For a map of butterflies found in each U. S. state, visit https://www. thebutterflysite. com/butterfly-gardening-by-area. shtml. The butterflies in your area will typically feed on plants that are native to your region. Once you know which butterflies can be found in your area, use that information to decide which plants to include in your garden.
Some popular nectar-producing plants that will attract butterflies include purple coneflowers, milkweed, butterfly weed, asters, marigold, zinnia, cosmos, and lantana. [3] X Research source
Adult butterflies typically lay their eggs on different plants than the ones they feed from themselves. For example, a monarch butterfly will only lay her eggs on milkweed, since that is the only food a monarch caterpillar will eat. Black swallowtails prefer to lay their eggs on dill, parsley, fennel, and carrot. [5] X Research source A Gorgone Checkerspot lays its eggs on the sunflower plant.
Butterflies especially like purple, pink, orange, and yellow flowers. However, some butterflies can’t see the color red, so be sure that’s not the only color you plant![7] X Research source The fragrance of the flowers will also help attract the butterflies to the garden.
A variety of plant heights will help your butterflies feel more sheltered. To identify plants, you can look at their flowers. Some field guides separate species by flower color, which can be a handy shortcut when you are trying to narrow the plant you have to a list of possible species. However, this approach might not be helpful for plants that have flowers that vary in color or are not flowering when you find them. In such cases, you can look at other features, such as whether the plant is short or tall, erect, spreading or climbing, and the shape and arrangement of leaves and flowers (if present). A dichotomous key will help you use these features to deduce which species it is you are looking at.
They’ll also hide here if any predators approach. If this isn’t possible, you may want to include a butterfly house in your garden instead.
Butterflies are cold-blooded, so they require sunlight to warm them up throughout the day.
For example, if you have a shed and your area is frequently subjected to cold north winds, you could place your garden on the south side of the shed.
If you don’t have room to plant shrubs, try placing an arbor with vines near the back of your garden.
It’s fine to include different, non-butterfly plants in your garden. However, try to keep the flowers close together, as this will make feeding easier for the butterflies.
For instance, if some of your plants open in the late spring and others will bloom into the early fall, you could group your spring plants on one side of the garden, and your late-bloomers on the other side. If you have a small garden, you might not need to section it off.
Try to place the rocks so the sun hits them first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is when butterflies need the most warmth.
If you don’t have a lot of space, you can fill a shallow saucer with sand, then add a little water every day or so, or as needed.
The slatted openings should keep birds and bats from getting into the butterfly box. If you have a large garden, you may want to include more than one box.
Butterflies like Admirals and Red-Spotted Purples especially love sliced oranges, pears, or melons.
You can find butterfly feeders and nectar at most garden supply stores. You can also make your own butterfly food by mixing 1 part sugar with 1 part water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then wait for it to cool before you add it to the feeder. A hummingbird feeder won’t work for butterflies, since those are designed for the birds’ long, narrow beaks.
