Gardening for Butterflies
Butterfly gardening is easy and rewarding. The butterfly garden will provide enjoyment and educational opportunities such as observation, record-keeping, study of native butterflies and plants, and subjects for photography. You can also increase the prosperity of common butterflies whose wild habitats have been destroyed.
To attract butterflies to your garden, you must first provide the nectar plants that nourish adult butterflies. Once the butterflies have found your garden they are likely to stay and reproduce, if their other basic needs of water, sun, shelter and reproductive areas can also be met.
Nectar Plants
Although some butterfly species are attracted to a wide range of nectar sources, others express definite preferences in size, shape, or color of flowers. A wide variety of food plants will give the greatest diversity of visitors. Try staggering wild and cultivated plants, as well as blooming times of the day and year. Groups of the same plants will be easier for butterflies to see than singly planted flowers.
Butterflies can not hover very long and need a place to land. They prefer composites (daisy-like flowers), panicles (large clusters of blooms on a stem), and umbels (flat topped flowers that originate from a single apex). These plants provide a landing pad for the butterflies and easy access to the nectar.
When given the choice, butterflies prefer to visit stands of flowers with strong colors such as orange, yellow, and purple. They view the environment through polarized light in the ultraviolet range. The UV light enables them to see hidden ultraviolet patterns on the petals which guide them to the heart of the nectar source. In addition to color and shape, the fragrance of the flowers is what really draws the butterflies to the garden. Flowers with the heaviest perfume are most appealing to the butterflies sensitive sense of smell. Highly hybridized and double flowers do not usually provide a good source of nectar.
Popular flowers with adult butterflies include shrubs such as honeysuckle, lilac, buddleia (butterfly bush), sweet pepperbush (clethra), rhododendron, and viburnum. Perennials that attract adult butterflies include: echinacea, (coneflower), stokesia (Stokes aster), scabiosa (pincushion flower), mint, liatris, asclepias (butterfly weed), daises of all kind, lilies, daylilies, coreopsis, phlox, monarda (beebalm), sedum, heliopsis, gaillardia, nepeta (catmint), alliums, lantana, sweet alyssum, candytuff, zinnias, lavender, fleabane, delphinium, asters, rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan), eupatorium (perennial ageratum), verbena and veronica. There are also many wildflowers that provide food sources for adults. These include milkweed, dandelion, clover, goldenrod, thistle, asters, eupatorium spp. (Joe-Pye weed, boneset), fleabane and yarrow. Some butterfly species may prefer to partake of manure piles, tree sap, carrion and rotting fruit.
Reproductive Areas
Having attracted adult butterflies to your garden, you can prolong their stay by encouraging them to mate and lay eggs. The larva and adult stages of butterflies will require different food sources. Female butterflies are much more selective of the plants on which they will lay eggs than they are of nectar plants. Only certain specific plants contain the chemical constituents needed to nurture their caterpillars and fuel the metamorphosis from caterpillar to adult butterfly.
Larval Host Plants
Providing the right host plant in your garden is the most important step in creating a butterfly garden. It is important to plant a large number of host plants in order to provide adequate food for the caterpillars. They will perish if there is not enough available. In addition to food, the host plants provide shelter for all stages of the butterflies life cycle.
Trees and shrubs such as aspen, dogwood, oak, elm, sassafras, cherry, hawthorn, poplar, blueberry, spicebush, viburnum and willow offer a good source of food for the larva. Plant globe thistle, hollyhocks, beans, cabbage family, lupines, pipevine, snapdragons, yarrow and members of the carrot family, such as parsley and dill. Wildflowers such as milkweed, butterfly weed, thistle, nettle, violet, plantain, asters, dock, clover, turtlehead, pearly everlasting, mustard, Queen Anne's lace, vetch, meadowsweet and grasses are also important larval sources.
