$5 each, plus $2.30 postage for 1-3 packets, $3.60 postage for 4-6 packets.
Order items by paying into our bank account at Kiwibank, Moths And Butterflies Of NZ Trust 38-9009-0654693-00 and sending an email to with details of your purchase, your name and delivery address.
Note: Seeds should be started in spring, after the the last frost.
- Butterfly Nectar Mix
- Swamp milkweed - host for monarchs, cooler regions - Currently out of stock
- Tropical milkweed - (Scarlet or Gold) host for monarchs, warmer regions
- Giant swan plant
- Chatham Island nettle - host for admirals (larger leaves)
- Tree nettle - host for red admirals
- Liatris spicata - nectar source
- Joe Pye Weed - nectar source
- Tweedia - nectar source and possibly host plant for monarchs
- Snail vine - host plant for long-tailed blues
- Cineraria - host plant for magpie moths and cinnabar moths, great nectar source
BUTTERFLY NECTAR MIX - These seeds are a blend of wildflowers (annuals) which will provide nectar for butterflies and bees, and a block of mixed colour in your garden.
This gourmet blend of wildflower seeds will entice our flying friends with plenty of nectar. It is a balanced mix of 18 colourful annuals/perennials of mixed heights and flowering periods. Specially formulated for butterfly conservation, height: 30-70 cm.
Can include Asclepias curassavica 'Silky Scarlet', Calendula officinalis - English marigold, Cherianthus - Siberian wallflower, Coreopsis - plains coreopsis/tickweed, cornflower, mixed colours, Cynoglossum - forget-me-not, Delphinium - Rocket larkspur, Dianthus - Sweet William, Dimorphotheca - African Daisy, Echinacea - Purple Cone flower, i- Candytuft, Linaria - Toadflax, Linum - Blue flax, Lobularia - Sweet Alyssum, Rudbeckia - Yellow Coneflower/Blackeyed Susan and Trifolium - Crimson Clover
Sow directly in the garden when soil is warmer. This mix is enough to cover 2 square metres, and will attract a wide range of butterflies and moths.
Asclepias incarnata, SWAMP MILKWEED, originated in America. There are two varieties – one has white flowers, one has pink flowers. We only have the variety with pink flowers. Currently out of stock
A incarnata seeds need to be cold stratified which replicates the seeds undergoing a winter under the snow. To do this, place seeds between moist paper towels or in moist vermiculite in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. In the spring you remove pre-chilled seeds from refrigerator and sow in pots.
The plants can be propagated either by seed or by division of the root mass of a mature plant. After stratification plant seed as soon as possible into seedling pots or seed trays – and then prick seedlings out into larger pots when they have 2-3 true leaves. First year plants will normally only have a single stem but in following years will produce multiple stems as the root system develops. Light browsing by caterpillars is okay in the first year but ensure that there is a reasonable amount of foliage retained to enable the plant to develop a strong healthy root mass.
In late autumn the plant will lose its leaves and stems will die back. It is not dead; just mark the spot with a stake and wait for new shoots to come up in the spring. If the seedling appears to die when planted out into its permanent position do not be hasty in replacing it. In most cases you will find it will resprout. Contains 20-30 seeds.
Asclepias curassavica, TROPICAL MILKWEED is a native milkweed from America. Monarchs will lay eggs on it – and it makes an attractive addition to the garden, very popular as a nectar source. 20-30 seeds in a packet. Two varieties available, Gold (with yellow petals and centres) or Scarlet (scarlet-orange petals, gold centres) sometimes referred to as ‘bloodflower’.
Sow directly in the garden when soil is warmer. For earlier sowings use seed mix in egg cartons (or similar) and cover with a light sprinkling of topsoil. Keep moist and warm. Transplant when seedlings are 5-10 cm tall.
