GARDENING Attracting butterflies to your garden.
A common question I often hear is, “How do I attract more butterflies to my yard?”
Butterflies belong to the Lepidoptera order of insects. The caterpillar, or larva, go through a series of ‘instars’ and changes in appearance. Many butterflies spin a silk case or cocoon prior to pupating; this structure is known as a chrysalis.
Some butterflies may pupate in crevices or underground. It is very important to recognize the larvae as well as the adult forms of the butterfly. Some of the ugliest caterpillars that you might be inclined to kill in your yard may be the immature form of a beautiful butterfly (example: the Spiny elm caterpillar is the immature form of the Mourning Cloak butterfly). Be sure to identify your caterpillars before assuming they are the ‘bad guys’.
In order to attract butterflies, you not only need to attract and feed adult butterflies on nectar rich plants and flowers. You also need to offer them an inviting place to rest, hibernate, lay their eggs and provide food for their larvae and caterpillars to eat.
Butterflies are near sighted and are more attracted to stands of a particular colour. Adult butterflies searching for nectar are particularly attracted to red, orange, yellow, purple and pink blossoms, flat-topped flowers and short flower tubes. An area of plants which flower at the same time will be more appealing to butterflies than a lone plant with few flowers.
Plant flowers in sunny places, alongside some rocks or stone walls where butterflies can settle. Protecting areas in the garden, specifically using shrubbery, tall grasses or brush piles, will shelter butterflies from the elements, and provide a safe place for caterpillars to pupate.
Shallow bird baths or even a small dish of water in your garden will also be inviting to butterflies. Damp gravel or wet sand will provide a mineral lick for butterflies where they can obtain fluids and minerals.
Nectar-bearing plants are a magnet for adult butterflies. Examples include milkweed, butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), buddleja (Butterfly bush), echinaceae (Coneflower), lantana, lilac, marigold, ornamental thistles, sunflower, sweet pea, verbena and zinnia.
Plants that will attract butterflies include:
Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) Azalea
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma and sp.)
Cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis)
Clematis
Columbine
Coral Bells (Heuchera sp.)
Delphinium
Dianthus
Foxglove (Digitalis sp.)
Fuchscia spp.
Pentstemon
Phlox
Salvia
Scarlet trumpet honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Snapdragon
Speedwell
Spirderwort
Turk’s Cap Lily (Lillium superbum)
Some of the more common butterflies that you may find on the Prairies, as well as specific plants that will attract these butterflies, are:
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) Sweet Fennel, Lomatium, Citrus
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - Parsley, Green Fennel, Dill and Rue.
Canadian tiger swallowtail (Papilio canadensis)
Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) Willow, cottonwood, chokecherry
Yellowpatch or Peck’s skipper (Polites coras, Polites pekius)
Silver spotted skipper
Checkered white (Pontia protodice) Mustard family
Clouded sulfur (Colias philodice) Alfalfa, clover.
Common checkered skipper: Mallow, hollyhock
Spring azure (Celastrina ladon) Summer azure (Celastrina neglecta)
Grey Hairstreak (Strymon melinus): Mallow family , hollyhock , rose and marsh mallows
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Milkweed sp.
Mourning Cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa): Willow, aspen, cottonwood, elm
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia): Passifloras, pansy
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta): Nettle, false nettle, pellitory
Painted lady (Vanessa cardui): Thistle, hollyhock, sunflower
Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae)
How many of these butterflies can you attract to your garden?