Butterfly Gardening
It is not an illusion. Butterflies are becoming increasingly scarce, mainly due to the destruction of habitat. We can all play a small part in providing more nectar plants and larval food plants for butterflies and caterpillars, no matter what size our garden is.
Things to consider:
- is my garden in a sunny location? (Sun is important not only for the plants, but for the butterflies to warm their wings to be able to fly)
- does my garden have some shelter from the wind? (shrubs, trees or a fence will help a butterfly when it tries to land, and will block breezes from cooling the butterflies)
- do I have a warm perch on which the butterfly can land to warm itself? (rocks, evergreens, etc.)
- have I rid my garden completely of pesticides? (butterflies are insects!)
- is there a water source - both for the garden and for the butterflies? (you will need to water your garden, but butterflies also like to gather at mud puddles or wet sand)
- have I planted my plants in clumps as opposed to single specimens? (butterflies like large areas of flowers for nectaring)
- do I have both attractive nectar plants and larval food plants for the butterflies I wish to attract? (different plants will attract different caterpillars)
For more information about essential nectar plants, click here.
For more information about essential larval host plants, click here.
For more information about how to grow milkweed, click here.
Have a garden already? Consider registering it with Monarch Watch and create a Monarch Waystation!
