Plant a Garden…Grow Butterflies

 “Not quite birds, as they were not quite flowers, mysterious and fascinating as are all indeterminate creatures.”   -Elizabeth Goudge

Tiger Swallowtail

Who would not be fascinated by these silentious floating jewels?  Butterflies are simple to attract, beautiful to observe, and they undergo a life cycle that will fascinate you.  Butterfly gardening is a wonderful way to explore the natural world around us and appreciate the vast beauty of nature that exists right in our own backyard.  In fact, according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, wildlife watching as a whole has become one of this country’s fastest-growing outdoor recreational activities! 

the Common Buckeye possesses uncommon beauty

1. Host Plants:  All butterflies begin as a tiny egg laid by a female adult butterfly on a specific plant called a host plant.  The “baby butterfly” that hatches out of the egg is really a caterpillar with a voracious appetite for this specific plant.  Provide the host plants for whatever butterfly you want to attract. For example, Monarchs require Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) or Swamp Milk Weed (Asclepias incarnata) as a host plant.   Spicebush Swallowtails would appreciate the aptly named Spicebush (Lindera benzoin).  To attract the Eastern Black Swallowtail, add some celery, dill, fennel, or parsley to your herb garden.  A complete listing of host plants can be found on the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Website (ces.ncsu.edu).  Remember, baby butterflies (caterpillars) will eat the host plant—meaning they will eat your garden--this is what nature intended so do not be tempted to remove them or they will starve!  Do not fret, however, most plants will tolerate the loss of foliage just fine and continue to grow.

Monarch Butterfly Catepillar

2. Nectar Plants:  With all that fluttering about and laying of eggs, adult butterflies need a constant energy source, i.e. nectar, in the form of flowering plants.  Butterflies see more colors than humans and are attracted to bright colors like red, orange, yellow, bright purple, and hot pink.  Plant a good variety of native flowers such as Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata), Tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata), and Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum).  Again, a complete listing of nectar plants can be found on the aforementioned website.

 Monarch Butterfly on Butterfly Weed (Aslepias tuberosa)

3. Location, Location, Location:  A sunny location is a must for two reasons:  butterflies need to warm their bodies in order to fly, and most of their favorite  flowering nectar plants grow in full sun.  Provide a flat rock or two in the garden where they can rest and warm up.  Choose a spot that is protected from strong winds, as many butterflies will avoid areas where they are rudely blown about.  Provide a source of water in the form of a shallow, sand-filled “puddling” area, where male butterflies will congregate to ingest water and salts needed for reproduction.  Last, avoid chemical pesticides!  You may be trying to kill aphids, but you will also kill adult butterflies, baby caterpillars, and beneficial insects like ladybugs, thus defeating the very purpose of your butterfly garden.  Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the jewels in flight…