Butterfly gardening

BUTTERFLY GARDENING

Everyone is delighted to see colorful and graceful butterflies flutter though the garden during a summer day. 

 Flowers that love a lot of sunlight are very attractive to butterflies.

 

Sadly these lovely creatures now need our help to survive.  Deforestation in their native habitat in Mexico has greatly affected the Monarch butterfly population.  At the same time harsh late winters have hit our Black and Yellow Swallowtails, killing the young caterpillars in early spring.  Thankfully there is something we can do to help, 'Butterfly Gardening'.

When trees in their natural habitat in Mexico are cut down
millions of Monarch butterflies have no place to gather.

Butterfly gardening can be as easy as planting flowers and herbs that butterflies require to feed or lay their eggs.  One step you can take to make your garden a 'butterfly habitat' is to plant parsley, dill and milkweed.  Butterflies lay their eggs on these plants.  The caterpillars hatch, grow, turn into chrysalis, commonly called a cocoon and soon emerge as a new young butterfly.  If you notice your dill slowly disappearing, look for caterpillars of Black or Yellow Swallowtails on it.  Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on 'Milkweed' which is a perennial.

 

 

 

The last stages of both the Monarch (top) and Swallowtail (lower)

caterpillars are colorful and easy to spot.

 

Many annuals are still available that will attract butterflies for your garden.

 

 

The  chrysalis of  Monarchs look like jewels hanging on the bottom of this milkweed leaf.

Butterflies like sunlight but it doesn't matter to them if a flower is planted in the ground or a pot.

Butterflies can't resist lantana which I like to plant in pots. 

My favorite is lantana. Lantana is used as an annual in our area because it cannot survive our cold winters.  Planted in the ground or in a pot, butterflies will always stop at this flower for a snack.  Lantana is deer resistance and hardy.  If you forget to water this plant it will bounce back when you do.  If you are going to a July 4th party, a pot of lantana is a great gift for the host.

 

Look at plant labels to see if they are marked "attract butterflies".

 Most garden centers label plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Butterflies are going to need assistance for many years to come so please keep this in mind when planning your garden for future. 

 

Overuse of pesticides create another hazard  to butterfly populations.

 

Enjoy the summer and happy gardening,

James