Some of these choices were really easy. This one was hard. Butterfly bushes, for example, really are butterfly magnets. They thrive under a wide variety of conditions, need very little care, bloom freely, and have a nice fragrance too. That sounds like a winning combination, doesn't it? (For some, a little too winning perhaps as they are included in the Invasive Plant Atlas.)
Hard choice though it may be, in the end I find myself going with the Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia Rotundifolia). I'm afraid that these plants really do like it hot, and they will not even start growing in our area until the soil has adequately warmed. That means that they also do not start flowering until well into the summer. But when the flowers do start, it is worth it.
Mexican Sunflowers do grow relatively tall, reaching 4 or 5 feet. Because they have so many branching stems, they need a good bit of room. But they will also host a ton of brilliant reddish orange flowers which will attract butterflies (and hummingbirds) by the score. An added bonus is that the make very nice cut flowers for the vase as well.
The butterfly below is a Zebra Swallowtail who clearly agrees with my choice.
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