Bring Butterflies To Your Garden

The creation of a butterfly garden allows you to make a suitable habitat for an entire season. Your garden needs host plants for the larvae, nectar plants for adults, and open sunny areas for them to bask. Butterflies also require a sunny location because they are unable to regulate their own body temperature.

Butterflies lay their eggs on food source plants. Each species requires a specific plant for their larvae. For example, Monarch larvae feed on milkweed and the Black Swallowtail larvae eat parsley or dill. To have butterflies in your garden, you need to let caterpillars munch their way through some of your foliage. It may be surprising to learn that caterpillars rarely do a great deal of damage to your plants. Insecticides are deadly to caterpillars and butterflies, so look for organic ways to handle other insect problems.

Butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of different flowers. They sit on the flower while they sip nectar and prefer plants with closely compact clusters of flowers. Some of the ones they prefer include the Butterfly Bush, Lilac, Butterfly Weed and most Daisy flowers. The butterflies usually prefer sunny locations and seek out the more fragrant flowers.

Male butterflies seek out water. Shallow dishes filled with sand and water is great for them. This will be a favorite congregation spot for them. The function of the puddle is thought to provide moisture and minerals that they need, and is also part of the mating process.

With some planning and care, you will be able to attract caterpillars and butterflies to your landscape. It may take some time; the garden is an invitation and not a command performance. The more plants you have and the longer you stick to it, the more likely you will be to see butterflies in your yarn.