea * Thistle Sage
Salvia clevelandii * Cleveland Sage
Salvia columbariae * Chia Sage
Salvia Desperado * Desperado Sage
Salvia dorrii dorrii * Purple Desert Sage
Salvia leucophylla Amethyst Bluff * Amethyst Bluff Purple Sage
Salvia leucophylla Bee's Bliss * Bee's Bliss Sage
Salvia leucophylla Point Sal Spreader * Point Sal Spreader Purple Sage
Salvia mellifera * Black Sage
Salvia mellifera Green Carpet * Green Carpet Creeping Sage
Salvia mellifera Skylark * Skylark Sage
Salvia mellifera Terra Seca * Dwarf Black Sage
Salvia munzii * San Diego Sage, Munz's Sage
Salvia munzii Emerald Cascade * San Miguel Mountain Sage, Munz's Sage
Salvia sonomensis Dara's Choice * Dara's Choice Creeping Sage
Salvia sonomensis Green Carpet * Green Carpet Creeping Sage
Salvia sonomensis Mrs Beard * Mrs Beard Creeping Sage
Salvia Winnifred Gilman * Winnifred Gilman Sage
Scabiosa atropurpurea Black Knight * Black Knight Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa atropurpurea Royal Ruby * Royal Ruby Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa caucasica Fama Deep Blue * Deep Blue Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa causasica Perfecta Blue * Perfecta Blue Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa columbaria Butterfly Blue * Butterfly Blue Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa columbaria Pink Mist * Pink Mist Pinchushion Flower
Scabisoa cretica * Balaeric Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa farinosa * Dwarf Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa ochroleuca * Yellow Pincushion Flower
Senecio confusus * Mexican Flame Vine
Solidago californica * California Goldenrod
Sphaeralcea ambigua * Desert Globemallow, Apricot Mallow
Sphaeralcea ambigua Louis Hamilton * Louis Hamilton Apricot Mallow
Sphaeralcea ambigua rosacea * Rose Globemallow, Rosy Apricot Mallow
Sphaeralcea fulva de luna * La Luna Globemallow
Spaeralcea phillippiana * Trailing Globemallow
Stokesia Blue Danube
Stokesia Peachies Pink
Stokesia Purple Parasols
Tagetes lemmonii * Bush Marigold
Tagetes lucida * Mexican Tarragon
Tetraneuris acaulis * Angelita Daisy, Stemless Four Nerve Daisy
Tithonia rotundifolia * Mexican Sunflower
Urtica dioica gracilis * Stinging Nettles
Venegasia carpesioides * Canyon Sunflower