Well you will need tomatoes for salsa! I live in a townhouse in SE VA and built a raised bed garden and two planters that will hold 2 mater plants each. One of my problems last year was that they kept blowing over! My neighbor looked at my planters and said.. there is NO way those are falling over. :)

Can't help you on the butterflies but I would be interested to learn what you find out.

WELCOME!

Erin

The Smithsonian website has an interactive tour of their butterfly gardens that lists plants in each section. Very interesting and informative site. A link is below. Once there, click on Interactive Garden Tour for more information.

Sandy

Here is a link that might be useful: Smithsonian Gardens

Thank you for the link! I have a relatively big butterfly garden :)

The aptly named "Butterfly Weed" or Asclepias tuberosa is a great choice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Butterfly weed links

I don't know if monarda is native, but it sure is beautiful :)

Virginia bluebells are shaped like butterfly attractors, and they sound native. You'll have to google them. I think they might like shade which is a bit antithetical for butterfly attraction.

last year at our townhouse I grew rellenos, seeds saved from Seeds of Change fruit the year before, and they really came on in the fall!

good plants for butterflies that are native to Virginia and the general Mid-Atlantic area:

monarda (bee balm)
asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
echinacea purpurea (coneflower)
passiflora incarnata (passionflower -- hardy!)
lobelia cardinalis or siphilitica (red or blue cardinal flower)
agastache foeniculum (anise hyssop: edible aromatic herb)
any of the Coreopsis species
eupatorium purpureum (joe pye weed)
hypericum frondosum (st. john's wort)
liatris spicata (gayfeather)
any Phlox species
any of the native Rudbeckias (black-eyed Susans)
solidago species (goldenrod)
vernonia (ironweed)

and now that you're overwhelmed...this is just the perennial list! many native shrubs also fit the bill. :)