• 6676 W. Howard Street, Niles, IL 60714     (847) 967-6633

The butterfly garden at Oak Park has been designed specifically to attract butterflies by providing nectar plants for the adults and host plants for the caterpillars.  The garden can be found behind the tennis courts at Oak Park.

Native plants are essential to the successful lifecycle of numerous butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera).  Important not only for their nectar, but many native plants also play the important role of "larval host plant."  Host plants provide food during the caterpillar phase that is part of the butterfly/moth lifecycle.  Butterflies and moths need a host plant for their developing caterpillars and most adults need to fuel their flight and mating seasons with nectar from flowers.  They also need sites in which to overwinter and rest as well as areas free from insecticides.

For more information visit the Xerces society:  https://www.xerces.org/endangered-species/butterflies  


Here are some of the native plants you will find in the Butterfly Garden:

 WILDFLOWER SPECIES  HEIGHT  BLOOM  ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

 ZIZIA AUREA (Golden Alexanders)
Zizia aurea 

 3'  May-June   Host plant to black swallowtail 

 BAPTISIA ALBA (White Wild Indigo)

 Baptisia alba

 4'  June-July  Sulphurs, skippers, bumblebees

 ECHINACEA PALLIDA (Pale Purple Coneflower)

 Enchinacea pallida

 3.5'  June-July  Many pollinators

 PENSTEMON DIGITALIS (Foxglove Beardtongue) 

Penstemon digitalis

 3'  June-July  Bumblebees/Hummingbirds

 AGASTACHE FOENICULUM (Anise Hyssop) 

Agastache foeniculum

 3'  June-August  Many pollinators

 RUDBECKIA HIRTA (Brown-Eyed Susan)

 Rudabeckia hirta

 3'  June-September  Many pollinators/bees

 MONARDA FISTULOSA (Bee Balm)

 Monarda fistulosa

 3'  July-September  Many pollinators/hummingbirds

 LIATRIS ASPERA (Button Blazing Star)

 Liatris aspera

 3'  July-October  Many pollinators

 SOLIDAGO NEMORALIS (Old Field Goldenrod)

 Solidago nemoralis

 2'  August-September  Late season pollinators

 ASCLEPIAS VERTICILLATE (Whorled Milkweed)

 Asclepias verticillate

 2'  August-September  Host plant to a monarch

 ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA (Butterfly Weed)

 Asclepias tuberosa

 2'  August-September  Host plant to a monarch

 SYMPHYOTRICHUM OOLENTANGIENSE (Sky Blue Aster) 

Symphyotrichum oolentangiense

 3'  August-October  Many pollinators

 SILPHIUM LACINIATUM (Compass Plant) 

Silphium lacinatum

 8'  June-September  Bees/Birds


Grasses and Sedges Species:

 SPECIES  HEIGHT  BLOOM  ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

 BOUTELOUA CURTIPENDULA (Side-Oats Grama) 

Bouteloua curtipendula

 2.5'  August-September  Skippers

 SCHIZACHYRIUM SCOPARIUM (Little Bluestem)

 Schizachyrium scoparium

 3'  July-October  Skippers

 SPOROBOLUS HETEROLEPIS (Prairie Dropseed)

Sporobolus heterolepis

 3'  August-September  Skippers