Colorful
butterflies can add beauty, color, life, and interest to your backyard. Besides
the well-known monarch, there are over 150 different butterfly species that may
be seen in the Midwestern United States. With a little extra planning and
proper plant selection you can increase the number and variety of butterflies
that visit your yard this summer! Providing plants that
supply plenty of nectar will encourage these fragile creatures to visit your
garden.
Butterfly
gardens can be any size
– a few containers in a sunny spot, small beds, or large open fields. A
butterfly garden does not have to be big. In fact, it has been found that
butterflies prefer scattered groupings of “butterfly plants” rather than one
large butterfly garden. You can just incorporate more
nectar-producing flowers in an existing garden to lure in additional adult
butterflies, or you can create a specific garden that utilizes plants chosen for
their value to both adults and caterpillars of selected species.
A garden needs to include several important features to attract a variety of butterflies. These features include:
Sunny area. Most plants that are attractive to butterflies need
full sun, and butterflies also need sun to warm their bodies for flight, so
site your butterfly garden accordingly. Make sure it is also sheltered from
harsh winds and is in a place where you will be able to easily watch the
butterflies. 
Flower color. Most butterflies prefer pink, purple, orange, yellow,
or red flowers. Some cultivars of the same plant may be more attractive to
butterflies than others because of their color. Also, butterflies can see
ultraviolet light (which we can't) so the color we perceive may be different
than what they're seeing. Large masses of a single color are more attractive
than plantings with many colors mixed together.
Plant
several different plants with different flowering times to make nectar available
throughout spring, summer, and fall. Some annual plants for butterflies include
alyssum, ageratum, gomphrena, heliotrope, lantana, pentas, salvia and zinnia.
Some good perennials that will serve as nectar sources include black-eyed Susan,
blazing star (Liatris), butterfly bush, coneflower, New England aster,
and phlox. When searching for nectar, butterflies do not always seek out those
flowers that smell good to humans. One example is the milkweed plant. This
nectar-rich plant is unappealing to many people, but the butterflies love it.
Some weeds, such as dame's rocket, dandelion, Queen Anne's lace and thistles,
are also good butterfly plants, as are some herbs, such as anise hyssop, catnip,
dill, and lavender when in bloom.
Recommended plants to provide food for caterpillars include birch, cherry, dill, hollyhock, hackberry, plum, sweet mockorange, viburnum, and willow. Remember to select plants that are suited to the growing conditions of your yard: soil, moisture, and light.
You may also need to change some of your pest-control methods if you want a
butterfly garden. Remember, the products that kill undesirable insects will
also kill butterflies. If you must use pesticides to protect
your butterfly garden, try to choose less toxic or very specific materials.
Remember that "natural" does NOT mean "non-toxic." Make spot treatments on
affected plants rather than applications to the entire planting. Do NOT use Bt (Bacillus
thuringiensis) in a butterfly garden where you wish to have caterpillars
because Bt kills caterpillars.
Once established, your butterfly garden may attract many different kinds of
butterflies. Butterfly gardens will also attract other nectar-feeding animals.
These include hummingbirds, honeybees, bumblebees, and moths. Remember to take
some time to enjoy the benefits of your gardening efforts and be patient. Over
time you may find that your butterfly garden is the main attraction of your
landscape!
– Ann Wied, Waukesha Co. University of Wisconsin-Extension
