Butterflies are among the most beautiful insects on earth---and one of the
few insects we desire to see in our flower gardens! Their colorful wings
add a decorator's touch to our gardens as they flutter from flower to
flower in search for nectar. Most gardeners wish they could attract more
butterflies to their property.
Attracting butterflies to your garden involves essentially
two things: (1) planting the right flowers in the right place, and (2)
refraining from the use of chemical insecticides. To attract more species
of butterflies, you could add to the butterfly garden a mud puddle, a bowl
of rotting fruit, and/or mammal manure. With or without these additional
lures, however, many butterflies will be enticed to visit a garden that
provides desirable nectar sources which are not poisoned with
insecticides.
The location of your property plays a role in determining how
many butterfly species might visit your garden for flower nectar. Some species of butterflies prefer open areas
while others elect to reside near
wet meadows or deciduous forests. Thus, a person living in an open rural
area, near a stream or swamp, and adjacent to a deciduous forest will
likely attract more species of butterflies to his or her garden than will
a city dweller.
The best position for a butterfly garden is in full sun.
Butterflies are cold-blooded insects that can only fly well when their
body temperatures are above 70 degrees F. You have probably noticed that
butterfly activity is limited on cool, cloudy days and increased on warm,
sunny days. Without warmth, butterflies are physically unable to fly.
It is advisable to plant the butterfly garden in a location
that is sheltered from the wind. Wind currents make flight maneuver
difficult for butterflies and require the expenditure of extra energy as
they try to feed, mate, and lay eggs. A wind break can be provided by
simply planting evergreens to protect the garden from prevailing winds.
When deciding on the plants to incorporate into your
butterfly garden, choose a mixture of annuals and perennials. Annuals
bloom all summer but must be replanted every spring (after the last
frost). Perennials bloom year after year from the same roots but their
blooming periods are typically limited to a few weeks or months.
To enable the sight of most of the flowers (and butterflies)
in your garden, plant the shortest flowers in front and the tallest ones
in the back. Plant flower species in masses as butterflies seem to choose
those flowers that are most abundant. Being equipped with a highly
sensitive sense of smell, butterflies are able to identify clusters of
nectar flowers from quite a distance.
Across the United States, there seems to be little consensus
on the flower color or flower species that most attracts butterflies. Some
experts claim that butterflies prefer purple, lavender, and pink flowers.
Others proclaim red, yellow, and blue blossoms to be the color preference
of nectar-seeking butterflies. Some butterfly gardeners insist that
Lantana is an excellent butterfly-attracting plant while others insist
that it is not.
It is likely the case that different species of butterflies
show a preference for different species of flowers. And since different
species of butterflies inhabit different regions of the U.S., different
flowers may be utilized for nectar in different regions.
The selection of flowers offered as nectar sources also plays
a role in what the butterflies choose as nectar sources. If a garden
includes butterfly bushes, Mexican sunflowers, and purple coneflowers, you
will likely find most of the feeding butterflies on these flowers. If
hungry butterflies do not have the option of feeding on butterfly bushes,
Mexican sunflowers, and purple coneflowers though, they will settle for
something less desirable just to get their hunger satisfied.
Though avid North American butterfly gardeners may disagree
on many aspects of butterfly gardening, they tend to agree that every
butterfly garden should include butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii).
Throughout the United States, the flowers of butterfly bush prove to be
irresistable to many species of butterflies. Butterfly bushes grow 4' to
12' high, depending upon the variety chosen. Blooming mid July through
frost, their fragrant flower spikes may be white, lavender, pink, or
purple.
Among the best perennials for attracting butterflies to the
garden for feeding are butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), swamp
milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), purple coneflower (Echinacea
purpurea), Stoke's aster (Stokesia laevis), tickseed (Coreopsis),
lavender (Lavandula), blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata,
Gaillardia grandiflora)), Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum), and
pincushion flower (Scabiosa columbaria). Other
perennials utilized as butterfly nectar sources include black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia),
dame's rocket (Hesperis matrolalis), hardy ageratum (Eupatorium
coelestinum), heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides),
ornamental oregano (Origanum lacvigatum), pinks (Dianthus),
showy stonecrop (Sedum spectabile), beebalm (Monarda didyma),
goldenrod (Solidago), red valerian (Centranthus), daylily (Hemerocallis),
hyssop (Hyssopus), Phlox, and Aster.
To ensure the availability of nectar sources throughout the
summer, long-blooming annuals should be planted between the perennials you
choose for planting. Zinnia, tropical milkweed, Mexican sunflower,
cosmos, verbena, lantana, pentas, strawflower, and heliotrope are good annual choices for the butterfly
garden. Experiment with different flower colors to determine what the
butterflies in your area seem to prefer.
Just by planting the right flowers in the right place, you
will likely attract many species of butterflies to your garden. Amidst
these butterflies will probably be Monarchs, Swallowtails, Painted Ladies,
Red Admirals, Fritillaries, Hairstreaks, Coppers, and Crescents.
While flower nectar is the chief food source for most
butterflies, a few butterfly species prefer to feast on rotting fruit,
mud, and/or mammal manure. Red Admirals, Red-spotted Purples, Commas, and
Mourning Cloaks are among those butterflies that sometimes dine on rotting
fruit. Spring Azures, Eastern Tailed Blues, Sulphurs, and Swallowtails are
known to extract nutrients from mud. Viceroys, Red Admirals, Meadow
Fritillaries, and other butterfly species periodically feast on mammal
manure.
Butterflies add beauty to our world and fascinate people of
every age. Entice butterflies to visit your own back yard by planting the
flowers that most appeal to them!