Butterfly Gardening
Butterfly
gardening has become one of the most popular hobbies today. What
could bring more joy than a beautiful butterfly fluttering around
your garden?! Here are some tips to make your garden especially
butterfly-friendly.
Your first step should be to find out which butterflies are in
your area. You can do this by spending some time outdoors with your
field guide to see which species are around. Amazon has a great selection of Butterfly Field Guides
You then to need choose the best location for your garden that will provide sun, shelter and water. Click here for complete steps on how to start a butterfly garden.
DO NOT USE PESTICIDES IN YOUR GARDEN!
To learn how to garden organically,
click here.
Butterflies use two different types of plants - those that provide nectar for the adults to eat (nectar plant), and those that provide food for their offspring (caterpillar host plant). It is best to find out which plant species are native to your area and plant those rather than exotic species. There is a wonderful tool from National Wildlife Federation here. Your local nursery can also help you determine which plants are native to your location. For a hands-on tool, Amazon offers a great selection of books about native plants. We also put together a list of seed resources.
Butterfly Plant List
| BUTTERFLY | CATERPILLAR HOST PLANT | BUTTERFLY NECTAR SOURCE |
| American Painted Lady | Everlasting, Daisy, Burdock | Aster, Dogbane, Goldenrod, Mallow, Privet, Vetch |
| American Snout | Hackberry | Aster, Dogbane, Dogwood, Goldenrod, Pepperbush |
| Anise Swallowtail | Queen Anne's Lace | Buddleia, Joe Pye Weed |
| Baltimore Checkerspot | Turtlehead, False Foxglove, Plantain | Milkweed, Viburnum, Wild Rose |
| Black Swallowtail | Parsley, Dill, Fennel | Aster, Buddleia, Joe Pye Weed, Alfalfa |
| Clouded Sulphur | Clover | Goldenrod, Grape Hyacinth, Marigold |
| Cloudless Sulphur | Cassia, Apple, Clover | Zinnia, Butterfly Bush, Cosmos, Cushion Mum |
| Comma | Elm, Hops, Nettle | Butterfly Bush, Dandelion |
| Common Buckeye | Snapdragon, Loosestrife | Carpetweed |
| Common Checkered Skipper | Mallow/Hollyhock | Shepherd's needles, Fleabane, Aster, Red Clover |
| Common Sulphur | Vetch | Aster, Dogbane, Goldenrod |
| Common Wood-nymph | Purpletop Grass | Purple Coneflower |
| Eastern Pygmy Blue | Glasswort | Salt Bush |
| Eastern Tailed Blue | Clover, Peas | Dogbane |
| Falcate Orangetip | Rock Cress, Mustard | Mustard, Strawberry, Chickweed, Violet |
| Giant Swallowtail | Citrus | Joe Pye Weed, Buddleia |
| Gorgone Checkerspot | Sunflower | Sunflower, Goldenrod |
| Gray Hairstreak | Mallow/Hollyhock, Clover, Alfalfa | Thistle, Ice Plant |
| Great Spangled Fritillary | Violet | Thiste, Black-eyed Susan, Milkweed, Ironweed |
| Greater Fritillary | Violet | Joe Pye Weed |
| Gulf Fritillary | Pentas, Passion-vine | Joe Pye Weed |
| Hackberry Emperor | Hackberry | Sap, Rotting fruit, Dung, Carrion |
| Little Glassywing | Purpletop Grass | Dogbane, Zinnia |
| Little Yellow | Cassia, Clover | Clover |
| Monarch | Milkweed | Dogbane, Buddleia |
| Mourning Cloak | Willow, Elm, Poplar, Birch, Nettle, Wild Rose | Butterfly Bush, Milkweed, Shasta Daisy, Dogbane |
| Orange Sulphur | Vetch. Alfalfa, Clover | Alfalfa, Aster, Clover, Verbena |
| Orange-barred Sulphur | Cassia | Many plants |
| Painted Lady | Thistle, Daisy, Mallow/Hollyhock, Burdock | Aster, Zinnia |
| Pearl Crescent | Aster | Dogbane |
| Pipevine Swallowtail | Dutchman's Pipe, Pipevine | Buddleia |
| Polydamus Swallowtail | Pipevine | Buddleia |
| Queen | Milkweed | Milkweed, Beggar-tick, Daisy |
| Question Mark | Hackberry, Elm, Nettle, Basswood | Aster, Milkweed, Sweet Pepperbush |
| Red Admiral | Nettle | Stonecrop, Clover, Aster, Dandelion, Goldenrod, Mallow |
| Red-spotted Purple | Black Cherry, Willow, Poplar | Privet, Poplar |
| Silver-spotted Skipper | Black Locust, Wisteria | Dogbane, Privet, Clover, Thistle, Winter Cress |
| Silvery Checkerspot | Sunflower | Cosmos, Blanket Flower, Marigold, Phlox, Zinnia |
| Sleepy Orange | Cassia, Clover | Blue Porter, Beggar Tick, Aster |
| Spicebush Swallowtail | Spicebush, Sassafras | Dogbane, Joe Pye Weed, Buddleia |
| Spring Azure | Dogwood, Viburnum, Blueberry, Spirea, Apple | Blackberry, Cherry, Dogwood, Forget-me-not, Holly |
| Tawny Emperor | Hackberry | Tree sap, Rotting fruit, Dung, Carrion |
| Tiger Swallowtail | Black Cherry, Birch, Poplar, Willow | Joe Pye Weed, Buddleia |
| Variegated Fritillary | Violet, Passion Vine | Joe Pye Weed |
| Viceroy | Willow, Poplar, Fruit Trees | Thistle, Beggar-tick, Goldenrod, Milkweed |
| Western Tailed Blue | Clover, Peas | Legumes |
| White Admiral | Birch, Willow, Poplar, Honeysuckle | Aphid Honeydew, Bramble Blossom |
| Zabulon Skipper | Purpletop Grass | Blackberry, Vetch, Milkweed, Buttonbush,Thistle |
| Zebra Longwing | Passion-vine | Verbena, Lantana, Shepard's Needle |
| Zebra Swallowtail | Pawpaw | Dogbane, Joe Pye Weed, Buddleia, Privet, Blueberry |
