Even people who aren’t fond of insects generally love butterflies. They are colourful and graceful as they flit from flower to flower in their carefree manner. In the caterpillar stage, they can also be fascinating—coming in all different colours and patterns. Some look like bird poop, some are fuzzy, some are stripped, and some have fake eyes to throw off would-be predators.
Many species of butterfly never roam more than a few hundred yards from where they were born, allowing you to foster the next generation that will fly through your yard. You do this by providing for their needs at all stages of their lifecycle and throughout the seasons. It’s not just about flowers.
Caterpillar Care
The caterpillar is the larval stage of the butterfly. They have different requirements than adults and will be focused on the leaves of plants for food, rather than the flowers. Some caterpillars require a specific host plant, so do some extra research if you would like to attract a particular type of butterfly. Milkweed, for example, is critical to the monarch caterpillar’s survival as it’s the only plant they can eat; however, most caterpillars are generalists who can feed on a few different host plants. Some of these hosts may be trees or shrubs, like the Hackberry tree that is required for the Hackberry Emperor butterfly in its larval stage. Once you find some healthy caterpillars, it is important to protect them from predators like birds, wasps, and ladybugs by using netting where possible. Large caterpillars will sometimes cannibalize smaller ones, so it doesn’t hurt to separate them onto different plants if you find a cluster somewhere.
Nectar Rich Flowers
Butterflies suck up nectar from flowers with their uncurled proboscis. Flowers that are native to your region will generally provide the best quality nectar (see EcoParent Spring 2022 for more info.). Contact your local native plant nursery or environmental organization if you need help determining what those are. Purple and yellow are the preferred flower colours of butterflies, with white and blue as runners-up, and red after that.
Butterfly-Supportive Flowers
The following flower families grow across most of Canada and the United States and support a good range of butterflies:
- Milkweed
- Coneflower
- Hyssop
- Aster
- Liatris
Cluster these in patches of three or more plants so that the butterflies can feed on one species at a time. Ensure you have a continuity of blooms, though late summer and fall flowers are the most critical for migrating butterflies like the monarch.
Height variation in flowers is important for attracting different kinds of butterflies. If you would like to support a particular butterfly, do some research on its needs (just like you did with caterpillars). Tiger swallowtails, for example, are drawn to tall plants like Joe Pye Weed, whereas skippers prefer low-growing flowers like dianthus and lavender.
Butterfly Puddling Stations
Water is critical to all creatures, and having a bird bath with some stones in it or a shallow dish with pebbles or sand will make it easier for a butterfly to drink. Ensure that the water is changed daily. Much of their liquid needs are met from nectar, but supplemental water is important on hot summer days when nectar may thicken too much for the butterflies to be able to draw the fluid in.
Have you ever seen a cluster of butterflies on a gravel or dirt road or the muddy banks of a river? They are gathering at these ‘puddling’ stations to get essential minerals. Leaving some bare earth in your garden can provide a place for them to do that nearby, so they don’t have to leave in search of it. If you are near a coastline, bring home a bucket of salty sand to create a patch they can suck up minerals from. Or, you can purchase a mineral or salt block—typically used for livestock—and leave that in the middle of a freshwater sand pit you make. The rain will leach the salt/minerals out a little at a time.
Butterfly Homes Year-Round
Protection from strong winds and rains can be found in dense bushes, evergreens, and log piles. Butterflies may also use these places to roost for the night. A sunning station to get them warmed up early in the day can be easily created by placing a large rock or patio stone where the morning sun will reach it.
For winter, it’s best to leave the leaves where they fall. There are eggs, young caterpillars, and chrysalises under those dried-up leaves trying to make it through until spring, so they can emerge as the first caterpillars and butterflies of next summer. Adult butterflies will overwinter hidden in log or brush piles (and tuck chrysalises in there too) so check the wood before you throw it on the fire and re-home anyone you find. Or, you could leave a brush pile in the back corner of your yard where it can be left undisturbed.
The use of pesticides in your garden would be detrimental to caterpillars and butterflies, so choose organic methods of pest management if you are having issues with a particular insect.
Planting a butterfly garden is a lovely way to engage with these creatures and invite more wildlife and colour to your yard. Now that you have an inspiring sanctuary for your winged friends, learn how you and your children can raise monarchs together in your homegrown oasis so that everyone can have a little more butterfly in their life.
