Butterflies and other pollinators look for two things when they enter a garden: nectar, their food source as adults, and host plants, the place where the female will lay her eggs and the food that larvae will need. Both are necessary to create a successful butterfly garden and remember, what attracts butterflies will also attract other pollinators, in case someone in the family has a bee allergy.
Nectar plants are those with flowers that produce sweet fluids that many insects, including butterflies, use as food. Many of our native butterflies prefer plants that have pink, red, purple, yellow or orange flowers (bright colors). Butterflies appear to be attracted to areas with large masses of a single color, or closely related colors, rather than gardens with many colors mixed together. Most butterflies must land to get to the nectar; they prefer plants having either clusters of short tubular flowers, or flowers with large, flat petals. Butterflies are active from early spring through frost and having a mix of plants in your garden that flower throughout this entire time will attract them all season long.
Because tiny caterpillars cannot travel far to find their own food, the female locates and lays her eggs on only the type of plant that the caterpillar can use as food. Most species of caterpillars are particular about the type of plants they eat. If the egg was not placed on the correct plant, the caterpillar hatching from that egg will not survive. Many native trees and other plants found in and around our yards are host plants for caterpillars. However, there are a variety of plants that can be included in a garden that are excellent host plants. Many gardeners do not like to see plants in their gardens that have been chewed on by insects. To avoid this, you may want to locate host plants in areas that are not highly visible, or in a separate garden area a short distance from the nectar plants. If you do not provide host plants, you will have fewer butterflies.
Both butterflies and the plants they prefer like bright sunny areas protected from high winds. When planning your butterfly garden, look for areas around your yard that get at least six hours of sun every day. In Northwest Georgia, areas with morning to mid-afternoon sun seem to work best. If your yard is not too large, you also can plan a garden that consists of separate “pieces” that are not adjacent to each other.
On cool mornings, butterflies need to warm their bodies before they can become active. To do this, they often sit on a reflective surface such as a flat stone, spread their wings, and turn their backs to the sun. Their wings work like solar panels, absorbing the sun’s warmth that is then transferred to their bodies.
Why are they eating dirt? Butterflies often gather in groups on wet sand or mud and look like they are eating. This activity is called puddling, and they do it to obtain the
minerals that are found in the soil. You can create a puddling place in your garden by placing a shallow pan in the soil, filling it with coarse sand, and keeping it moist. You can add salt to this at a rate of ½ to ¾ cup salt (table salt or rock salt) to 1 gallon of sand, mix well and moisten. Locate the puddling area under a soaker hose or near a drip emitter to help keep the sand moist.
Not all butterflies eat nectar, and some consume nectar in addition to other food sources. There are some butterflies that will only visit a garden if it has some extra touches, such as rotten fruit or manure. The best fruits are those that are either soft (banana) or moist (watermelon). Small amounts of fresh manure also will attract butterflies. If there are young children in your home, you may want to make sure that these items are in a protected area as they both sometimes attract wasps as well as butterflies.
Keep in mind that butterflies and other pollinators are insects. The use of insecticides will kill many butterflies and their caterpillars. If a pest problem develops in your butterfly garden, try using biological controls, such as ladybugs, lacewings and preying mantids as a first line of defense. These are often already present in a butterfly garden. If pests such as aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, or spider mites become a serious problem, try using insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils applied only to those areas on the plants where the pests are located. Widespread application of these may affect the caterpillars on their host plants and the butterflies visiting nectar plants. Applications of herbicides also may have a negative effect on caterpillars and butterflies.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Brenda Jackson at Murray County Extension, 706-695-3031 or email: bljack@uga.edu.
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