Attracting Butterflies
Most butterflies require specific host plants throughout all stages of life—from eggs to caterpillars and chrysalis to butterflies. Many people mistakenly focus all their attention on the nectar plants to attract the adults, without equal attention to the larval plants that will feed the growing caterpillars—helping to insure that you will have generations of returning butterflies to your garden. As it happens, butterflies are less picky about nectar sources, so adding non-native, non-invasive nectar plants can also work quite well.
PLANT CARE & INFO
Your butterfly garden should be located in an area with full sun for most of the day and shelter from winds. To enjoy the presence of our flying friends in the garden , it can also be beneficial to plant in a space that will be noticed often—along a path, outside a window that you look through frequently, or by an entryway. Consider the maintenance requirements of the plants that you choose, making sure that they will receive enough moisture, drainage, etc. You may also want to consider placing some comfortable seating amongst the plants for your own viewing pleasure. Keep binoculars and a butterfly identification guide on hand to increase your knowledge and add to the fun!
Leaving some patches of tall grass or unkempt weeds in an out of the way part of your property provides the shelter that most butterfly species need to get out of the rain or for resting at nighttime.
Adult butterflies need water and trace minerals as well as nectar. If you don’t have such a spot, you can create one by providing small damp puddles where they can stop and sip. This can be accomplished by digging out a shallow depression an inch or two deep and about two feet wide in a frequently watered area. Alternatively, a bucket of sand can be sunk into the ground and kept wet.
When temperatures are cooler, butterflies need to warm their flight muscles and blood by basking with their wings open to soak up warmth from the sun. Placing some large, south facing stones will facilitate this and provide you with some excellent viewing opportunities.
Depending on the species, butterflies spend the winter in different life stages, seeking shelter in all sorts of places throughout your yard. Fallen leaves and dry stalks provide places for species that pupate near the soil. You may find chrysalides among the branches or leaves of larval host plants. Tidying up your garden in the fall after the glory days of summer can deprive the butterflies of these vital winter habitats, so please leave some areas of plant mess about for your winged friends!
Butterflies can be harmed by many garden sprays, including organic types. Ask us about safer solutions, or remove treated flowers to keep butterflies from visiting sprayed plants. Remember, if you are treating for pests, never spray when butterflies are present!
EXPLORE BUTTERFLY-FRIENDLY PLANTS
Natives & Non-Natives
Many of the NW Native plants we carry at the nursery are good butterfly plants as well as good garden plants. Here is just a partial list of what we usually see during the year:
- Achillea millefolium: Common Yarrow
- Allium cernuum: Wild Onion
- Amelanchier alnifolia: Serviceberry
- Aquilegia formosa: Western Columbine
- Asclepias speciosa: Showy Milkweed
- Camassia: Camas
- Dicentra formosa: Bleeding Heart
- Erigeron: Flea Bane
- Eriophyllum lanatum: Oregon Sunshine
- Mimulus guttatus: Yellow Monkeyflower
- Holodiscus discolor: Oceanspray
- Penstemon: Penstemon
- Rhamnus purshiana: Cascara
- Philadelphus lewisii: Mock Orange
- Sidalcea: Checker Mallow
- Spiraea: Spirea
- Symphyotrichum: Aster
- Viola adunca: Early Blue Violet
Find a list of natives and non-natives for attracting butterflies in our pdf: Inviting Butterflies into your Garden.
For a list of natives that attract butterflies and that we normally carry, refer to this list: Native Plants to Attract Butterflies.
