Planting a Butterfly Garden
I get lots of questions about butterfly gardens and lots of requests to create them for people. This article will focus specifically on attracting butterflies (but I hope you will invite other pollinators, Including moths, bees and hummingbirds in your plan!)
I am also gearing this article towards Central Texas, but most of the information probably would apply anywhere.
Here are the most important things to consider:
There are many ways to control unwanted pests and weeds in your butterfly garden. The best one is hand removal (and only planting plants that will be healthy and naturally pest resistant). It’s OK to use most of the modern pet friendly snail baits and organic pest control products. But don’t spray the flowers! And whatever you do, don’t use products containing bti, which targets caterpillars! If the butterflies lay too many eggs and you get too many caterpillars, simply hand remove and toss them well away from your plants. They make excellent bird food!
A lot depends on the plants you choose! You absolutely must go native, because the butterflies that occur here are specifically adapted to those species! Butterflies are attracted visually by color; moths mostly by scent. Butterflies taste with their feet and (most) feed on nectar with their proboscis. They are particularly attracted to white, red, yellow, orange, pink and purple flowers, and especially ones that are flat-topped or clustered and have relatively short flower tubes. Frostweed, Gregg’s Mistflower, Texas Lantana (not any of the other cultivars) Frogfruit, native milkweeds, almost any native white or yellow sunflowers or daisies, Prairie verbena, and native passion vine are probably your best bets. Butterflies are particularly attracted to plants that are the host plants for their caterpillar‘s, make chemicals they need for reproduction, or produce easily accessible nectar in large quantities. The preceding plant species, when taken together include all of these attributes for several species of our most common butterflies.
Don’t buy plants from big box stores or conventional nurseries if possible. Many of them raise their plants with systemic insecticide’s that will kill caterpillars and prevent butterflies from being attracted. If you buy from a nursery, ask about this (although employees may not be able to give you an informed answer.)
Finally, Don’t try to plant sun loving plants in the shade! The majority of Butterflies like sun-loving plants, in the sun, on sunny days. But some are specifically adapted to foraging in part shade (or even full shade in some cases). In fact, some species of butterflies will never go to flowers! They are attracted to rotting fruit, animal dung, salt residue, and other things you might not suspect!
For more information including some plant lists go to my website (martinbyhower.com) and check out my “gardening tips for wildlife” section.
I get lots of questions about butterfly gardens and lots of requests to create them for people. This article will focus specifically on attracting butterflies (but I hope you will invite other pollinators, Including moths, bees and hummingbirds in your plan!)
I am also gearing this article towards Central Texas, but most of the information probably would apply anywhere.
Here are the most important things to consider:
- Avoid harmful pest control measures
- Deciding what types of plants will you use? Do you want just annuals, or a mix including perennials, vines, shrubs, and even trees?
- The amount of space, sunlight and irrigation
There are many ways to control unwanted pests and weeds in your butterfly garden. The best one is hand removal (and only planting plants that will be healthy and naturally pest resistant). It’s OK to use most of the modern pet friendly snail baits and organic pest control products. But don’t spray the flowers! And whatever you do, don’t use products containing bti, which targets caterpillars! If the butterflies lay too many eggs and you get too many caterpillars, simply hand remove and toss them well away from your plants. They make excellent bird food!
A lot depends on the plants you choose! You absolutely must go native, because the butterflies that occur here are specifically adapted to those species! Butterflies are attracted visually by color; moths mostly by scent. Butterflies taste with their feet and (most) feed on nectar with their proboscis. They are particularly attracted to white, red, yellow, orange, pink and purple flowers, and especially ones that are flat-topped or clustered and have relatively short flower tubes. Frostweed, Gregg’s Mistflower, Texas Lantana (not any of the other cultivars) Frogfruit, native milkweeds, almost any native white or yellow sunflowers or daisies, Prairie verbena, and native passion vine are probably your best bets. Butterflies are particularly attracted to plants that are the host plants for their caterpillar‘s, make chemicals they need for reproduction, or produce easily accessible nectar in large quantities. The preceding plant species, when taken together include all of these attributes for several species of our most common butterflies.
Don’t buy plants from big box stores or conventional nurseries if possible. Many of them raise their plants with systemic insecticide’s that will kill caterpillars and prevent butterflies from being attracted. If you buy from a nursery, ask about this (although employees may not be able to give you an informed answer.)
Finally, Don’t try to plant sun loving plants in the shade! The majority of Butterflies like sun-loving plants, in the sun, on sunny days. But some are specifically adapted to foraging in part shade (or even full shade in some cases). In fact, some species of butterflies will never go to flowers! They are attracted to rotting fruit, animal dung, salt residue, and other things you might not suspect!
For more information including some plant lists go to my website (martinbyhower.com) and check out my “gardening tips for wildlife” section.
