One of my favorite pastimes, in between planting, fertilizing and trimming and mulching, is sitting in my backyard and watching the butterflies dance around my garden. Below are a few tips to entice these beauties to YOUR GARDEN!
Butterflies and most butterfly attracting plants require bright sunshine.
Butterflies visit flowers in search of nectar to eat. Many butterflies seem to prefer purple, yellow, orange and red- orange blossoms. Clusters of short, tubular flowers or flat-topped blossoms provide the ideal shapes for butterflies to easily land and feed.
The nectar of single flowers is more accessible and easier for butterflies to extract than the nectar of double flowers, which have more petals per flower.
Butterflies are first attracted to flowers by their color. Groups of flowers are easier for butterflies to locate than isolated plants.
Butterflies are active from early spring until late fall. Plant a selection of flowers that will provide nectar throughout the entire growing season.For blooms throughout the year, plant hamelia, shrimp plant. jatropha, lantana, bulbine, buddleia, mist flower, & penta. For flowers spring and fall, try mexican flame vine, verbena, mexican mint marigold, pavonia, passion vine, salvias, & fall chrysanthemums.
From left to right: Lantana, Mist Flower, Mexican Mint Marigold, Shrimp Plant, Hamelia, Salvia Gregii
Plant for perching.
Plant some evergreen trees or shrubs for perching and rain shelter. Example: Yaupon holly or desert willow.
Host plants provide food for the caterpillar and lure female butterflies into the garden to lay eggs.
Common Name: Larval Food Source
Black Swallowtail: dill, parsley, fennel, carrot tops
Fritillaries: passionflowers
Giant Swallowtail: citrus, rue
Julias: passionflowers
Monarchs & Queens: milkweeds
Pipevine Swallowtail: Dutchman’s pipevine
Skippers: mallows
Snouts: hackberry
Sulphurs: cassias
Viceroys: pear, cottonwood, willow
Whites: mustards, pepper-grass
Zebra Longwings: passionflowers
Clockwise from Top Left: Black Swallowtail, Monarch, Snout, Zebra Longwing
Include damp areas or shallow puddles in the garden.
Some butterflies drink and extract salts from moist soil. Occasionally large numbers of male butterflies congregate around a moist area to drink, forming a “puddle club”.
Butterflies often perch on stones, bare soil or vegetation, spread their wings and bask in the sun. Basking raises their body temperature so they are able to fly and remain active.
Most traditional garden pesticides are toxic to butterflies. Use predatory insects, insecticidal soap or hand remove the pests if problems occur.
Get to know the colorful butterflies that visit your garden. They are easy to identify with a field guide.
