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FORMULA FOR BUTTERFLIES: NECTAR, HABITAT AND NO PESTICIDES
Julie, a fellow Master Gardener, counted 11 species of butterflies in her garden last summer and she's optimistic she will exceed that total this year because of new knowledge and polished techniques.
Each of us can attract butterflies to our yards by selecting desirable nectar plants and by following a handful of other butterfly attracting rules.
Near the top of Julie's list of rules is to refrain from using pesticides. To attract butterflies, we must also protect the caterpillars that become butterflies. Consider this: A spectacular 5-inch tiger swallowtail butterfly starts out as a 2-1/2-inch green caterpillar that eats leaves of ash, cherry, willow and birch trees.
How many of us, when we come face to face with a 2-1/2-inch green caterpillar, respond with horror and reach for a can of Raid? That kind of response is not compatible, Julie says, with creating an ideal environment for butterflies.
The three primary rules for attracting butterflies are to plant the right plants, offer an attractive habitat, and avoid pesticides.
The primary goal in plant selection is to provide flowers in bloom throughout the season. Many annuals are wonderful butterfly plants because they bloom continuously and provide a steady supply of nectar. Perennials, such as coneflowers, lilacs, butterfly weed and asters, are visited regularly by butterflies. Most plants in the mint family are also good nectar sources. Plants with double flowers are often bred for showiness and do not produce plentiful nectar.
Julie's two favorite plants are butterfly bush (Buddleia) and Verbena bonariensis.
Some of the best food sources for butterfly caterpillars may be the vegetables growing in your garden. Black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, for example, like to feed on parsley, carrot, dill and parsnip. Sulphur butterfly caterpillars search out clover, alfalfa and false indigo. The caterpillar of the silver-spotted great spangled butterfly feeds on violets. And you'll most likely discover the caterpillar of the painted lady butterfly feeding on thistles - perhaps the only reason not to rid your yard of this weed pest.
Several habitat considerations for attracting butterflies include providing shelter from wind and a "puddling area." Butterflies prefer to feed and lay eggs in sunny, sheltered areas. Windbreaks can be created with shrubs and trees. Butterflies will congregate at the edge of mud puddles or wet sandy areas where they imbibe fluids rich in salts and nutrients.
Pesticides and butterflies definitely don't mix. Instead of using broad-spectrum chemicals on your lawn and plants, consider alternative control methods such as oils, soaps and microbial insecticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Even oils and insecticidal soaps can kill caterpillars if sprayed directly on the insect. Caterpillars will also die if they feed on plants treated with a Bt formulation that is toxic to them.
Most butterfly species, such as the tiger swallowtail, lay only a few eggs at a time. This low level of insect population will not kill shrubs or trees, advises Vera Krischik, a University of Minnesota entomologist and butterfly expert. One exception, she says, is the black swallowtail larvae, which can completely defoliate a dill plant.
When you discover a worm or caterpillar feeding on your plants, take a little extra time to identify the critter - it may be just days away of becoming a beautiful, soaring butterfly.
The "do's and don'ts" I've outlined here suggest that any desire to attract butterflies should be followed up with some careful research. There are many wonderful references on butterflies available at bookstores and garden centers. A good place to start is the bookstore at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
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| Some suggested nectar plants for adult butterflies |
| Shrubs |
Azaleas, blueberries, butterfly bush, button bush, lilac, privet, sumac |
| Annuals |
Impatiens, nicotiana, coneflowers, marigold, phlox, sunflower, verbena |
| Perennials |
Asters, butterfly weed, chrysanthemums, daisies, monarda, purple coneflower, sedum, yarrow |
| Wildflowers |
New England aster, black-eyed Susan, blazing star, Joe-Pye weed, coreopsis, dogbane, goldenrod, ironweed, milkweed, monarda, ox-eye |
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