Luring butterflies to the garden can have a number of benefits. How do I do we get these fascinating visitors to observe and enjoy. But the plants we use to attract them can also add lot of beauty to our gardens.
If you want to increase the population of this show little guys around your place, you need to provide food for two different parts of their life cycle as larva or caterpillars and as adult butterflies.
Now for larva you want to make sure that they have plenty of host plants to feed on. I am planning a little extra parsley because they are excellent host plant.
Some other host plants, that are perhaps a little showy include Queen Anne’s Lace, False Indigo, Passion Flower, Asters and various kinds of Sedum. And we certainly cannot forget about the old fashion hollyhock—it is a favorite food of the larva the painted lady butterfly.
Now once the adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis it needs a different type of plant to attract it. It needs nectar producing plants to slurp on. You see adult butterfly uses a soda straw like structure called the proboscis to extract the nectar. And some of the flowers they are most attracted to include Coreopsis, Lantana, Purple Cone Flower, and of course Butterfly Bush. And while we all know what is most attracted the Catnip, it is also a favorite nectar producing plant for a little acrobats of the sky.
From the garden, I am Allen Smith.
If you would like more information on this topic or any other gardening topic just check out my website, pallensmith.com.
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