| I grew up in the city surrounded by asphalt and | | | | extension unit at a local university. For quick |
| concrete sidewalks, brick buildings and vacant lots | | | | reference, though, here's a short list of butterflies |
| - but there was no lack of nature or butterflies in | | | | and plants that they love by region. |
| my life. Amid the sprawl of a decaying urban | | | | Northeastern N. America |
| landscape, the overgrown vacant lots choked with | | | | From W. Virginia up through Quebec and as far |
| 'weeds' attracted so many butterflies that they | | | | west as Indiana and Ohio |
| would perch on my shoulders and hands if I was | | | | Butterflies: Swallowtails (black, spicebush and |
| still enough. These 'accidental' butterfly gardens | | | | tiger), Cabbage White, Pearl Crescent, Monarch, |
| provided all the ingredients that butterflies require | | | | Buckeye, Red-spotted Purple, Great Spangled |
| to congregate en masse. These same ingredients | | | | Fritillary |
| can turn your garden into a fairy wonderland of | | | | Plants: Milkweed (monarchs), fennel, parsley, carrot |
| fluttering wings and color. | | | | and dill (black swallowtails), spicebush (spicebush |
| Over the past thirty years, butterfly gardening | | | | swallowtails), nasturtium (cabbage white), violets |
| has become popular, both to attract the beautiful | | | | (great spangled fritillary), willow, birch, beech, |
| travelers and to help preserve species of | | | | aspen, wild cherry (many species) |
| butterflies that were dwindling due to human | | | | Nectar Flowers: Buddleia, Heliotrope, Lantana, |
| encroachment into their natural habitats. If you're | | | | Milkweed, Mint, Pentas, Porterweed, Verbena and |
| planning a butterfly garden, it's important to keep | | | | Zinnias. |
| in mind that there is no one recipe for a | | | | Southeastern U.S. |
| successful garden. Butterfly species that are | | | | Butterflies: Swallowtails (black, spicebush, tiger and |
| indigenous to different areas are attracted to | | | | pipevine), Buckeye, Pearl Crescent, Monarch, |
| different types of plants. In order to foster | | | | Cloudless Sulphur, Gulf Fritillary, Red-spotted purple |
| butterflies, you'll need to know the butterfly | | | | Plants: Fennel, carrot, spicebush, dill, parsley, |
| species that are found in your area, and provide | | | | pipevine (swallowtails), wild cherry, poplar, |
| them with plants that are favored food sources | | | | sassafras, passiflora, wild senna, asters, milkweed |
| for adult butterflies as well as those plants that | | | | Nectar Flowers: same as northeast |
| they prefer for laying their eggs and nourishing | | | | Southern Florida |
| larva. | | | | Butterflies: Polydamas swallowtail, giant swallowtail, |
| There are, however, some standards that apply | | | | zebra longwing, Julia, gulf fritillary, orange-barred |
| to all butterfly gardens. Wherever you live and | | | | sulphur, cloudless sulphur, monarch, queen |
| whatever butterflies you hope to attract, you'll | | | | Plants: milkweed, wild senna, passiflora, wild lime, |
| attract more of them if you follow a few simple | | | | citrus, dutchman's pipe |
| basics: | | | | Midwest |
| Plant flowers in clumps and drifts. | | | | Butterflies: Swallowtails, Buckeye, Cloudless |
| Butterflies will flock to large expanses of flowers | | | | Sulphur, Pearl Crescent, Cabbage White, Monarch, |
| in similar colors that bloom at the same time | | | | Viceroy |
| rather than to single plants with just a few | | | | Plants: Pipevines, fennel, carrot, dill, parsley, violets, |
| blooms. A carpet of violets, a sea of buttercups | | | | nasturtium, wild senna, asters, snapdragon, |
| or a wide open field full of Queen Anne's Lace is | | | | verbena, cabbage, milkweed |
| sure to be visited by dozens of butterflies. | | | | New Mexico, Texas |
| Butterfly gardens need to provide both sun and | | | | Butterflies: Patch, Hackberry, Monarch, Pearl |
| shade. | | | | Crescent, Question Mark, Buckeye, Cloudless |
| Like all insects, butterflies are cold-blooded | | | | Sulphur, Gulf Fritillary |
| creatures. They thrive on warm sun, and will bask | | | | Plants: sunflowers, passiflora, hackberry, wild |
| on flat rocks or perch for long minutes on the | | | | senna, milkweed, nettles, asters |
| branches of a high bush in the sunlight. At the | | | | Arizona, California, Nevada |
| same time, they need shade and shelter when | | | | Butterflies: Western tiger swallowtail, anise |
| the sun is too hot, or on cool, cloudy days. An | | | | swallowtail, two-tailed swallowtail, black swallowtail, |
| area that gets bright sun for at least 4-6 hours | | | | pale swallowtail, pipevine swallowtail, cloudless |
| per day is the best spot for a butterfly garden, | | | | sulphur, west coast lady, Monarch, gulf fritillary |
| but don't forget to include landscaping details that | | | | Plants: Fennel, carrots, parsley, dill, wild senna, wild |
| offer shade. | | | | plums, buckthorns, wild cherries, wild lilacs, |
| Butterflies love puddles. | | | | hollyhocks, ashes, willows, aspens, poplars |
| Add a sunken birdbath to your garden, or provide | | | | Western States and Manitoba, Saskatchewan, |
| a cluster of rocks that traps rain water to give | | | | Alberta |
| butterflies a cool spot where they can indulge | | | | Butterflies: Western tiger swallowtail, pale |
| their love of standing water. | | | | swallowtail, cabbage white, striped hairstreak, |
| Regional Butterfly Species and Plants | | | | Wiedemeyer's Admiral, mourning cloak, monarch, |
| Different species of butterflies frequent different | | | | great spangled fritillary, painted lady |
| parts of the country. You can find more | | | | Plants: wild plums and cherries, aspen, willow, |
| information about which plants are best for your | | | | poplar, sunflowers, buckthorns, wild lilacs, |
| area at a local nursery, or the agricultural | | | | nasturtium, blueberries, ashes, violet, chokecherry. |