Butterfly Gardening

In addition to appreciating aesthetic virtue in their surroundings, most gardeners are avid lovers of nature. Designing a garden to attract butterflies is a unique way to add to its enjoyment while at the same time assisting with the conservation of these unique creatures. The latter is important since urbanization and other developments have contributed to decreasing their natural habitat and numbers. In any case, butterflies are easy to attract, fun to watch and represent a source of enjoyment for all who appreciate the beauty of nature.

Butterflies are colorful for a variety of reasons, most of which have a practical application in nature. For example, certain species of butterflies are colorful to announce to would-be predators that they are either toxic or unpalatable. Predators such as birds will long remember the colorful markings of a butterfly species that made it sick the last time the bird tried to use it as an afternoon snack. While this defensive scheme employing color does require a few of the species to be lost to predation, it insures the survival of many, many more of the same species. In other instances, colorful markings or wing spots might be used by butterflies to confuse or frighten those that would use them as a food source.

In order to do a good job of attracting butterflies to a garden, it is important to know something about the life cycle. Butterflies are members of the insect order Lepidoptera, whose members go through a four-stage life cycle consisting of egg, larva, pupa and adult. Typically, butterflies go through two or more generation (broods) per year under Missouri conditions. Adult butterflies have syphoning mouth parts, and most species feed primarily from nectar produced by flowers. Butterfly species vary in their preferences of nectar, both colors and tastes. Planting a wide array of nectar producing plants staggered in bloom dates will result in attracting a wide array of butterflies. Table 1 lists common garden plants used for attracting butterflies.

Butterflies can also be attracted to a garden by planting species that attract adult females who are searching for desirable host plants for their eggs. Once deposited, the eggs will hatch into larva (caterpillars), which have chewing mouthparts and consume leaves of the host plant for food. Again, different species of butterflies have different host plant preferences. These hosts plants are likely to look a bit tattered in the butterfly garden since their primary purpose for being is to serve as a food source for larval butterflies, which are known for their ravenous appetites

In addition to sources of food for themselves and their offspring, adult butterflies are attracted to warm, sunny locations that offer a bit of protection from the elements and would-be predators. Butterfly gardens should be located in a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sun. Morning to mid-afternoon sun is best since butterflies need to “warm up” on cool mornings before they can begin their daily activities. This is done by spreading their wings to the morning sun and transferring the heat absorbed by their wings to their bodies. Placing reflective surfaces such as flat stones in the butterfly garden will help them accomplish this task. A semi-shady area near the butterfly garden is helpful in that it provides a place butterflies can hide in inclement weather or cool themselves on overly hot days.

Butterflies are also attracted to wet soil or sand to obtain needed minerals. This process is called “puddling” and can be facilitated by placing a shallow dish in the butterfly garden, filling it with coarse sand and keeping it moist. Locating this dish under a soaker hose used to irrigate the butterfly garden can help to keep the sand continually moist. An additional method of attracting butterflies involves placing over-ripe fruit in the garden and allowing it to “age” for a few days. As malodorous as this might seem to humans, it is a real “magnet” for certain butterfly species.

It is important to remember that butterflies are insects and will likely suffer harm from some of the common insecticides used in gardening. Biological control is probably the safest approach to the control of problem pests such as aphids or spider mites in the butterfly garden. Also, plants that produce nectar tend to attract bees and wasps as well as butterflies. If left undisturbed, most bees and wasps pose little threat while feeding. People who are allergic to their stings, however, should take special precautions. Finally, while it is nice to attract butterflies, it is even more interesting to determine the identities of your guests. Peterson’s First Guide to Butterflies and Moths is an excellent reference for the beginner and can make butterfly gardening even more rewarding.

Table 1. Plants That Attract Butterflies

Annuals	Perennials	Herbs	Shrubs
Ageratum	Aster	Catnip	Butterfly bush
Cosmos	Beebalm	Chives	Cotoneaster
Gomphrena	Blanket flower	Dill	Lilac
Heliotrope	Butterfly weed	Fennel	Mock Orange
Impatients	Chrysanthemum	Lavender	Privet
Lantana	Coneflower	Mint	Spirea
Marigold	Coreopsis	Parsley	Viburnam
Mexican sunflower	Daylily
Nasturtium	False indigo
Nicotiana	Gayfeather
Petunia	Goldenrod
Salvia	Hollyhock
Snapdragon	Iron Weed
Sunflower	Phlox
Sweet Alyssum	Rudebeckia
Verbena	Sedum
Zinnia	Shasta Daisy
	Yarrow

David Trinklein, Associate Professor, Horticulturist., UMC (573) 882-9631