GARDEN TALK

The best flowers to attract butterflies

Most people might consider the world of gardening as just growing plants. But for those of us who are passionate about plants, the hobby goes way beyond that. Gardens can provide interest, beauty, food, therapy and achievement. They are also a habitat for life with active visitors, such as insects and birds. Sometimes a bonus feature of the flower garden is dedicated to the presentation of colorful butterflies.

Of all the specialty gardens, such as shade and vegetable gardening, butterfly gardening tops the list when it comes to wonder and excitement. There is nothing better than having a beautiful flower garden unless it is a beautiful flower garden that attracts those fascinating flying creatures. These unique insects easily spark interest and admiration from adults and children. Since we have so many native butterflies in Alabama, encounters are highly likely, so one might as well have them wander about the home garden or landscape and encourage them to visit often.

Butterfly gardens may sound complex, but designing and having one is really quite simple. Creating a butterfly garden involves designing the garden to attract, retain and encourage butterfly populations.

To start, designate a sunny area and plant flowers that both the gardener and the butterflies enjoy. The emphasis should be on choosing and arranging the flowers and plants correctly. To do this, one must become educated on the types of plants or flowers that butterflies prefer.

There are two butterfly plant groups: Nectar plants for adults and host food plants for caterpillars.

Adult butterflies primarily seek sugary nectar but also obtain other nutrients from decaying plant and animal matter. They are attracted to colorful flowers for that nectar source. Nectar, a sweet, high-energy liquid, is quickly and

The best flowers to attract butterflies

easily lapped up by the butterfly’s proboscis or tongue.

Most gardeners will get a few feeding butterflies by default when they plant annuals and perennials. Yet certain flowers of similar colors grouped together are more attractive to both butterflies and the gardener. Therefore, the strategy for more butterflies becomes planting the same species or variety in mass groups or bunches.

Butterflies have compound eyes, which causes them to have poor eyesight. The compound eyes do not allow them to distinguish tiny details, and because they are near-sighted, a bunch is more noticeable than a single flower. So, these near-sighted creatures draw to the large masses of color each flower produces when planted in clusters primarily because of their eyesight.

In addition, flower color and shape also play an important role in Creating Beauty Monarch butterfly attracting butterflies to specific plants. on a fall wildflower. Studies show that many

butterflies prefer plants that have pink, red, purple, yellow or orange flowers.

Most butterflies must also land on a flower to obtain nectar. This behavior indicates a preference towards plants with clusters of short, tubular flowers or large flat petals.

Since butterflies suck liquid food with a straw-like mouth, tubular-shaped flowers are ideally suited. Although butterflies may prefer clusters of tubular or flat-topped flowers, the goal is to select plants in various colors, sizes and shapes to attract as many butterfly species as possible.

The list of butterfly flowers and nectar plants can be extensive; however, the following flowers are not only proven but also are must-haves in a designated butterfly garden: Butterfly bush, butterfly weed, lantana, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, verbena, creeping phlox, pineapple sage, salvia, bee balm, sedum, zinnia and aster. Butterflies also like the flowers of azaleas, abelia, viburnum, crape myrtle and goldenrod.

Mixing various annuals and perennials can also extend the flower show season and regular butterfly

Garden Talk visits throughout the year. Since butterflies have multiple generations throughout the year, they would always be around if flowers are consistently in bloom. A butterfly garden also emphasizes the host plants and food sources for caterpillars – the baby butterflies. Oddly, butterfly gardeners choose to include plants that the caterpillars are going to eat up. Basically, the beautiful adult butterflies like colorful flowers as we do, and their ugly babies want to eat up the plants; however, host plants are not as showy and are included as designated plants that adult Shane Harris butterflies will lay eggs upon. These plants are for their caterpillars to feed on and grow up to be adults, which is necessary for the butterfly’s life cycle. Luckily for us gardeners, most butterfly caterpillars have very specific food host preferences. They won’t eat up everything. In fact, many of the insect pests we associate with plant damage, like tomato hornworms and armyworms, are caterpillars of moths. Occasionally, some are butterflies, but we rarely see the caterpillars of most butterflies unless we attract and

discover them in a butterfly garden. In nature, they prefer specific native trees, shrubs and wildflowers.

Adult butterflies lay eggs on host plants, so the larvae will have food until they mature. Once hatched, tiny caterpillars will feed exclusively on that host plant. Interestingly, once a caterpillar eats its first plant meal, it cannot survive on any other plant.

Monarchs, for example, only lay eggs on milkweed. Black swallowtails lay eggs on members of the carrot family, such as parsley, fennel and dill, but no other plants. Gulf fritillary caterpillars can be found on passionflower vines. Yellow Eastern Tiger Swallowtails grow up on the leaves of yellow poplar or black cherry.

Some top host plants to mingle into the butterfly garden are milkweed, dill, fennel and parsley. Native trees and shrubs that are great host plants near the garden are spicebush, dogwood, yellowpoplar, sassafras, black cherry, pawpaw, elm and willow.

At the end of the larval stage, butterfly caterpillars need sturdy, protected places to attach and form chrysalises. In due time, it soon changes and emerges as a new adult butterfly.

Lastly, locate and place the butterfly garden in full sun. Most of the plants chosen for the garden require full sun to do well. Cold-blooded butterflies also need these sunny areas to warm up. Large flat rocks and stepping stones are often placed in the garden, too, so they can bask in these areas to warm themselves.

Water sources should also be incorporated. Naturally, butterflies congregate around wet sand and mud to drink water and sip salt and minerals. Provide butterflies with a puddle to drink from by filling a shallow dish or pan with wet sand or gravel where they can land and drink safely. They like spots on the ground where the water has already evaporated from a puddle, but the edges are still moist.

In Alabama, we can enjoy flowers and watching butterflies from early spring to late fall. Why not have them both – two passions full of excitement all combined in your very own home landscape? Plant a butterfly garden today. Include and teach the kids, invite the neighbors, grab a camera and enjoy the show.

For help on other home and garden questions, contact your local county Extension office or visit us online at aces.edu. ~Shane Harris is the County Extension Coordinator for Tallapoosa County.

Butterflies Light

Facing Page: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on an azalea in the spring; Top Right: Many butterflies love our native butterfly weed; A Silver-spotted Skipper on butterfly bush; An ideal butterfly garden has a variety of colorful flowers; Gulf Fritillary butterfly on lantana.