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A butterfly garden is an easy way to both see more butterflies and to contribute towards their conservation, since many natural butterfly habitats have been lost to urbanization and other development. It is easy to increase the number and variety of butterflies in your yard. Simply grow the plants the caterpillars like to eat, and plants that adult butterflies feed on! We provide great charts with pictures of plants that butterflies are attracted to (nectar/ food plants) and charts of caterpillar food plants (host plants). Several books are available at your local bookstore with butterfly plant lists and garden plans. Plants with varying blooming cycles can be placed together to keep your garden full of activity throughout the growing season.

Butterfly gardens can be any size - a window box, part of your landscaped yard, or even a wild untended area on your property. When planning your butterfly garden, the following pointers will help. Learn the common butterfly species in your vicinity and include both their adult nectar plants and caterpillar food plants in the garden. Adult butterflies will visit for a longer period if they find plants to lay their eggs on. Patches of plants that flower at the same time are more attractive to butterflies than a single plant with a few flowers. If you can let your lawn include some dandelions and clovers, you will see even more butterflies. Try to avoid or minimize the use of insecticides and herbicides. Plant your flowers in sunny places and provide some rocks or stone walls where they can "bask" in the morning to warm up. Also provide a few sheltered areas, like shrubbery or brush piles to protect them from wind and rain, and provide caterpillars a nice place to pupate. Butterfly Houses have slots the ideal size for keeping birds out while giving butterflies protection from the wind and weather, and are beautiful garden decorations. By having a nectar source close by, butterflies may be more likely to visit your butterfly house and garden. Maintaining a damp, slightly salty area in the yard may also help attract groups of butterflies. You can prolong the butterfly's stay in your garden and draw in others by providing both the food and shelter they need.

Butterflies are easy and fun to watch, so make sure you also plan a good place to watch the butterflies visiting your butterfly gardens. They have many interesting behaviors you will want to observe. For example, after rain you might see them "puddling," or sucking fluids from wet soil to obtain water and salts. On cool sunny mornings, they may bask on a rock to warm their bodies before flight. Males can be territorial and chase other males away. Females often have elaborate routines for choosing where to lay their eggs. If during your observation you notice you are missing a species you'd really like to see, include its favorite plant in your butterfly gardens next year! By creating a butterfly garden, you will not only create a natural habitat for butterflies but also for birds and other wild animals, which contributes to preserving our natural heritage.

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It is important to know which adult butterflies are found in your area. This will help you determine the Butterfly Nectar Plants and Butterfly Host Plants you will want to plant when creating your butterfly garden.

Butterflies of North America by State:

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