A Butterfly Garden provides resources to increase the population of butterflies.

Butterfly gardens play a crucial role in our ecosystem, offering a delightful blend of beauty and ecological significance. Let’s explore why these gardens are so important:

  1. Pollination Partners:
    • Butterflies are essential pollinators. Approximately one-third of all plants rely on pollination to set fruit, and both bees and butterflies are major contributors.
  2. Environmental Barometers:
    • Due to their delicate nature, butterfly populations can quickly decline when something is amiss in the ecosystem. They act as a barometer, signaling environmental health.
  3. Reducing Pesticides:
    • Creating butterfly-friendly spaces encourages reduced pesticide use. 
  4. Supporting the Food Chain:
    • Butterflies, at all stages of their life cycle, serve as a food source for other animals in the ecosystem. Birds, lizards, frogs, toads, wasps, and bats all benefit from their presence.
  5. Educational Value:
    • The metamorphosis of butterflies—from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to adult—is a captivating process. Its educational value and inspires curiosity in both young and old alike.

So, next time you see a butterfly fluttering through your garden, appreciate not only its beauty but also its vital role in maintaining our planet’s health! 🦋🌼🌿

Other host plants for specific butterflies

  • Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Host plant for: Silvery Checkerspot, Gorgone Checkerspot, Bordered Patch butterfly
  • Aster spp. Host plant for: Pearl crescent, Painted Lady and more
  • Coneflower (Echinacea spp.) Host Plant for: Silvery Checkerspot and more
  • Hollyhock (Alcea spp.) Host plant for: Painted Lady, Common Checkered-Skipper and more
  • Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) or Dill (Antheum graveolens) Host plant for: Black Swallowtail, Anise Swallowtail and more NOTE: The Black Swallowtail will feed on any plants within the Parsley family.
  • Sunflower (Helianthus spp.) Host plant for: Silvery Checkerspot, Painted Lady and more
  • Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) Host plant for: Monarch
  • Mallow (Malva spp.) Host plant for: Common Checkered-Skipper, Gray Hairstreak , Painted Lady and more
  • Violet (Viola spp.) Host plant for: Great Spangled Fritillary, Variegated Fritillary, Meadow Fritillary and more

Many of these flowers also are nectar sources for butterflies in their adult stage. They provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators as well.