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A butterfly garden can quickly become the main attraction of your landscape. These colorful gardens are cherished for the beautiful butterflies they attract.
Besides the well-known
monarch butterfly, there are over 150 different butterfly species
that may be found in the Midwestern United States.
Butterfly gardens will also attract other nectar-feeding animals. These include hummingbirds, honeybees, bumblebees, and moths.
Select a sunny site for your butterfly garden. Make sure that it is sheltered from harsh winds. Locate the garden in a place where you will be able to easily watch the butterflies.
The plants you select for
the garden and surrounding home landscape will make a big difference.
You need to provide two types of food for butterflies: plant tissue
for when they are caterpillars, and nectar sources for when they have
matured into winged adults.
Landscape trees and shrubs may be used to provide food for the leaf-eating caterpillars. Recommended plants include birch, cherry, Eastern redbud, oak, hackberry, plum, sweet mockorange, viburnum, and willow.
Other good food sources for caterpillars include such perennials as clover, Kentucky bluegrass, little bluestem, violets, aster, and hollyhock.
For
adult butterflies, plant several different flowers to make nectar
available throughout
spring, summer and fall. Butterflies are generally
attracted to purple, orange, yellow or red flowers.
Recommended annual flowers include alyssum, cleome, cosmos, dianthus, nasturtium, petunia, verbena, and zinnias.
Recommended perennial flowers include
blazing star, butterfly bush, candytuft, columbine, gladiolus, peony,
phlox,
purple coneflower, sedum, stiff goldenrod, violets and yarrow.
Some herbs are attractive to butterflies. Dill, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, sage and thyme are good selections.
Even some weeds, such as dandelions, milkweed and Queen Anne's lace will attract butterflies.
