Butterflies are attracted to a garden by flowers that are rich in nectar, the sweet liquid flowers produce to attract insects and birds for pollination. To bring butterflies to your garden, start with the right plantings placed in a sunny, protected area. (Butterflies need the sun to stay warm.) Butterflies need a source of water too. You can provide it with a shallow birdbath, saucer or puddles. While the adult butterflies feed on nectar, their hungry caterpillars will also need food. Sometimes the same plant attracts them both, but not always. If you are trying to encourage a specific type of butterfly to complete its life cycle in your garden, you can find books that will tell you what to plant for that particular variety. For instance, black swallowtails will be attracted to various flowers in your garden, but they will only complete their life cycle there if you are growing dill or parsley for their caterpillars to eat. It is also important to be able to identify the caterpillar stages of butterflies, so you don't accidentally destroy them.

The life cycle of various butterflies will differ, but the basics are the same. First, an egg is laid by an adult on a plant that will be a source of food for the caterpillar. The egg hatches into a larva (we call it a caterpillar). As the larva grows, it can go through several stages before it reaches the pupa stage and forms the pupa case called the chrysalis. After its metamorphosis, the chrysalis splits open and the butterfly emerges. Most varieties stick around for the winter, hibernating in the deep fissures of the bark of trees. Of course there are exceptions: Monarch butterflies actually migrate like birds. The butterfly houses that are available are constructed with narrow slits that only allow butterflies to enter and provide a sheltered place for them to winter or rest.

Butterflies are attracted to a few other sources of food in addition to nectar and water. Plants that produce fruit (that often falls and rots) are a great source of food. Watch carefully, and you may see butterflies feeding on tree sap that is dripping from a cut or break. People can provide food for them too. When you have fruit that is overripe you can put it out in a dish for the butterflies. To encourage fermentation and make the fruit even more attractive, pour beer over the cut surfaces of the fruit. If you do not have beer, a mixture of water, sugar and a little yeast works too.

Plants That Attract Butterflies

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