Joanna Radford
Home, Farm, & Garden
Have you ever watched a butterfly struggle to free itself from its chrysalis? The transformation is painful to watch as the butterfly tries to free its body and escape, but the butterfly’s willpower is overwhelming. During this difficult journey there are times the butterfly appears near death with little energy to carry on. At this point, we may want to step in and help make the transition easier. It is critical we resist the temptation to help. The butterfly must experience this part of the journey alone. It is the hardship and struggle that makes the butterfly strong. The stronger the butterfly, the greater the chance of survival. Once the butterfly emerges, it experiences freedom. We can capture a small sense of this freedom when we watch the butterfly flitter through the summertime air.
We can attract butterflies to our backyards by planting native plants. Native plants are those that are naturally found in our area. They require little maintenance, water, and care since they have adapted to our climate, soils, temperature, and precipitation. These plants attract butterflies native to our region. They provide specific food sources for those caterpillars that are picky eaters and will eat only very specific host plants. Most ornamental plants are bred for color and bloom size but not for nectar production. They are generally not considered native plants. While these plants may be attractive to us, they provide little benefit to wildlife.
A successful butterfly habitat provides things that a butterfly needs from egg to adult. You will want to provide diverse host plants to attract a variety of butterflies and their caterpillars. Keep in mind, caterpillars have a huge appetite and are sometimes picky eaters. Select the favorite plant of the butterfly you want to attract. If there are numerous butterflies, install a variety of nectar plants. Choose plants that will provide food throughout the grower seasons, as different species of butterfly are active from early spring though late fall.
When selecting plants, choose flowers with blooms of different sizes and depths. Smaller butterflies have smaller proboscises – an elongated sucking mouthpart, like a straw – and are unable to reach the nectar in larger blooms. Skippers and hairstreaks need flowers with smaller blooms. Swallowtails and other larger butterflies prefer larger blooms.
Designing butterfly habitats can be fun and exciting. Determine how much space you want to dedicate to your butterfly habitat before you purchase your first plant. Include basic butterfly needs in the habitat such as sun, shelter, larval host plants, and adult nectar plants. The most functional and active butterfly habitats are located in sunny locations. Most butterflies are active only in the sun and many butterfly larval and nectar plants require sunny spots.
Taller plants and shrubs are best placed behind smaller plants and ground covers. This will provide greater visibility for the smaller plants. Including tall plants is important because they provide butterflies shelter from wind and rain.
Think about spacing when planting. While plants may be small at their initial installation, they will grow and multiply each year. Allow space for the plants to grow and expand. There may be extra space between plants during year one, but this will decrease quickly over time. Planting in clusters with plants that have similar blooming periods allows easy access to food for butterflies without them having to move a great deal.
You will also want to provide areas for butterflies to bask in the sun. This could be as simple as adding a few large flat rocks to the area. Add vessels that will hold water. Ideas include but are not limited to small water puddles, shallow lids or bowls, or shallow birdbaths. Lastly, leave structures that could provide shelter for the butterflies in the habitat. Good examples are dead trees and brush piles.
As with any habitat, there is annual maintenance, but it is minimal. The best wildlife habitats are not neat and tidy. Leave dead flower heads and dead foliage alone since eggs and pupating butterflies may hang out on them. Flower stalks and hollow stems are great overwintering sites. Leave these alone as well.
Good luck selecting plants and enticing butterflies into your backyard. As Hans Christian Andersen once wrote, “Just living is not enough,” said the butterfly, “one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”
