Interested in attracting butterflies to your property? The Florida Museum offers native, nectar, host and accent plants for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the Florida Museum’s Butterfly Rainforest exhibit. Discover which pollinator species you can attract and learn about the butterfly-friendly plants that work best in your landscape.
The plant sale is held outside the Museum’s front entrance near the picnic area, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Prices: Plant prices start at $3 for a 4″ pot and most 1-gallon pots are $6 each. Larger sizes may be available ranging from $12 to $18 for a 3-gallon pot.
Availability: Fifteen plants will be featured each week
September 13 – 14
Remember that supplies are limited, so come early if there is a species you really want.
Pentas, Egyptian Star Flower | Pentas lanceolata | Family: Rubiaceae | Origin: Arabia, northeastern Africa | Description: evergreen wildflower, may die back in winter | Flowering Season: continuous w/o frost | Exposure: full sun | Moisture: average to moist | USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-12 | Nectar Value: exceptional nectar source- Brazilian Plume | Justicia carnea | Family: Acanthaceae | Origin: Brazil to Argentina | Description: Evergreen sub-shrub to 3 ft. | Flowering Season: Continuous w/o frost | Exposure: Partial shade to partial sun | Moisture: Average to moist | USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11 | Nectar Value: 1/5 Almost no nectar, accent plant
- Lord/Lady Baltimore Hibiscus | Hibiscus moscheutos x ‘Lord/Lady Baltimore’ | Family: Malvaceae | Origin: None (Hybrid-parents from N. America) | Description: Herbaceous perennial to 6 ft. | Flowering Season: Summer to Fall | Exposure: Full sun to partial shade | Moisture: Average to moist | USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-10 | Nectar Value: 2/5 Ok nectar source
- Water Hyssop | Bacopa monnieri | Family: Plantaginaceae | Origin: Maryland to Florida, west to California | Description: evergreen groundcover to 6 in. | Flowering Season: continuous w/o frost | Exposure: full sun to partial shade | Moisture: moist | USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-9 | Nectar Value: 1/5 host plant for White Peacock
- Whorled Milkweed | Asclepias verticillata | Family: Apocynaceae | Origin: Eastern North America | Description: Perennial wildflower to 3 ft. | Flowering Season: Summer | Exposure: Full sun to partial shade | Moisture: Average | USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9 | Nectar Value: 2/5 Host plant for Monarch, Queen
- Peregrina | Jatropha integerrima | Family: Euphorbiaceae | Origin: Cuba, West Indies | Description: evergreen shrub or small tree | Flowering Season: continuous | Exposure: sun to part sun | Moisture: average, drought tolerant | USDA Hardiness Zones: 9B-11 | Nectar Value: outstanding, used by many species
- Blue Porterweed | Stachytarpheta cayennensis | Family: Verbenaceae | Origin: Central and South America | Description: Evergreen shrub, may die back in winter | Flowering Season: continuous | Exposure: full sun, part sun | Moisture: average, drought tolerant | USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11 | Nectar Value: outstanding nectar source
- Cut-leaf Coneflower | Rudbeckia laciniata | Family: Asteraceae | Origin: North America | Description: Perennial wildflower to 4 ft. | Flowering Season: summer to fall | Exposure: full sun to partial shade | Moisture: average to moist (drought tolerant) | USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9 | Nectar Value: 5/5 outstanding nectar source
- Twinflower | Dyschoriste oblongifolia | Family: Acanthaceae | Origin: Southeastern United States | Description: Perennial groundcover to 1 ft. | Flowering Season: Spring to Summer | Exposure: Full sun to partial sun | Moisture: Average | USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11 | Nectar Value: 1/5 Host plant for Common Buckeye
- Sunshine Mimosa | Mimosa strigillosa | Family: Fabaceae | Origin: Gulf coast of United States | Description: Evergreen groundcover to 1 ft. | Flowering Season: Continuous w/o frost | Exposure: Full sun to partial shade | Moisture: Moist to average | USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11 | Nectar Value: Nectar Value: 2/5 Host plant for Little Yellow
- Candle Plant | Plectranthus hilliardiae | Family: Lamiaceae | Origin: South Africa | Description: Evergreen sub-shrub to 1 ft. | Flowering Season: Fall to Winter | Exposure: Full sun to partial shade | Moisture: Average | USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11 | Nectar Value: 3/5 Good nectar source
- Red-leaf Hibiscus | Hibiscus acetosella ‘Panama Red’ | Family: Malvaceae | Origin: Tropical Africa | Description: Short-lived perennial shrub to 6 ft. | Flowering Season: Summer to Fall | Exposure: Full sun to partial shade | Moisture: Average | USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11 | Nectar Value: 2/5 Ok nectar source
- Peacock Ginger | Kaempferia pulchra 'Silver Spot' | Family: Zingiberaceae | Origin: Thailand and mainland Malaysia | Description: Herbaceous perennial to 1 ft. | Flowering Season: Summer | Exposure: Partial sun to full shade | Moisture: moist | USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11 | Nectar Value: 1/5 No nectar, accent plant
- Corky Stemmed Passionflower | Passiflora suberosa | Family: Passifloraceae | Origin: tropical and subtropical Americas | Description: evergreen vine, may die back in winter | Flowering Season: continuous w/o frost | Exposure: full sun to shade | Moisture: average, drought tolerant | USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11 | Nectar Value: none, primarily a host plant for the Zebra Longwing and Gulf Fritillary
Download butterfly brochures for your region
Save the Date
Biannually, the Florida Museum features large three-day plant sales with more than 150 species of difficult-to-find and butterfly-friendly plants. Accent, host, native and nectar plants are available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.
ButterflyFest Plant Sale
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Spring Plant Sale
The Museum’s spring sale is one of the largest of the year, featuring more than 150 species of difficult-to-find and pollinator-friendly plants.
Help close the gap between urban students and nature
The Florida Museum of Natural History is raising funds and accepting plant donations for butterfly gardens in area schools.
Museum scientists partnered with Duval and Williams elementary schools to open children’s eyes to the unique metamorphosis that occurs during butterfly development and the responsibilities involved in caring for a garden. The Museum is now raising funds and requesting donations of plants to create additional butterfly gardens throughout the Alachua County area.
Read more or donate today! Donations may be made online, by visiting the Florida Museum’s plant sale or by calling the Museum Collectors Shop, 352-273-2041.