Butterfly Gardening

Everyone loves butterflies, or so I think. So let’s talk about how to attract them to your garden.

Butterflies need a nectar source for the adults and a food source for the catapillars. These are called host plants. The adults usually lay their eggs on the underside of the host plant leaf, which varies by butterfly type. So to be successful, plant both a nectar source and a host source. I plant my nectar source in the front yard so I can enjoy the butterflies and the host plants in the side or back yard, where I don’t care what happens to the plans as I don’t really see them. By far the busiest plant I have is the Butterfly Bush, buddleia.

First observe what types of butterflies are in your area. There are gagillions on websites to gather butterfly information and what ones frequent your area. Once you have an idea of the variety in your area you can then plant your flowers.

Also include some ‘puddles’ in your garden. Butterflies can’t drink from a water source, but do get water and nutrients from a damp spot like mud puddles, sand or even animal poop, sorry to say.

They need sun and shelter from the wind too, so a garden protected by a hedge, vine or trellis in perfect. Add some flat rocks or stones that have warmed during the day, for them to rest on in the cool evening.

Here’s a recap of what a butterfly garden needs.

• Nectar Plants
• Host Plants
• Puddling Area
• Shelter
• Sun

This website has some interesting facts on butterflies. For instance, butterflies do not spin a cocoon. Their last skin shedding reveals the pupa. The outer skin of the pupa hardens into a chrysalis, which is where the butterfly emerges.
http://www.milkweedcafe.com/fascfacts.html

Butterfly Shrubs and Trees (http://www.thebutterflysite.com/)

• Abelia, glossy (Abelia)
• Autumn olive (Elaegnus umbellata)
• Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora; A. pavia)
• Buddleia (Buddleia davidii)
• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
• Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
• Blueberry (Vaccinium species)
• Hawthorn (Crataegus species)
• Mock orange (Philadelphus species)
• New Jersey tea (Canothus americanus)
• Pear (Pyrus communis)
• Plum (Prunus species)
• Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
• Redbud (Cercis)
• Rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
• Silverling (Baccharis species)
• Spiraea (Spiraea species)
• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
• Viburnum (Viburnum species

Butterfly Flowers: Annuals

• Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)
• Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa)
• Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana)
• Marigold, French (Tagetes patula)
• Mexican sunflower (Tithonia species)
• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
• Sunflower (Helianthus species)
• Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)
• Verbena (Verbena species)
• Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)

Wildflowers for Butterflies

• Butterfly weed (A. tuberosa)
• Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)
• Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)
• Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
• New England asters (Aster novae-anglicae)
• Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
• Thistles (Centaurea spp. and Cirsium spp.)
• Verbena (Verbena spp.)

Butterfly Flowers: Perennials

• Ageratum (Ageratum)
• Aster (Aster species)
• Bee-balm (Monarda didyma)
• Black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia species)
• Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides)
• Bugle (Ajuga reptans)
• Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
• Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
• Coreopsis (Coreopsis species)
• Daisy, Shasta (Chrysanthemum maximum)
• Daylily (Hemerocallis species)
• False indigo (Baptisia australis)
• Gayfeather (Liatris species)
• Goldenrod (Solidago species)
• Hibiscus (Hibiscus species)
• Hollyhock (Althaea rosea)
• Ironweed (Vernonia species)
• Lantana (Lantana camara, L. species)
• Leadplant (Amorpha fruticosa)
• Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis)
• Milkweed (Asclepias species)
• Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum species)
• Passion flower (Passiflora species)
• Phlox (Phlox paniculata, P. carolina)
• Sage (Salvia leucantha; Salvia species)
• Sedum (Sedum species)
• Verbena (Verbena species)
• Yarrow (Achillea species)

Other Wildflowers:

Some weedy wildflowers are not appropriate for formal garden settings, but could be used in a wild patch: Milkweed (Asclepias species), dogbane, Goldenrod (Solidago species), Ironweed (Vernonia spp.), Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum), nettles, and Thistles (Cirsium species)