Everyone loves butterflies, those graceful and vivid insects which don't bite or sting, invade houses, or buzz annoyingly. They add nothing but beauty to the world. Of course, their larvae eat plants, but most gardeners consider the damage caterpillars do minimal compared to the reward of having the adults around. Those who plant special butterfly gardens provide food, shelter, and resting places for these much-loved guests of summer.
People are used to seeing butterflies on the bright flowers in their gardens, but if they pay attention they may notice them visiting non-flowering plants. These are the 'hosts' that caterpillars like to eat, so they are where adults lay their eggs. These host plants can be trees, shrubs, herbs, perennials, vines, and ground covers.
A garden doesn't have to provide everything, of course. Even a window-box can give hungry insects a meal. However, it's fun to create a sanctuary, with everything the insects need during their entire life cycle. It all starts with the larvae. Herbs that caterpillars like include fennel, dill, parsley, and rue. Dogwoods, sassafras, pawpaw, and Sweet Bay magnolias are trees that feed larvae and adults. Garden favorites that serve as host plants include sunflowers, hollyhocks, Black-eyed Susan, asters, nasturtiums, and Echinacea. The wild passion flower vine and milkweed are valuable hosts; in fact, Monarch larvae only eat milkweed.
Butterflies need pretty much what every living creature needs: sunlight, food, shelter, water, a place for the young, and protection from predators. There are some other things that knowledgeable butterfly fanciers consider, like providing large rocks or bare patches of ground where the insects can bask in the sun. Being cold-blooded, butterflies need to warm up for the day's activities. These basking spots add aesthetic interest to a border, as well.
'Kaleidoscope' is only one of many terms for a crowd of these pretty insects. They can be called a flutter, a swarm, or a rabble. The caterpillars are called an army. A flutter often gathers at the edge of a mud-puddle, getting moisture from the wet soil. Gardeners can make 'puddling stations' of wet sand or put smooth rocks in shallow dishes of water to make water available.
Many of the blooming plants gardeners love are valuable for their nectar. Sweet Alyssum, creeping phlox, and Candytuft are colorful ground covers. Lantana, hyssop, the mints, lavender, and marigolds are butterfly favorites. These low-growing plants and herbs can be grown in front of taller favorites like Butterfly Bush and milkweed. Vines trained on a fence or trellis provide both food and shelter while taking up little space.
Those who want low maintenance can choose native plants. Many of these, like Bee Balm, are also deer and slug resistant. Bee Balm is a wildflower that thrives in zones three to eight. Coneflower is another native flower that deer and slugs usually leave alone but butterflies love. To provide the most help, find out which insects are native to the area or will migrate through and choose plants that those species need to survive.
Butterflies like diversity, so it's fine to mix in favorites like roses, daffodils, allium, and lilies. It's easy to create a garden that works for both the butterflies and the humans. Remember to avoid systemic pesticides, since these permeate the entire plant (including the nectar) and kill both adult insects and the larvae.
People are used to seeing butterflies on the bright flowers in their gardens, but if they pay attention they may notice them visiting non-flowering plants. These are the 'hosts' that caterpillars like to eat, so they are where adults lay their eggs. These host plants can be trees, shrubs, herbs, perennials, vines, and ground covers.
A garden doesn't have to provide everything, of course. Even a window-box can give hungry insects a meal. However, it's fun to create a sanctuary, with everything the insects need during their entire life cycle. It all starts with the larvae. Herbs that caterpillars like include fennel, dill, parsley, and rue. Dogwoods, sassafras, pawpaw, and Sweet Bay magnolias are trees that feed larvae and adults. Garden favorites that serve as host plants include sunflowers, hollyhocks, Black-eyed Susan, asters, nasturtiums, and Echinacea. The wild passion flower vine and milkweed are valuable hosts; in fact, Monarch larvae only eat milkweed.
Butterflies need pretty much what every living creature needs: sunlight, food, shelter, water, a place for the young, and protection from predators. There are some other things that knowledgeable butterfly fanciers consider, like providing large rocks or bare patches of ground where the insects can bask in the sun. Being cold-blooded, butterflies need to warm up for the day's activities. These basking spots add aesthetic interest to a border, as well.
'Kaleidoscope' is only one of many terms for a crowd of these pretty insects. They can be called a flutter, a swarm, or a rabble. The caterpillars are called an army. A flutter often gathers at the edge of a mud-puddle, getting moisture from the wet soil. Gardeners can make 'puddling stations' of wet sand or put smooth rocks in shallow dishes of water to make water available.
Many of the blooming plants gardeners love are valuable for their nectar. Sweet Alyssum, creeping phlox, and Candytuft are colorful ground covers. Lantana, hyssop, the mints, lavender, and marigolds are butterfly favorites. These low-growing plants and herbs can be grown in front of taller favorites like Butterfly Bush and milkweed. Vines trained on a fence or trellis provide both food and shelter while taking up little space.
Those who want low maintenance can choose native plants. Many of these, like Bee Balm, are also deer and slug resistant. Bee Balm is a wildflower that thrives in zones three to eight. Coneflower is another native flower that deer and slugs usually leave alone but butterflies love. To provide the most help, find out which insects are native to the area or will migrate through and choose plants that those species need to survive.
Butterflies like diversity, so it's fine to mix in favorites like roses, daffodils, allium, and lilies. It's easy to create a garden that works for both the butterflies and the humans. Remember to avoid systemic pesticides, since these permeate the entire plant (including the nectar) and kill both adult insects and the larvae.
About the Author:
You can visit www.joyfulbutterfly.com for more helpful information about Create Butterfly Gardens As Sanctuaries.
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