Inviting butterflies into your garden doesn’t stop at the ‘nectar’ flowers to feed the colorful adults, but also the ‘host’ plants to feed the young caterpillars. Yes that’s right, we want to see more insects in your garden!
It’s something I really enjoy; watching the fluttering butterflies on a light summer breeze, dancing from flower to flower, sipping nectar for energy. Their colors are so vibrant and beautiful! Growing up in the Midwest I can remember watching for the Monarch’s return each May. Then I knew it was really springtime and school would be out soon!
I recently decided to create a butterfly garden of my own. On the south side of the house I already have Echinacea or Coneflowers and Agastache, Coreopsis and Sedums, so I have a good start with the perennials rich with nectar to attract the adult butterflies. I just need to add more plants of each variety, planting in bigger drifts. A great tip I’ve just learned is to plug in multiples of the same plant; repeated plants create a much bigger lure. The butterflies won’t be able to help themselves from staying over at the new Bed and Breakfast in town!
A little mud puddle to sip from and a warm rock to warm up on is supposed to be a great thing to have around too for the Butterflies. I could create a very small and shallow in-ground water garden, a few feet wide with nice flat stones nearby to sun on….just gives me another place to plant up!
Now to set the table for her ‘children’ or larvae. The female butterfly will look for certain plants to lay her eggs on or near so that her offspring, after hatching, have a good meal already provided. She is very specific about which plants she’ll choose as a ‘host’ for her little ones. At The Plant Farm I noticed we have gotten in many different host plants for butterfly larvae. I know because the tags are very colorful and prominent with great graphics about the Butterflies the plants will attract. You could try them all and have lots of fun identifying all the different butterflies you’ve attracted.
If you opt to have a garden ready and friendly for butterflies you’ll need to restrain from using pesticides and herbicides. The adults can be poisoned and their caterpillars should be safe from any toxic materials. You’ll need to be tolerant of the chewed up leaves, this time knowing holes in leaves are a good thing, as your caterpillars grow up and change into beautiful butterflies! You get to be a little messier on garden clean-up, as many types of adults and larvae use the camouflage of leaf litter as protection from the elements and predators.
Here’s a short list of Butterflies that I commonly see aroudn this region. I’m going to set a table for them with their favorite nectar plants and make an effort to have plenty of host plants for their little larvae!
Anise Swallowtail
– A large yellow butterfly with black stripe markings and rows of blue dots on the hind wing. Adults like many different types big showy flowers for nectar like Black-eyed Susan’s and Coneflowers to name two. Host plants for egg laying and larvae are Angelica, Dill, & Parsley.
Blue Azure or Echo Blue
– About 1 inch in size. The topside of the male’s wings are a lilac-blue with female’s darker blue with broad, black margins. Undersides vary from off-white to darker gray with faded black spots and crescents. Some preferred nectar plants are Red flowering currants and dogwoods. Larval host plants are the buds of red twig dogwood, salal, blueberries and cherry.
Painted Lady
– A large butterfly, about 3 inches wide with mottled orange and black wings marked with a white edge on the forewings. Preferred nectar plants are those with composite flowers such as dandelion, chrysanthemum, yarrow, coreopsis, sunflowers, dahlias, zinnias, asters, eupatorium, ageratum, lettuce, thistles, cosmos, and Black-eyed Susan. Preferred larval host plants are Echinops (Globe Thistle) & Mallows.
Purplish Copper
– A small butterfly around 1.5 inches. The upper side of females wings are orange with black spots, males are a dull brown changing to a shimmering purple in the sunlight. Nectar plants are asters, many composites like Black-eyed Susan, sunflowers, dahlias, coreopsis, cosmos, Eupatorium, Larval plants include Rumex acetosa aka Sorrel or Dock, cinquefoil and knotweed.
West Coast Lady
– A little smaller but very much like the Painted Lady in coloring. The wings are blunter or squared off in shape. Look for prominent blue spots on hind wings. Attracting adults with nectar plants- They like many flowers including sunflowers, asters, zinnias & rosemary. Larvae favorites are in the mallow family including Sidalcea, Lavatera or tree mallow (Lavatera), globe mallow, bush mallow (Malvastrum), mallow (Malva), and hollyhock (Althea).
I know I’m going to have fun with my new butterfly garden. I’ll let you know what I attract. Let me know if you create one too!
Mary
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