What could be more delightful than following a butterfly’s flight? Attracting butterflies in greater numbers! Here are some suggestions on how to do just that.
The Ultimate Attracting Butterflies Garden
The National Wildlife Federation suggests eight steps for providing life’s necessities for attracting butterflies to your garden:
- Plant flowering plants native to your region. These will support a butterfly’s whole life cycle: the right foliage for the caterpillar, a place for the chrysalis, and nectar for the adult.
- Butterflies have favorite colors, too. They’re attracted by red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple blossoms.
- Butterflies like the sun. If your garden doesn’t have enough sun for their favorite sun-loving flowers, you can offer butterfly nectar sources.
- Plan your planting for continuous bloom, so your garden buffet is always open.
- Make your yard an insecticide-free zone.
- Feed the caterpillars. Don’t worry; butterfly caterpillars don’t do the wholesale damage that moth caterpillars do. For a list of butterfly caterpillar gourmet favorites, go HERE.
- Provide a rest stop. A few flat stones in the sunshine will give butterflies a place to warm their wings and orient themselves.
- Provide a puddling place. A shallow pan of sand inserted in your garden and kept moist can give your butterflies a good drink.
If you can meet all these requirements, you might qualify for one of National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitats. Go HERE for further instructions on how to do that.
The Do-What-You-Can Attracting Butterflies Yard
What if your yard isn’t sunny? What if you don’t even have a yard? An apartment balcony or even a window box can give you a mini butterfly space.
Start in early spring with a flower pot of pansies. When they fail, move to petunias or mini-zinnias and lantana. As summer wanes, go for asters, salvia, and chrysanthemums. A passionflower vine can take partial shade; be sure to provide something (trellis, string) for it to climb.
Under your pot, try an extra-large saucer. You can add sand to provide a butterfly puddler. If you can use sea sand, your butterflies will get necessary natural salts as well as water. You could also add a pinch of Himalayan salt.
If you don’t have much luck with flowers, you can create an artificial feeder for your butterflies. All you need is a flat dish or saucer, a natural sponge or even a paper towel or cotton ball, and some sugar water. To entice butterflies to your feeder, decorate it with bright glass beads or silk flowers. Garnishes of chunks of sweet fruits (mango, peach, orange, etc.) will be welcome, too. You’ll find lots of suggestions for making your butterfly feeder on YouTube, or you can buy one ready-made—and puddler stones, too.
Warning: Don’t place your butterfly feeder too close to your bird feeder. Birds like butterflies, too!
Recipe for Butterfly Food: Sugar Water
Combine one part sugar with eight parts water. Bring it almost to a boil, to dissolve the sugar. You don’t need to add any vitamins or (especially not!) artificial color.
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