How to Make Your Garden a Butterfly Habitat

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By jujudy
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nectar producing flowers for your butterfly habitat

Butterflies like to live in backyards. Sometimes they live in city parks or near other buildings.

Butterflies come in many different
beautiful colors and in sizes ranging from the tiny dime-sized hairstreaks to the larger swallowtails.

Turning your garden into a butterfly habitat can be a very pleasurable experience. To increase the numbers and varieties of butterflies in your garden, follow these simple steps:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

nectar-producing flowers
host plants
water feature

Step 1

zebra swallowtail butterfly on aesclepias

PLANT NECTAR PRODUCING FLOWERS

Butterflies sip nectar as their main food source. Nectar is produced by flowers. Some plants produce greater quantities of nectar than others. Tubular shaped flowers are one of the best nectar sources.

To learn which flowers are the greatest nectar producers, see the list under Resources.

Most nectar producing flowers like sunny locations.
Step 2

INCREASE NUMBERS AND VARIETIES OF BUTTERFLIES BY PLANTING HOST PLANTS

Butterflies begin as tiny caterpillars hatched from minuscule eggs. Caterpillars are host specific, meaning they are extremely picky eaters and have very few foods they will eat. Each species of butterfly caterpillar likes a different type of food. For a list of caterpillar host plants, see the list under Resources.
Step 3

ADD A WATER FEATURE TO YOUR BUTTERFLY HABITAT

A butterfly habitat is not complete without a water feature. Butterflies are attracted to running water. You may have noticed butterflies darting in and out of spray when you turn on the water sprinkler. Adding a fountain or other type of water feature will complete your butterfly habitat and give you added pleasure.