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Last Update
06/03/08
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| Butterfly
Plants for Your Garden |
ESSENTIALS FOR BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL BUTTERFLY GARDEN
- Adult nectar sources (N) - attract and nourish adult butterflies.
- Larval host plants (H)-
attract ovipositing female butterflies, food source for developing larvae.
- Shelter - vegetation that provides
protection from temperature extremes, storms/rain, predators as well as locations for
roosting/sleeping.
- Water source with fountain - allows for
easy and consistent access to water for drinking and thermoregulation.
GARDEN DESIGN
- Provide a combination of adult nectar sources and larval
host plants - attracts maximum variety of butterfly species; encourages
butterflies to remain in your yard, reproduce and build populations instead of just
passing through; allows gardener to appreciate all life history stages.
- Incorporate native plants into the landscape whenever
possible - most larval host plants are natives; adapted to region;
produces a small but representative extension of the natural ecosystem; attracts other
wildlife.
- Create horizontal and vertical heterogeneity
- choose plants that have different heights and growth habits; creates numerous
microclimates which in turn appeal to a greater diversity of butterfly species; provides
shelter; creates levels/strata of feeding opportunities).
- Aim for a consistent host plant and floral venue
throughout the growing season - choose plants that have different blooming
times; ensures that garden remains attractive and productive as long as possible; provides
food for butterflies during periods of low natural availability.
- Provide a number of different flower colors
- different butterfly species are attracted to different flower colors so include yellow,
orange, white and blue flowers as well as reds, pinks, and purples.
- Provide a mix of flower shapes - the
feeding behavior and proboscis length of a butterfly dictate which flowers will be
visited: long-tubed flowers, for example are typically more accessible to species with
long probosces whereas many composites (daisy-like flowers) provide a feeding platform and
easy nectar accessibility for smaller species.
- Plant in shade as well as full sun -
appeals to more butterfly species; many forest species prefer shadier locations.
- Plant in groupings - aesthetically
pleasing; provides masses of color; more apparent in landscape; allows larvae to locate
additional food resources in event of shortage.
- Choose appropriate plants for each location
- understand each plan's basic water, light, and soil requirements; will perform and grow
to its maximum potential.
GARDEN MAINTENANCE
- Give new plants a good start - water and
mulch new plantings to insure firm establishment.
- Fertilize - a regular fertilizing regiment
will produce maximum growth and flower production.
- Avoid pesticide application when possible
- all butterfly life history stages are very sensitive to pesticides; avoid Bacillus
thuringiensis; when pest problem arises treat it locally; use beneficial insects/natural
enemies.
- Learn to identify the butterfly species in your garden
- provides greater enjoyment; allows for gardener to "plant" for particular
local species.
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BENEFITS OF BUTTERFLY GARDENING
- Attract wildlife - bring
butterflies and other wildlife into your garden for purposes of enjoyment, observation,
study, and photography.
- Ecosystem/habitat conservation - a
well-planned butterfly garden becomes a small, but representative sample of the
surrounding habitat and as such provides a safe haven for butterflies and other wildlife
to gather, seek shelter, acquire food and water, reproduce and build populations; do not
underestimate the importance of even a small garden.
- Practical benefits
- Use of native plants - hardy and
drought-tolerant, disease/pest resistant, adapted to region so perform better under local
conditions.
- Food for natural enemies - healthy
butterfly populations attract and sustain healthy populations of beneficial
insects/organisms as well as provide food for birds, lizards, mammals, etc. which in turn
help control garden pests; most butterfly nectar sources also attract beneficial insects.
- Plant diversity - less susceptible to
pests/individual plants less apparent in landscape; large number of microclimates provide
home and shelter for other insects including beneficial insects.
- Scientific - keeping detailed logs on the butterfly
species encountered, times, abundance can provide important and useful information on
butterfly population numbers nationwide.
- Therapeutic - provide soothing retreat from every
day life
- Herbs - most herbs are also excellent butterfly attractants; useful culinary plants and
provide wonderful aromatherapy.
Source: Jaret C. Daniels
7953 SW 47th Ct.
Gainesville, FL 32608
Jcdniels@aol.com
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FLORIDA
PLANTS AND FLOWERS FOR BUTTERFLIES
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Cape Sable Whiteweed,
Ageratum iittoraie
N
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Climbing Aster,
Aster carolinianus
N
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Browne's Blechum,
Blechum pyramidatum
H
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False Nettle,
Boehmeria cylindrica
H
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American Beautyberry,
Callicarpa
americana N
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Partridge Pea,
Chamaecrista fasciculata
H
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Florida Fiddlewood,
Citharexylum
spinosum N
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Blue Mistflower,
Conoclinium coelestinum
N
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Curacao Bush,
Cordia globosa
H
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Golden Dewdrops,
Duranta erecta
N
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Coastal Mock Vervain,
Glandularia
maritima N
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Firebush,
Hamelia patens
N
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Railroad Vine,
Ipomoea pes-caprae
N
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Shrub Verbena,
Lantana depressa
N
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Buttonsage,
Lantana involucrata
N
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Southern Bayberry (Wax Myrtle), Myrica
cerifera
H
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Corkystemed
Passionflower, Passiflora suberasa
H
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Pentas,
Pentas lanceolata
N
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Red Bay,
Persea borbonia
H
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Florida
Keys Blackbead, Pitheceliobium
keyense H
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Doctorbush
(White Plumbago), P1umbago
scandens N
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Wild
Coffee, Psychotria nervosa
N
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Live Oak,
Quercus virginiana
H
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White
Indigoberry, Randia aculeata
H
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Fogfruit (Capeweed),
Rhyla nodiflora
N
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Cabbage
Palm (Sabal Palm), Sabal palmatto
N
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Privet Wild
Sensitive Plant, Senna ligustrina
H
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Chapman's
Wild Sensitive Plant, Senna
mexicana H
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Yellow
Necklacepod, Sophora tomentosa
H
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Nettleleaf
Velvetberry (Porterweed),
Stachytarpheta urticifolia
N
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Wild Lime,
Zanthoxylum fagara
H
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HERBS FOR BUTTERFLIES
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