Butterfly Gardening Facts

Butterfly gardens can be grown throughout the United States. There is a wide variety of both butterfly attracting (nectar) plants and host plants covering climate zones throughout the country.

Butterfly gardens can range in size from a few containers placed in a sunny spot to several acres.

Nectar-producing plants will attract butterflies to your garden. In order to support a full butterfly lifecycle, host plants (for laying eggs and use as a caterpillar food source) must also be present.

Throughout the country, the general requirements for butterfly gardening are the same: full sun, nectar source plants, larval host plants, a pesticide-free environment, and knowledge of the local butterfly fauna.

Many butterfly-attracting plants are natives and require little attention, as they are naturally adapted to the region in which they live.

Butterfly gardens are best planted in the spring with younger plants or in the fall with mature plants that will become dormant quickly and re-emerge in the spring. It is best not to plant in the heat of summer or the cold of winter.

One of the most common mistakes in butterfly gardening is planting only one nectar source. Adult butterflies have a very short lifespan. Planting a variety of nectar sources will encourage more butterflies to visit the garden. Planting an adequate supply of host plants gives butterflies a place to lay their eggs, which will successfully hatch and result in butterflies that will continue to visit the garden.

Butterflies typically lay their eggs in late spring and hatch 3-6 days after they are laid. It takes 3-4 weeks for a caterpillar to pupate and 9-14 days to emerge as an adult.

Good resources for learning more about butterfly gardening include zoos, botanical gardens, butterfly houses, garden centers and nurseries, libraries and the internet. There are many good websites dedicated to butterflies and butterfly gardening.