http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-attract-butterflies.html
How To Attract Butterflies
Adapted from The Family Butterfly Book, by Rick Mikula.
Butterflies, with their gorgeous colors and lilting flight, are such a joy to watch. They add so much beauty to our summers, like seeing flowers flying.
It’s easy to invite more butterflies to make a seasonal stop in your yard. Find out which plants they just can’t resist—and learn a few fun facts about butterflies that you may not know.
Here are 20 plants that will invite butterflies to your yard!
Asters: Late summer to fall.
Bee balm (bergamot): Summer through fall.
Butterfly weed: Summer through fall.
Clover (white or red): Summer to fall.
Coreopsis: Summer to fall.
Dianthus: Spring to fall.
Lavender: Summer.
Lupine: Late spring to early summer.
Mints: All summer.
Passionflower: Summer to fall.
Phlox: Summer to fall.
Purple coneflower: Summer to fall.
Sage: Summer to fall.
Salvia: Summer to fall.
Scabiosa “Butterfly blue”: Summer through fall.
Shasta daisy: Summer.
Thistle: Late spring through fall.
Violet: Spring.
Yarrow: Summer.
Butterfly Mythbusters
Have you ever heard that if you touch a butterfly, you’ll rub off the powder from its wings, and it will die? Or that if a butterfly gets a drop of water on it, it will drown? Ever hear that a torn or broken butterfly wing will grow back? And everyone knows that all butterflies go to Mexico for the winter, right?
Actually, none of these statements is true! A lot of myths like these were probably started with the best intentions, so that people wouldn’t harm butterflies.
The truth is that butterflies have evolved to survive and thrive in extreme conditions. They exist everywhere in the world except for Antarctica. Butterflies are definitely stronger than they look: Many species migrate thousands of miles every year, and not just to Mexico!
More on Nature & Wildlife (54 articles available)More from Annie B. Bond (3187 articles available)
The Family Butterfly Book
Projects, activities, and a field guide to 40 favorite North American species. By Rick Mikula.buy nowrelated stories
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add your comment »I just love butterflies so much I moved to Mariposa, CA named for the abundance of butterflies here. This weekend is the Butterfly Festival and it is always fun. My granddaughter was excited to bring home a painted lady on an orange to release into our garden. So far a small clouded and a big yellow swallowtail have landed on my heart here and I am always in awe when I see them in my garden.
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Our old silver maple was a stop over site for Monarch butterflies on their fall migration a few years ago -- there were so many they looked like orange and black leaves fluttering in the gentle breeze! It was an awesome site!
There's also a bright orange relative of the milkweed plant that local people call butterfly weed, but I'm sure it has another more formal name.
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Our old silver maple was a stop over site for Monarch butterflies on their fall migration a few years ago -- there were so many they looked like orange and black leaves fluttering in the gentle breeze! It was an awesome site!
There's also a bright orange relative of the milkweed plant that local people call butterfly weed, but I'm sure it has another more formal name.
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Butterflies are also part of a spritual meaning... Aren't they like angels around?
Nicole M.S
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I have been tagging butterflies for the Monarch butterfly trust all summer and so many people have asked how we can do that without damaging their wings. We put little stickers on their wings and their wings are actually quite strong and it does no harm to touch them carefully.
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Well I have 9 of the flowers listed- so am well on the way to attracting the butterlies- Must get some of the others too- to ensure they will be happy to return.
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What a wonderful list! I've had my best luck with milkweed, passion-flower & pentas.
Regards,
Dawn at Suburban Wildlife Garden
http://suburbanwildlifegarden.blogspot.com
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I have gotten them caught on my porch alot and my porch has been dubbed, "where butterflies go to die." Now that I know that i can touch them to help them out it wont happen anymore! Thanks!!
I get so many beautiful butterflies in my backyard that I have decided I want to create a garden for them. Thanks for the tips!
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Thank you for this info Annie,,,,so glad to learn that so much we've been told as to how we can harm butterflies is just myth.
I also want to tell you how much you are appreciated for your contribution to the care2 site. What valuable info I have received.
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