I love watching butterflies flit around my yard. Not only are they enjoyable to watch, but they also serve as pollinators for some plants.
If you want to get serious about attracting butterflies to your landscape, you must provide for their basic needs. This includes food, shelter, liquids and a sunning location.
One way to encourage more butterflies to your landscape is by utilizing plants that serve the needs of all stages of the butterfly. This means planting nectar plants and host plants.
By their color and shape, nectar plants attract adult butterflies and are best planted in groups of three or more.
Some of the must-have annuals include zinnias, lantana, verbena and French marigold. Perennials utilized as a nectar plant include aster, black-eyed Susan, coneflower, milkweed, catmint and bee balm.
Even some shrubs and herbs are great nectar plants for butterflies. As the name implies, butterfly bush is a great addition, along with lilac, mock orange and spirea. Grow herbs for not only culinary purposes but as a nectar and host source. Plant chives, dill, sage, thyme, and fennel.
Host plants are those on which butterflies lay their eggs and caterpillars feed.
I love walking out and looking at the developing caterpillars and Im happy to share my plants with them. At the top of this plant list is milkweed, the exclusive food source for Monarch caterpillars. There are many types of milkweed, but the butterfly milkweed is one of the more eye-catching. Other host plants that I prefer include parsley, dill and fennel. These also are great host plants for Black Swallowtails.
Butterflies also need protection from the wind and predators. Incorporating certain trees and shrub species into the landscape helps. Butterflies use hackberry, elm, ash, willow and pawpaw trees. Host shrubs include spicebush and prickly ash.
You can make your butterflies feel more at home if you will add a few light-colored stones in a location protected from the wind. This will become an area where butterflies can bask in the sun and warm themselves.
Incorporate a shallow container filled with sand and keep it moist. Butterflies will gather on the damp sand to take up needed salts and minerals. An occasional treat of rotting or overripe fruit will also keep butterflies happy.
Finally, be mindful of pesticide use. Pesticides not only kill undesirable insects, but also kill butterflies and their caterpillars.
I have some wonderful resources available at the Extension office that offers a complete listing of plants. These can be found on the home page of our district website: southwind.ksu.edu or you can pick up a copy at any of our office locations.
Krista Harding may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.
