Attracting Butterflies

Gardener and naturalist Louise Hallberg's mother first planted butterfly-friendly flowers in their garden decades ago, and now Hallberg's nine acres in Sebastopol, California, represent a registered sanctuary for dozens of butterfly species. To attract butterflies to the garden, says Hallberg, it is sometimes necessary to make unusual plant choices. She recommends taking these steps:

  1. Understand that butterflies start out as eggs, then become caterpillars, and then move into a chrysalis (not a cocoon!) and become butterflies. The caterpillars and adult butterflies have very different food needs, and both must be met.
  2. Adult butterflies lay their eggs directly on the food source that the caterpillars will require, so that source should be made readily available in the garden--even for those who usually consider such plants to be weeds. Here are a few examples:
    bulletMonarchs eat milkweed.
    bulletPainted ladies lay eggs on thistle.
    bulletPurplish coppers favor sorrel.
  3. Grow just about any nectar plants--trumpet vines to day lilies to bergamot--for adult butterflies, which will drink from any of them.
  4. Plan to have at least one nectar plant variety blooming from February through November, because adult butterflies need nectar during all these months.

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This site was last updated 05/25/04