When a caterpillar becomes fully grown, it pupates and begins its magical transformation, or metamorphosis, into an adult butterfly. When it emerges, days or even months later, you will want to have its favorite nectar food available
Many species travel only a few hundred yards from where they hatch. In addition to planting flowers for butterflies, try to leave an unkempt area, such as a weed patch or meadow, to attract new species. This will provide food sources for both larva and adults.
Water
Like all living creatures, butterflies require water. Place small stones in birdbaths to give them a place to land and sip water, or add moist gravel in a driveway or sunken container. Some species enjoy mud puddles where they will "'puddle" individually or in groups.
Permanent puddles are easy to make by burying a bucket to the rim, filling it with gravel or sand, and pouring in liquids such as stale beer, sweet drinks or water. Overripe fruit, allowed to sit for a few days is a very attractive substance (to them!) as well.
Sun
All insects are cold-blooded and cannot internally regulate their body temperature. Butterflies will readily bask in the sun when it is warm out, but few are seen on cloudy days. It is a good idea to leave open areas in a yard for butterflies to sun themselves, as well as partly shady areas like trees or shrubs, so they can hide when it's cloudy or cool off if it is very hot.
Shelter
Provide shelter to protect butterflies from extremes in temperature, rain, storms, predators and locations for roosting. Shrubs, thickets, rock walls and wood piles provide shelter and hiding places. They also offer nooks and crannies for over-wintering caterpillars or adults.
Moths
To attract moths to the garden, night blooming varieties are necessary. The following are extremely fragrant and are readily available; night blooming jasmine, four o' clocks, and nicotiana. The best time to look for moths is right around dusk. Many of these flowers are white and reflect the disappearing sun and the emerging moonlight.
By cultivating the specific food plants of specific butterfly or moth species and providing propitious condition for egg laying, caterpillar survival, and metamorphosis, you can actually regulate what kinds and how many visit your garden. All you need to get started is a basic knowledge of butterfly and moth characteristics and behavior and a desire to learn the specific needs and habits of species which are common in your neighborhood.
Butterfly Life Cycles
Butterflies go through four distinct stages in their life cycle: egg, or ovum, caterpillar or larva; chrysalis or pupa; and adult or imago. Each butterfly species has a distinctive appearance in each stage. It is often possible to identify a species from its immature forms. Some field guides have illustrations of caterpillars, chrysalises and even eggs. Observations in your garden or rearing butterflies will also help with identification.
Butterflies begin their life as an egg, laid either singly or in clusters depending on the species. Most eggs are less than a millimeter in diameter and hatch within a week after being deposited. However, the eggs of some species are able to withstand the winter and lie dormant for as long as two years before hatching. The coloration and shape of butterfly eggs foreshadows the rainbow of adult appearances. The eggs of most species change as the caterpillars inside them mature.
When the egg hatches, a very tiny caterpillar emerges and, after consuming its egg shell, begins feeding on its host plant. As a caterpillar eats, it expands and soon outgrows its rigid outer covering, or exoskeleton. Beneath the exoskeleton a new "skin" forms of the same tough material called chitin. Before shedding its old skin, or molting, a caterpillar remains stationary on a plant for as long as a day without eating. When the exoskeleton reaches its limits of flexibility, the caterpillar crawls out and returns to eating. A caterpillar will molt four or five times before entering its chrysalis stage.
The seemingly magical transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis is sudden and complete. First a fully grown caterpillar stops feeding and searches for a sheltered place to pupate. This may be the eave of an old barn, the stem of a nearby plant, or a hidden dead leaf of its food. Then it spins a tiny pad of silk on the substrate into which it hooks its anal prolegs. Finally, it molts for the last time, but this time, instead of a larger caterpillar a chrysalis appears.
