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Butterfly Gardening
The noted entomologist E. O. Wilson has described butterflies as "flowers of the air". The lives of butterflies are inextricably tied to plants. Plants are both room and board for butterfly adults and the larvae. So, to be a successful butterfly Bed & Breakfast you have to plant flowers rich in nectar that will advertise their presence with scent and color. Butterflies have a better sense of smell and of color than humans do. They can see colors we can't see like ultraviolet and polarized light. They are also see red, a color many insects do not see. In general butterflies prefer scented blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow flowers. Research on butterfly bush suggests diurnal Lepidoptera do not visit pale or white flowers as often as other colors.
What Flowers Should I Plant?
Many flowers will attract butterflies. Unfortunately, the desires of humans and butterflies usually differ. Humans pollinate flowers to produce large showy blooms. Butterflies prefer flowers that provide them with high quality nectar and so end up spreading pollen between the best nectaring flowers.
It
isn't necessary to sacrifice your entire cutting garden to attract butterflies.
In fact you may already have the beginnings of a great butterfly garden.
Some of the best flowers are traditional country garden flowers including
phlox, cosmos, impatiens, petunias, zinnia, marigold, butterfly weed,
aster, coneflowers Globe Amaranth, Lantana, pin-cushion flower, verbena,
yarrow, and of course butterfly bush. Oregano, lavender, dill and catnip are some common herbs that butterflies nectar at. You will attract butterflies
to lay eggs if you provide the plants their caterpillars like to feed
on. Hollyhocks, violets, and snapdragons are not great nectar flowers
for butterflies, but Painted Lady, Spangled fritillary, and Buckeye caterpillars
feed on the leaves. Some plants not usually found in the flower garden
that attract butterflies because they are important caterpillar host plants
include hops (Eastern Comma and Question Mark), dill (swallowtails) and scarlet runner beans (Long-tailed Skipper). Don't forget the trees! Important caterpillar host
trees include elm, birch, willow and cherry.
Dame's
Rocket or Sweet Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) a widely available
European self-seeding biennial. It looks much like phlox, and has white
to light purple flowers. It is often recommended for butterfly gardens,
but it escapes easily and is now recognized as an invasive
species in Wisconsin. The WDNR is asking that people destroy this
plant by pulling it out at the roots, or at least destroy all seed pods
if you are currently growing it.
If
you really want to attract butterflies consider planting these native
prairie species that have become flower garden favorites. Coneflowers,
bee balm, cardinal flower, blanketflower, prairie phlox, prairie verbena,
lupines, wild bergamot, blazing star and some other asters are all native
prairie flowers that are butterfly favorites and are relatively easy to
find at nurseries.
- Just like in business, location is everything. Butterflies are sun lovers so be sure your garden gets sun most of the day. Butterflies often drink from puddles, so a shallow dish of water in or near the garden will be an added attractant. For obvious reasons, it is important to not use pesticides anywhere near your butterfly garden. Some butterflies like the anglewings, overwinter in Wisconsin as adults, and Monarchs migrate south for the winter. But most caterpillars pupate in the fall and spend winter asleep in the plant debris or soil. If you want to be sure the pupating butterflies survive the freezing temperatures, cut down the dead plants, but leave them as a mulch to protect against freezing temperatures and desiccation.
Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects
© 2001-2004 The Cofrin Center
for Biodiversity and the University of Wisconsin Green Bay,
All Rights Reserved
Last
updated on
January 12, 2006