Butterfly
gardening is a great way to provide food for butterflies, pollinate
plants, and enjoy watching them fly about. The satisfaction that
gardeners receive from observing butterflies and other wildlife in
their gardens is a great reward for their gardening efforts. A
butterfly-friendly garden is attractive not only to butterflies but
also to bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.
The destruction of natural habitats has encouraged avid gardeners to grow native plants that are particularly attractive to butterflies. To support butterfly populations, you need to provide plants that are good sources of the nectar that butterflies sip. The garden also needs adequate sunlight, shelter, and mud puddles, which butterflies often visit.
Plant selection is the most important part of any
garden. Butterflies see a broad range of colors including shades of
red, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and lavender. They also see
ultraviolet light and use flower petal patterns as guides to the
nectar source. They prefer clusters of tubular shaped flowers or
larger flat flowers that can support their weight while feeding on
nectar.
Plants such as Aster, Echinacea (Purple Coneflower), Milkweed,
Joe-Pye Weed, New York Ironweed, Goldenrod, Dogbane, and Agastache
are all great native butterfly plants. Using native plants is
important because cultivars are bred for attractive features, but
lack the nectar desired by butterflies.
