Peonies are a beloved garden perennial, celebrated for their lush, softball-sized blooms that arrive reliably in late spring. Gardeners often wonder if peonies are a good source for butterflies while creating a vibrant habitat for local wildlife. While peonies attract various garden visitors, their ability to support butterflies depends largely on the specific flower type and its physical structure. This is determined by the anatomy of the bloom and the feeding mechanics of the butterfly.
Peony Anatomy and Nectar Accessibility
A butterfly feeds using its proboscis, a long, straw-like mouthpart designed to draw up nectar from the flower’s center. For a peony to be a viable food source, its nectar and pollen must be readily available at a depth accessible by this specialized tool. Peony flowers are classified into forms—including single, semi-double, and full double varieties—which dictates their utility to insects.
Single-petaled peonies, which resemble wild forms, are the most butterfly-friendly types. These blooms feature a single or double ring of large outer petals, leaving an open center that exposes the pollen-bearing stamens and nectaries. This structure offers easy access for butterflies and other pollinators seeking sustenance.
The Primary Peony Visitors
The popular double-petaled varieties, such as the bomb and full double forms, present a physical barrier to most butterflies. In these highly cultivated forms, the stamens and sometimes the carpels have transformed into masses of additional petals, creating a dense, layered bloom. This proliferation of tissue obscures the flower’s reproductive parts, hiding the nectar source at the base. A butterfly’s proboscis is often too short or the pathway too blocked to penetrate the thick layers of petals to reach the reward.
While peonies are not a primary food source for butterflies, they are attractive to other insects. The most noticeable visitors are ants, which are drawn to the developing buds early in the season. Peony buds secrete a sweet, sticky nectar from specialized glands called nectaries located on the outer sepals, which is a food source for ants.
This relationship is an example of mutualism: the ants consume the sugary sap and patrol the buds aggressively. Their presence deters harmful insects, such as thrips or aphids, that might damage the developing flower. The ants are not necessary for the flower to open, and they depart once the bloom unfurls and the nectar source dries up.
Bees, particularly honeybees and bumblebees, are more successful visitors to peonies than butterflies. Bees can easily access the pollen and nectar of the open, single-form varieties. They are less hindered by the dense petal structure of semi-double blooms than butterflies, though full double varieties remain difficult. Bees collect the abundant pollen from the exposed anthers, using it as a protein source for their larvae, making the simpler peony forms a valuable early-season resource.
Companion Planting for Enhanced Butterfly Attraction
Gardeners can use companion planting to support butterfly populations while still enjoying their peonies. This strategy involves surrounding the peony bed with known butterfly attractants that share the same sun and soil requirements. Peonies thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, which aligns with the needs of many high-nectar butterfly plants.
Specific plants that bloom during or immediately after the peony season provide the continuous nectar source that butterflies require. Coneflowers (Echinacea), Bee Balm (Monarda), and Salvia are excellent choices because they offer both nectar and a landing platform. Salvia, with its upright flower spikes, provides a striking visual contrast to the rounded peony blooms and is attractive to pollinators.
For an effective butterfly garden, include host plants that support the butterfly life cycle, such as Milkweed (Asclepias) for Monarchs. Planting species that bloom sequentially ensures that nectar is available throughout the growing period, even after the peonies have finished. Combining the beauty of peonies with high-nectar companion plants creates a thriving, butterfly-rich environment.