The appearance of the chrysalis also varies from species to species. During the pupal stage, many changes take place inside the chrysalis. First the caterpillar breaks down into a viscous substance. The cells of the butterfly are activated, sparking the development of the wings, head, thorax and abdomen. You can see the beginnings of tiny but developed wings within the pupae after only four or five days. Shortly before a butterfly emerges, the appearance of the chrysalis changes noticeably
Although most species hatch from their chrysalis in ten to fourteen days, some overwinter as pupae and hatch the following season. Most emerge in the morning in order to take advantage of the day’s sun. Immediately after hatching, a butterfly’s body is immense and swollen, and its wings appear crumpled and deformed. A few minutes later, pumped up and flattened out by bodily fluids, the butterfly’s wings assume their full size and its body shrinks to its proper proportion. A newly hatched butterfly holds its wings slightly apart for an hour or more, allowing them to dry. It begins opening and closing the wings repeatedly preparing for its first flight. Suddenly its body quivers and it rises into the air and flies to a nearby nectar plant to feed. Soon the cycle will begin again.
Butterflies in the Garden
Butterfly gardens in May, September and October often have a lot more variety of nectar sources than butterflies can find in the wild. Even though the number of butterflies will be greater in June to August, it may be easier to find them in the garden in the early spring and fall. The following butterflies often frequent gardens.
American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) In flight from May to September. This 1" butterfly has fore-wings that are orange above, with about eight black dots and a black outer edge. Underneath the forewings have a light gray edge and the hindwings are light gray with fine black dots and a narrow orange line. The butterfly feed on common blackberry, wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)and New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americus). The larva prefer sheep sorrel and curly dock .
Dun Skipper (Euphytes vestris) In flight in July and August. This 1 1/8" butter fly is uniformly brown above with black line (male) or 3 tiny white spots (females) on the forewings. The larva feed on sedges and grasses.
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) In flight from April to September. This 5/8" butterfly is white above with black spots on the forewing tips. These are a daily visitor to the garden from spring to fall. The nectar plants are mustard, cress, arabis, aster, dandelion, milkweed, mint, oregano and lantana. The larval host plants are members of the mustard family including cabbage, broccoli, winter cress, nasturtium, and peppergrass. Caterpillar is green with yellow stripes.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) In flight from June to September. This 4 ½" butterfly is yellow above and the forewings have 4 black stripes. The hindwings have yellow stripes on black trailing edges with blue and orange spots along the outer margins. Nectar food sources are butterfly bush, thistle, milkweed, Japanese honeysuckle, Joe pye weed, clover, lilac, beebalm, iron weed, sunflower and dandelion. The caterpillar feeds on lilac, cherry and poplar trees and is green with black and orange spots. The Black Swallowtail’s larva can be found on members of the carrot family including dill, fennel, and Queen’s Anne lace.
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) In flight from July to September. This 2 ½" butterfly is orange above and brownish near the body with black marks. Seen from below the wings are shades of brown. The forewings have black marks and the hindwings have silvery white spots and a wide cream band. This is the largest fritillary, it floats with a slow, gradual flight and pauses to nectar at length. The nectar source for the butterfly is composites such as thistle, Joe-pye weed, ironweed, black-eyed Susan and purple cone flower, also cardinal flower, bergamot, red clover, vetch, milkweed, verbena, mountain laurel and New Jersey tea. The larva feed on violets.
Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok) In flight from late May to early July. This 1 ¼" butterfly has forewings that are orange above, broadly bordered in dark brown. Below the hindwings have a broad yellow patch. Nectar sources are blackberry, hawkweed, knapweed, gray dogwood, wild indigo, buttonbush, catnip, pickerelweed and Joe-pye weed. The larva feed on grasses.
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Monarch (Danaus plexippus) In flight from June to October. This 3 ¾" butterfly is orange above with black veins and black margins with orange and white spots. Below the wings are yellow orange; the head and body are black with white spots. The Monarch glides with wings held at an angle Nectar preferences are milkweed, butterfly bush, composites such as goldenrod, Joe-pye weed, tickseed, thistle, ironweed, gayfeather, Mexican sunflower, cosmos, asters. Also mints, lantana, mallow, teasel, dogbane, and buttonbush. The caterpillar is banded black, white and yellow. Both the adult and caterpillars are poisonous to predators. The larva prefer milkweed. |
Eastern Monarch migrate south in the fall to overwinter in fir trees in the mountains of Mexico. In spring one or two generation pass as they fly back to New England, and one or two more generations pass in New England before the next fall migration. They often roost in large groups during migration.
Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius) In flight from May to September. This 7/8" butterfly has forewings that are orange-brown above with some black markings. Below the hind wings have yellow patches. The larva feed on grasses.
Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) In flight from May to October. This 2" butterfly is orange above with outer forewings black with a white line and white spots. Below the wings are lacy brown, black, light gray and pink with two large eyespots. Nectar preferences are composites such as thistle, knap-weed, yarrow, goldenrod, aster, marigold an zinnia. Also butterfly bush, button-bush, mint, mallow, milkweed, red clover, vetch, privet, self heal, pepper grass and winter cress
The larval food sources are everlastings, pussy toes, burdock, ironweed and wormwood. Caterpillar nests are usually easy to find, constructed of silk, leaves and other material. This is a migratory butterfly although some may overwinter in the north. Adults often back on bare ground and visit moist spots.
Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) In flight from June to August. This 2" butterfly is chocolate brown above with golden patches on the forewings. Below the hindwings have a large silver patch. Butterflies are territorial and aggressively chase away other butterflies. The preferred nectar sources include honeysuckle, thistle, Joe-pye weed, zinnia, iris, milkweed, privet, red clover, vetch, self heal, button bush and everlasting pea. The larva feed on members of the pea family including locust trees, wisteria and beans. Caterpillars construct shelters from leaves of the food plant and overwinter in them, then pupate in a loose cocoon among debris on the ground.
Moths
Hummingbird Moth (Hemaris thysbe) The wings on this 1 ¾" moth are red to brown (white below) with clear patches. The body is spindle shapes; orange and olive with a long flexible proboscis. The moth hovers by day at flowers like a hummingbird from May to September. Caterpillar is yellowish green with darker lines, reddish brown spots on the abdomen and yellow tail horn. Larvae prefer hawthorns, cherries and honeysuckle.
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Luna Moth (Actias luna) This 4" moth has pale green wings with eyespots. The leading edge of the forewing is purple, all else is edged with white. The hindwing has a very long tail. The caterpillar is green with yellow side stripes and spiny points. The larva prefers hickory and beech trees. |
Butterfly Gardening Tips
1. Do not use any pesticides, even organic pesticides, in the garden. The use of beneficial insects is the most effective way to control pest problems. Avoid Bacillus thuringiensis. If caterpillar overpopulation becomes a problem, the larvae can be carefully gathered and transferred to a plant of the same kind or to a wild plant.
2. Incorporate native plants and trees into the landscape whenever possible as many larval host plants are natives.
3. Choose plants that have different heights and growth habits. This will create numerous microclimates which will appeal to a greater diversity of butterfly species, providing shelter and create a strata of feeding opportunities.
4. Choose plants that have different blooming times to ensure that garden remains attractive and productive as long as possible and provide food during times of low natural availability.
5. Provide a number of different flower colors, since different butterfly species are attracted to different flower colors. Butterflies have large, rounded com-pound eyes which allow them to see in all directions without turning their head. Like most insects, butterflies are very nearsighted, and are more attracted to large stands of a particular flower.
6. Choose flowers with fragrance. Butterflies have a well-developed sense of smell from their antennae. All butterflies' antennae are club-shaped, as opposed to moths, which can be many shapes but often are feathery.
7. Provide a mix of flower shapes. The feeding behavior and mouthpart (proboscis) of a butterfly dictate which flowers will be visited: long-tubed flowers are typically more accessible to species with long probosces whereas many composites (daisy-like flowers) provide a feeding platform and easy nectar accessibility for smaller species.
8. Plant in shade as well as full sun. Many forest species prefer shadier locations.
9. Choose appropriate plants for each location. If you understand each plant's basic water, light, and soil requirements, the plants will perform and grow to their maximum potential and provide the butterflies with their needs. Be sure to , water and mulch new plantings.