A Butterfly Garden: Which Flowers Attract Butterflies and How to Make Your Garden Welcoming

Live butterflies in a box were once a fashionable gift, but for the insects such a “delivery” often ends in death. It is far more rewarding to see butterflies free, in your garden or even on a balcony. Here are the flowers that attract them and what else they need to keep coming back.

Living flowers instead of live butterflies: potted plants and flower baskets.

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Flowers butterflies love

• Buddleja davidii. Known as the butterfly bush, its long fragrant spikes attract butterflies all summer. It is considered invasive in some countries, so deadhead it after flowering.
• Lavender and oregano. Small nectar-rich flowers that also suit a balcony box.
• Echinacea and Verbena bonariensis. Tall perennials that make easy landing pads.
• Showy sedum. Flowers in late summer and autumn, when nectar is scarce.
• Asters and zinnias. Bright flowers for the second half of the season.

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Butterflies you may see in the garden

• Peacock — red-brown wings with four “eyes”; loves buddleja and sedum.
• Small tortoiseshell — orange with black spots, one of the first in spring.
• Red admiral — black wings with a red band, often feeds on fallen fruit.
• Brimstone — bright yellow, overwinters as an adult and flies as early as March.
• Swallowtail — a large yellow-and-black butterfly, a rare visitor.
• Blues — small blue butterflies over clover and meadow grasses.

To spot more species, grow flowers of different shapes — flat “landing pads” (echinacea, sedum) and tubular ones (buddleja, phlox).

Remember the caterpillars

A butterfly needs not only nectar but a plant to lay its eggs on. Peacock and small tortoiseshell caterpillars feed on nettles, swallowtail caterpillars on dill and fennel. A small wild corner with nettles at the far end of the garden noticeably increases the number of butterflies.

How to make a garden welcoming

• Sun and shelter. Butterflies like warm, sheltered spots.
• No pesticides. Chemical sprays kill not only pests but butterflies and caterpillars.
• Water. A shallow dish of wet sand or pebbles makes a drinking spot.
• Flat stones. Butterflies bask on them in the morning.
• Flowers all season. Choose plants so that something is in bloom from spring to autumn.

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For more ideas, see gardening with kids and mulching plants.

FAQ

What should I plant on a balcony for butterflies?

Lavender, oregano, verbena, zinnias and marigolds: they are compact and flower for a long time.

Should I give live butterflies as a gift?

Better not: butterflies die quickly in transit and indoors. Plants that attract them make a much better gift.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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