Winter nectar for wildlife

September 2026

A hoverfly sheltering in Fairy Blush camellia on a wet day in August

This winter's butterfly lesson: It's not what you offer, but where you offer it.

My property heads steeply downhill to a stream and then rises steeply uphill again. That's what living in a volcanic landscape gets you. The butterfly garden is about a third of the way back up the northern slope. The angle of the land and the surrounding trees keep that area of the garden shaded for a lot of the day in winter. It is only the bottom corner of the butterfly garden where the sun is still found for hours on end.

Even though there are winter flowering plants that the bees, hoverflies and silvereyes are loving in the shadier area of the butterfly garden, the winter monarchs prefer to stay in full sun. If I want to help the monarchs at this time of year, I need to re-think the raised borders / retaining walls at the entry to my property which have more winter sun hours. To maximise the butterflies I need to maximise the butterfly-friendly spaces around the whole property.

So what fed the nectar-loving wildlife in my garden through June, July and August?

Tree dahlias (perennial)

In the sunny spot in the butterfly garden, these beautiful flowers have been offering nectar from April and they still have not finished flowering. The monarchs have loved these, as have the bees.  They came from the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust (MBNZT) cuttings sale and whilst they did not like all the places I planted them (i.e. I killed some), they established in this one spot and have given winter colour and interest in an otherwise dormant space. They don't take up much space, unless you forget to stake them, as I did. Highly recommended.

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Camellia sasanqua Fairy Blush (shrub)

Pretty, pink, single petalled camellias that flower here in my North Shore garden from autumn to spring. These are growing as a hedge to help protect the butterfly garden, but they are in the shade for some of the day and I have not seen the winter monarchs on them. However, what the butterflies shun, the silvereyes embrace and other pollinators have been loving this accessible and plentiful source of winter nectar.

Silvereye on camellia, early September

Buddleja X (shrub)

Buddleja × weyeriana has been a key staple for cool season nectar. These two buddleia bushes started flowering in April and both plants kept flowering through to the end of July. One of them had flower heads throughout August as well. These plants are in a raised bed at the front of the property which is the first place to get the sun and there were monarchs and bees here on every fair weather day. I even had a tui feeding from one. It shows you do not need much space to have regular butterfly visitors, as long as you have the right plants in a sunny spot.

Nectar in August - a monarch on Buddleja × weyeriana

Lily Magnolia (small tree)

Not a plant for the butterflies, who cannot access the tulip shaped flowers, but one for the birds and the bees. It is awe-inspiring to see kererū right next to the house, enjoying the fresh growth on this stunning small tree. It provides food in July, August and early September. The only downside to this tree is all the petals and leaves it drops, being deciduous. They get very slippery with the winter rain.

Looking forward to more winter nectar for wildlife

I have finally got my hands on a Buddleja salviifolia cutting, thanks again to the MBNZT cuttings sale. Should I not kill it immediately, it will be reliably flowering in its second or third year and will help with late winter / early spring nectar that butterflies and other pollinators will love. I will plant it on top of a retaining wall in the winter sunshine. I've learned my lesson.