Attracting Butterflies To Your Austin Garden

No matter what size garden you intend to create, there are several key elements required to attract and keep butterflies: Plants, sun, wind protection, moisture, shelter, and a pesticide-free area. Create a ‘butterfly bath’ using a shallow dish, add dirt or beach sand, and keep the soil moist, but not soaked. Place rocks around the fountain or garden in sunny spots so butterflies can warm themselves. The plants below depict a portion of what is available.

Host Plants

Adult butterflies lay their eggs on the host plants. The emerged caterpillar feeds upon these plants until the pupa or Chrysalis stage.

Alfalfa, Bermuda Grass, Blue Bonnets, Borage, Dill, False Nettle, Fennel, Holly, Hollyhock, Hops, Lupine, Mallow, Mesquite and other woody legumes, Mullein, Nettle/Thistles, Parsley, Passionvine, Queen Anne’s Lace, Snapdragon, Sorrel, St. Augustine Grass, Willow

Nectar Plants

Adult butterflies seek flowers for food whether warm colored, pink, purple, white, or yellow, and are also attracted to scent.

Agave, Black Dalea, Black-eyed Susan, Blackfoot Daisy, Butterfly Bush, Butterfly Weed, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Cowpen Daisy, Fleabane, Goldenrod, Greeneyes, Ice Plant, Joe-Pye Weed, Lantana, Liatris, Mistflower, Pentas, Phlox, Privet, Purple Coneflower, Sage, Snake herb, Verbena, Vetch

Host and Nectar Plants

Asters, Clover, Marigold, Milkweed, Sunflower, Thistle, Violet

admin on September 8th, 2011 Filed under Uncategorized | Comments Off

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