Gardening for Butterflies
Why Is It Important To Plant For Butterflies
Within the last few years the world as a whole has seen a sharp decline in butterfly populations. A study done over the past 40 years by 3 different groups, the Shapiro transect from northern California, the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), and the iNaturalist web platform have found that there was a decrease in all of the butterfly species that were studied. Over 450 butterfly species were studied in 72 different locations. Some of the species studied seen a rapid decline while others were not as severe. The NABA study showed “there was a 96% probability that the total abundance of butterflies is decreasing, with an estimated rate of 1.6% fewer individuals per year”, (Forister, 2021). With this study it is even more important to garden for the butterflies.
To further read the study: Fewer Butterflies Seen By Community Scientists Across the Warming and Drying Landscapes of the American West
It has been found that most of the reasons for the butterfly decline stems from a combination of climate change, loss of habitat, and lack of food sources, both for adult butterflies and their larva. Even though there has been a huge support of protecting and preserving the land that the Monarch Butterflies go to hibernate in Mexico and California, there is more that can be done to help protect them. It has been studied that throughout North America, other species of butterflies are also losing their habitat to construction of new development, which also contributes to a lack of food sources. So, what can we do?
What Can You Do To Help Butterflies?
One of my favorite ways to help butterflies is to plant what they need. These include nectar plants for the adult butterflies and host plants for the larva. These plants are not only beautiful but most of them are easy to grow and care for. Here is a list of my favorite plants to attract butterflies. This list is not limited to what I have listed below.
- Milkweeds/Butterfly Weed
- Lantana species
- Hibiscus
- Turk’s Cap- Malvaviscus arboreus
- Butterfly Bush-
- Cephalanthus occidentalis- Button bush, Honey bells, Button Willow
- Mallows
- Hackberry species
- Flame Acanthus- This plant goes by several names- look for the Anisacanthus quadrifidus varieties
- Legumes
- Passion-flowers
- Prunus mexicana-Mexican Plum
- Asters
- Monarda species- Bee Balm
- Cardinal flower
- Cococlinium- Mistflowers
- Parsley
- Fennel
- Salvia species
- Coreopsis species
- Verbena species
- Dogbane- Apocynum varieties
- Betula species- Sweet Birch, Black Birch, Cherry Birch, Paper Birch, Grey Birch, White Birch, etc.
- Native Grass species
- Campsis radicans- Trumpet Creeper, Trumpet Vine, Cow Vine, Foxglove Vine, Devil’s Shoestring
- Cirsium species- Thistles
- Cornus species- Dogwoods
- Hamelia patens- Hummingbird Bush, Firebush, Scarletbush
- Goldenrod- This plant gets a bad rap because it blooms the same time ragweed blooms. This plant does not cause allergies like ragweed. It is an excellent plant for both butterflies and bees.
Check out this List of Plants that I have Created for Hummingbirds that will also be useful for butterfly gardening.
Native Plants For Butterflies
One of the best ways to help butterflies (and bees) and to attract them in your area is by planting native plants. This is one of the most important steps for the survival of butterflies as a whole. Planting native plants can benefit other wildlife as well. They are easy to grow in your area and most require little care. Another benefit is that native plants are already used to the water, soil, temperature, and light requirements to their particular landscapes.
Butterflies need multiple plants for nectar- their source of food. They also need host plants to lay their eggs on. Butterflies will not lay their eggs on “any” plant. Each type of butterfly has a particular plant or plants that they need to lay their eggs. For Example, the Monarch Butterfly will only lay their eggs on milkweed plants. These host plants are suited perfectly for what their larva will eat right after hatching out of their eggs. Host plants will support the growth of the caterpillars until they are ready to turn into a butterfly.
Here is a great link to find lists of Local Plants for your Area.
The North American Butterfly Association also has a list of chapters that can guide you further on which plants are host plants and nectar plants for the butterflies in your area.
Designing Your Plant Placement For A Butterfly Garden
Only bees are more important to pollinating plants than butterflies. This is one of the greatest reasons to plant and maintain a butterfly garden. Not to mention, there are over 700 species of butterflies that call North America their home. For every square meter of space used for butterfly plants in the garden it will also become homes for many other species of beneficial insects that reside in your yard. Creating that space in either your yard or even an apartment balcony is not difficult to do. You can essentially design it however you like, as long as you follow a few guidelines with butterflies in mind.
- Make sure you have plenty of nectar plants and host plants for your butterflies.
- Supply a source of water for your butterflies
- Ensure you have a warm place for your butterflies to warm up on cool days.
