Flower Gardening for Butterflies

A butterfly garden should provide a well-rounded habitat that takes into account several local species of butterflies and their food, shelter, and breeding needs. Plants should be chosen with varied flowering times to provide nectar for your butterflies all season long.

When selecting flowering plants to use in a new butterfly garden, it is a good idea to start with plants that appeal to a large number of butterfly species. Some common plants are the Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), Bee Balm (Monarda), Purple Cone Flowers, Butterfly Weed (Asclepias), and some herbs such as sage, borage, and marjoram.  Plant tall flowers such as hollyhocks and sunflowers in the back of the flower garden, and they will act as a windbreak. Butterflies prefer sheltered areas where they do not have to fight strong breezes to feed. Research your common local butterfly species to learn what they prefer for nectar, and what you should include as host plants for them to lay their eggs on.

Butterflies use the sun to warm themselves. If it becomes too hot for them, they will seek shade to keep cool. Make sure to have plants that will provide shade for butterflies included in your garden plan. Butterflies can’t drink water from open space water like a birdbath or container. If you provide a flat container or space with wet sand or mud, butterflies will flock to it. This behavior is called “puddling”. You should include puddling space in your butterfly garden.

Remember that butterflies and caterpillars are insects, and they will be killed by pesticides. Even organic pesticides are not safe to use around butterfly gardens. Organic pesticides such as Bt, the microbial Bacillus thuringiensis, will kill caterpillars.