Butterflies are
beautiful creatures that live abundantly on every
continent except
Antarctica. To
attract butterflies to your
garden it is
wise to first
research which butterflies are
native to your
area.
Learn about their
life cycle,
eating, and
mating habits, as all of these
factors will effect how your garden should be planned.
General Tips to Attract Butterflies
Under no circumstances should pesticides (or any other chemical) be used in a butterfly garden.
If you already have a
garden, a great way to attract butterflies is to let a portion of the garden
grow as it
will. Let
nature reclaim.
Sun is
essential. butterflies are cold blooded creatures. They need
sunlight to
fly.
Wind is a no-no. block wind with
shrubs or
fencing with
climbing
plants such as
honeysuckle (which has plenty of nectar to attract butterflies). Shrubs will also act as an area for butterflies to
roost and lay
eggs.
Butterflies, like
humans, are
social creatures. Create a "
water cooler" for them by leaving a
dish with clean fresh
water in the garden area. Be sure to change the water regularly to keep the butterflies coming back.
Many butterflies, particularly
monarchs, love
watermelon. Leaving bits of
fresh watermelon in the garden will attract many!
Butterflies will look for the most
suitable food source for
caterpillars on which to lay their eggs. This varies from
species to species. For example, the monarch butterfly and it's
larva eat only
milkweed.
parsley,
thistle,
violet, and
dill plants make
excellent food sources for many species of larva.
Plant
annuals and
perennials which will allow the garden to be in
constant bloom from early
spring through late
summer. Plant in varying
heights, and
cluster similar
flowers together, that makes them easier for the butterflies to
see.
Fragrant plants that produce
nectar will attract the most butterflies. Some good
examples are:
Annuals
Perennials