How to Make a Butterfly Habitat

To create a butterfly habitat you will need to have nectar sources for the butterflies to eat, host plants for the butterflies to lay its eggs on, water, and shelter. Once you have these in place you can sit back and enjoy these beautiful creatures. Follow these simple instructions to create your own butterfly garden.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Room for garden
• Good Soil
• Nectar plants
• Host Plants
• Shelter for Butterflies
• Water Source

1. The first step to creating the butterfly habitat is to find a sunny location in which to plant your garden. A place that is not too windy is also helpful. When butterflies are looking for food they look for large clumps of color so the larger the space the better. That being said you can still apply the same principles to a smaller garden with success.

2. Now you need to prepare the soil for the garden. Like all plants a good mix of compost and soil will give the plants a head start and make them healthier over the long term.

3. Now that you have your garden bed ready it is time to select the plants for the butterflies. Butterflies need nectar sources to bring it into the garden to eat and host plants to lay its eggs on. It is important to have a mix of both in the garden to create a successful habitat.

4. Butterfly caterpillars are very specific about what they will eat. Each species has only a few plants, called host plants, on which it will feed. By adding these plants to the garden the butterflies will stay longer and you can enjoy watching the entire life cycle of the butterflies. The next step has a basic list of a few common butterflies and what host plants they prefer.

5. 
    
   Black Swallowtail butterfly on Dill Plant - rdander

   Black Swallowtail - Fennel, Dill, Rue
   Checkered White - Mustard Family
   Clouded Sulphur - Alfalfa or Clover
   Dogface Butterfly - Lead plant, False Indigo and prairie clover
   Giant Swallowtail - Citrus
   Gray Hairstreak - Lead Plant
   Gulf Fritillary - Passionvine
   Mexican Silverspot - Passionflower
   Monarch Butterflies - milkweed both common and tropical
   Painted Lady - Mallow, Sunflowers, Hollyhocks
   Pipevine Swallowtail - Pipevine family Aristolochia
   (in Texas I uses Aristolochia Gigantea)
   Silverspotted Skipper - Lead Plant
   Southern Dogface - Lead Plant

6. Now that you have selected the host plants for the garden it is time to add the nectar plants. Butterflies are not as specific about nectar plants as it is about where it lays its eggs. The next step is a list of common host plants. Make sure to check with your local nursery for plants that work well in your particular area.

7. 
    
   Lantana - rdander

   Asters
   Abelia
   Blue bonnets
   Butterfly Bush
   Butterfly Weed
   Globe Amaranth
   Purple Coneflowers
   Lantana
   Lavender
   Marigolds
   Mexican sunflowers
   Mist flowers
   Phlox
   Plumbago
   Verbena
   Yarrow
   Zinnias

8. Now that you have selected your nectar and host plants it is time to plan out your garden. The host plants will be munched on so make sure to mix them in with the other plants. You might consider planting them at the back of the garden. Also make sure to plant more than one host plant as the caterpillars eat a lot and must have enough food to reach its adult size before going into its chrysalis.

9. Plant the nectar plants in clumps with lots of color. Butterflies are attracted to bright colors along with smells. By clumping them it will help the butterflies to see the plants and make them more attractive. You can spread out nectar plants throughout your landscaping to keep the butterflies in your yard longer. I have nectar plants in all the beds in my backyard and the butterflies flit from one bed to the next when feeding.

10. Now it is time to purchase and plant your plants. Some plants such as zinnias start well from seed while other are better purchased from a nursery. Make sure to leave enough room between plants to allow for it to grow. When planting plants make sure to leave a little room for water for the butterflies, which will be discussed, in the next step.

11. Now that you have nectar and host plants for the butterflies you need to provide water for them. Butterflies do not drink water from birdbaths or fountains but will love a wet muddy area in your garden for them to get a drink. To prepare this area I have found burying a water tray for a planter in the ground and filling it with sand or dirt works well. Fill the water to the top of the sand or dirt and add a few sticks and rocks for the butterfly to stand on when taking a drink. You can also add a little salt to the water to help it get the minerals it needs.

12. The final thing you need to provide for the habitat is shelter for the butterflies. Butterflies need a place to escape the wind as well as birds and bad weather. Providing shrubs nearby where they can perch can help and it will also help to block the wind. There are also butterfly houses you can purchase online to protect them as well.

13. Once you have provided food, water and shelter for the butterflies you just have to sit back and wait for these beautiful visitors come to your habitat and make themselves at home.

14. There is one more VERY important thing to remember when creating a butterfly habitat NEVER use any type of pesticides in your yard. It will kill not only the caterpillars but the butterflies as well. If you have a lawn service make sure to tell them that you are building a butterfly garden and ask them if the products they use are safe for butterflies.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to check what butterflies are common in your area and check with your local nursery for native or adapted plants to make your habitat.
• Never use pesticides look for organic or natural pest control methods when getting rid of problem insects. For instance buy ladybugs to get rid of the aphids on your milkweed.

Resources

• The Complete Guide to Butterfly Gardening
• Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard
• National Wildlife Federation Attracting Birds, Butterflies & Backyard Wildlife