Butterflies provide a visually stunning addition to any garden and there are certain things that can be done to bring even more species to your particular garden space - regardless of its size. Certain plants and flowers attract caterpillars (the larvae of butterflies) and butterflies and nectar-rich / pollen-rich flowers are what butterflies search for.
There are many plant and flower types favored by caterpillars and butterflies: Caterpillars are known to enjoy plants such as Borage, Dill, Fennel, Hollyhocks, Lupine, Milkweed, Nettle, Thistle and Willow. Butterflies focus on a slightly different set, being attracted to Alyssum, Aster, Bee Balm, Butterfly Bush, Calendula, Cosmos, Daylily, Delphinium, Dianthus, Fennel, Globe Thistle, Goldenrod, Hollyhock, Lavender, Liatris, Marigold, Musk Mallow, Nastrutium, Oregano, Phlox, Purple Coneflower, Queen Anne's Lace, Sage, Scabiosa, Shasta Daisy, Stonecrop, Verbena, Yarrow and Zinnia.
Of course owning a garden requires maintenance to keep it healthy and alive and nearly free of predators and destructive bugs. If you must use pesticides, please consider applying only nominal amounts as insects can be very sensitive to even the slightest levels and by no means should pesticides be applied to actual flower blossoms - the actual draw for a butterfly. There is always the organic gardening route to help keep your butterfly-enticing flowers looking good. And while butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers, they also need to drink so provide a water supply as well - special butterfly feeders are designed for this very thing.©Butterflyidentification.org