Gomphocarpus physocarpus or the ‘GIANT SWAN PLANT‘. More robust, and more resistant to the onslaught of the caterpillars, much more resilient than the swan plant (G. fruticosus). When identifying the two plants, the main difference is that the seedpod of G. physocarpus is not swan-shaped (although it’s often called the giant swan plant) but has round seedpods. The leaves are shorter and wider, and the plant will grow to 2-4 metres, whereas the swan plant reaches 1-2 metres.
Sow directly in the garden when soil is warmer. For earlier sowings use seed mix in egg cartons (or similar) and cover with a light sprinkling of topsoil. Keep moist and warm. Transplant when seedlings are 5-10 cm tall.
The seeds USED to be classified as Asclepias physocarpa and A. fruticosa, but the plants were reclassified in 2001 as part of the African family of milkweed, Gomphocarpus.
Urtica sykesii, CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK - U. sykesii (was U. incisa) or pureora, scrub nettle, host plant for red and yellow admirals. It is native to New Zealand and SE Australia, dies back during the winter and regenerates again in spring. Height variously reported between 400 mm and 2 m. Leaves 50-120 mm. Likes shade or mild sun and a sheltered spot. 40-50 seeds.
Urtica australis - Chatham Islands nettle, also known as southern nettle, is a host plant for red and yellow admiral butterflies, endemic to the SW Fiordland coast and subantarctic islands including Stewart Island and Chatham Islands. U. australis forms dense bushes up to 1 m by 1 m. Semi-succulent, leaves can be 200 mm diameter. 20-30 seeds in a packet.
Urtica ferox - tree nettle or ongaonga is a host plant for the red admiral butterflies in the wild, endemic. U. ferox grows 2-3 metres, with vicious stings. It has coarsely toothed leaves with numerous white stinging hairs (trichomes), up to 6 mm long, at the tip of each tooth as well as on young stalks and leaf veins. 40-50 seeds in a packet.
LIATRIS SPICATA, Blazing Star or Gayfeather, is a perennial in the sunflower/daisy family. Native to North America, it grows in moist prairies and meadows. Tall spikes of purple flowers resemble bottlebrushes/feathers up to 2 metres tall. Loved by bees and butterflies. 20-30 seeds.
Eutrochium purpureum, CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK, Joe Pye weed is a perennial in the aster family. Native to North America, it grows well in damp settings and has many pale pink to purple flowers. It will grow to 1 - 2.5 metres tall and is loved by butterflies. 20-30 seeds.
Oxypetalum caeruleum - Tweedia has stunning sky blue, star-shaped flowers. Native to South America, it can be grown as an annual or perennial. Prefers full sun and moist soils. It is said to be an alternative host plant for the monarch but as it is slow-growing and monarchs are not keen to lay on it, it is better kept as a nectar source and a bright addition to the garden. 20-30 seeds.
Vigna caracalla or Phaseolus caracalla - Snail vine is a tender perennial vine which grows in warm, humid regions and is a host for the long-tailed blue butterfly. In summer/autumn it has fragrant curly, shell-shaped flowers, ranging from palest pink through to lavender. A native of Central/South America. 10-20 seeds.
Cineraria cruentia or Pericallis cruentia - Cineraria is a semi-wild plant which will pop up in your garden late winter once established and brighten the last days of winter with flowers in a range of bright colours. Seed will scatter on the wind.
The delightful magpie moth and even the cinnabar moth will lay their eggs on the plants, so the leaves may be eaten by their caterpillars. Originally from the Canary Islands it was taken to England in the 18th Century and was then extensively hybridised. Note: store-bought cinerarias are low in nectar and will not self-seed.
The easiest way to buy is:
If you don't want to buy via TradeMe it is simple to pay with internet banking into the MBNZT bank account (Moths And Butterflies Of NZ Trust 38-9009-0654693-00) and send an email to with details of your purchase, your name and delivery address.
$5 each, plus $2 postage for 1-3 packets, $3 postage for 4-6 packets.