- Provide shelter, if possible.
When Gardening For Butterflies Where Do I Plant My Butterfly Plants?
Many butterflies like to fly around edges. They like to be near the edge of the lawn, fences, and trees. This is not a must have for plant placement. You can plant an entire garden of butterfly plants and the butterflies will find them wherever you put them. Do remember that butterflies need to stay near warm sources, such as, gardening stones since they are cold-blooded. In addition, they will enjoy basking in the sun on cooler days to warm up their bodies. There are a few butterflies that do enjoy shady locations like the wood nymph and satyrs. However, be mindful that butterflies will try to avoid strong winds. When planning your plant placement you may want to think about giving butterflies a sheltered place away from those strong winds.
After some time, when the caterpillars are ready to begin the pupate phase of their life cycle, they will crawl away towards a thick part of vegetation. Many butterflies will try to find thick brush. I have had some crawl up to the easements of my house. I would later find their chrysalis hanging from the easements of the roof. They will find some interesting places to pupate.
Do Butterflies Prefer A Certain Color of Flower?
When planting for butterflies, think about how butterflies will be more attracted to large areas of color compared to individual plants splashed here and there in the garden. Butterflies like to see large concentrations of the same color when looking for nectar plants. Some experts claim that butterflies are attracted to purple flowers first, with red, yellow, white, pink, and orange flowers after that.
Keep in mind that your host plants will get eaten by the caterpillars when they hatch from their eggs. Don’t fall in love with those beautiful plants too much. I have lots of milkweed and I know that this plant will get eaten, sometimes down to the stems. I don’t let that bother me, since I know why that plant is really there. And I have watched my milkweed get eaten to the ground every year. Sometimes, I find myself going to my local nursery in search of more milkweed for my caterpillar-babies. In addition, I highly suggest finding a nursery or grower that does not use any pesticides on the plants that you intend to use for the caterpillars.
Be careful when watering your butterfly garden with a sprinkler. The water will wash away the nectar from the flowers leaving little to no nectar for the butterflies (and bees). It is always good practice to use a soaker hose or water low to the ground.
Do Butterflies Need Water Since They Are Drinking Nectar From Flowers?
Yes, butterflies will benefit from a wet area like a shallow puddle. I like to leave a planter saucer (the part of the plastic planting pot that you use underneath it to collect the water that runs out of the pot). I fill it will rocks and water and then wait for the butterflies to perch on the rocks and drink the water. Some butterflies love to get water from muddy puddles. Butterflies cannot drink water from a deep water source. This is why it is important to provide some type of shallow source of water for them.
Please- No Pesticides or Herbicides
I can’t say this enough- Please don’t use pesticides or herbicides. You might even need to be careful with some products on the market that are labeled “Organic”. These organic remedies can even be harmful to the delicate nature of butterflies, bees, and other wildlife around. It is best to treat pests with an IPM approach (Integrated Pest Management). This style of gardening focuses on preventative measures first. I will write a post in the near future about what IPM is and how you can work with this type of approach to gardening. You need to be patient when working in the garden and plan ahead.
What Are Butterflies Natural Enemy
As much as I hate to say it, our sweet little butterflies do have natural enemies. Their natural enemies are mainly birds, spiders, ants, and my most hated enemy is the wasp and yellowjackets. I have seen more wasps and yellowjackets take adult Monarch caterpillars away and eat them. I have also seen wasps eat them right on the plants that the Monarchs were on. They are not ashamed at all to do it right in front of you.
The worst time that I noticed a wasp eating a Monarch is when the Monarch had just hatched out of the chrysalis. Monarchs need time to let their wings dry when they come out of the chrysalis. A big fat red wasp came right over to the newly hatched Monarch and carried it not too far away and ate it. I was so irritated. However, I understand that this is all part of the natural cycle of life. You can help by making sure that you have enough plants for some of your butterflies to survive (and thrive) and leave nature to do the rest.
Photo by Erik Karits
Butterfly gardening is one of the best ways to help some of the most vulnerable species of insects around. Many many years ago, 30 years to be exact and before I had children, I was in charge of the annual flower gardens at the Harris County Extension Office in Texas. In my garden there, we tested new varieties of annual plants that had recently become available. We also tested some new varieties that A&M University was working on. I organized that garden for 10 years and I loved every minute of it, even in the hot and steamy summers. In that annual flower garden we were super lucky to get to see numerous butterflies flitter through. I love gardening for these little creatures. And it is vital that we continue to do what we can to help these delicately winged insects.
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