How to plant a butterfly garden

How to Start a Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Garden in Connecticut

Beginning a butterfly garden can be as simple as choosing flowering plants that will invite adult butterflies to your garden to feed. But if you want to create a butterfly garden that will act as a sanctuary, attracting a wide variety of butterflies while also providing a place where butterflies can grow and multiply, you will first need some simple planning. By considering which plants to grow and evaluating your garden site, you can plant a butterfly garden that will help with the creation of more butterflies.

Many flowering plants will attract butterflies to your location, but not all flowers are created equally in the compound eyes of a butterfly. Selecting plants that will feed butterflies while also encouraging them to stick around for a while, laying eggs and creating a new generation of butterflies, is your goal. To do this, you will need to choose plants that fall into two groups: nectar plants that will provide adult butterflies with energy and caterpillar food plants that will feed caterpillars. With careful selection from these two groups, your garden will provide for the entire life cycle of butterflies.

Choosing Nectar Plants

Eastern Purple Coneflower

While shopping for garden plants, you will encounter many plants labeled “butterfly friendly.” These labels are most likely telling the truth and if you choose plants labeled for butterfly gardens, they will attract butterflies. Most likely, though, these plants are nectar plants, marketed for their bright blooms, and will not provide for the caterpillar stage of a butterfly’s life. Although many flowering plants provide nectar to butterflies, it is worth doing a little research to find you what plants attract the most butterflies in your area. Just as growing conditions vary by location, so do the popularity of butterfly nectar plants. Some plants will serve as both nectar and caterpillar food plants and it may be worth searching out some of these double duty offerings.

Choosing Caterpillar Food Plants

The relationship between butterflies, caterpillars and the plants they use for food is not a casual one. It is a relationship created over thousands of years as flowering plants developed along side insects. As a result of this long development, caterpillars will use only certain plants for food. At the same time, butterflies are equally picky about what plants they will select to lay their eggs on. In order to encourage caterpillars in the garden, butterfly gardeners need only select the plants that are preferred by caterpillars in their location. Nature and chemistry will take care of the rest.

Choosing Plants for Butterflies Common to Your Region

To determine which butterflies and caterpillars may arrive in your garden, visit local butterfly gardens in your region or talk to other butterfly gardeners. If such opportunities do not exist, many butterfly field guides also provide information about which butterflies are likely to visit gardens and what food sources they prefer. Once you have identified butterflies that are most likely to visit your garden, select their preferred caterpillar food plants along with nectar plants that are recommended for your growing area.

Garden Site Selection

New Jersey Butterfly Garden

Planting a wide range of nectar and host plants is the best strategy for attracting the largest number of butterfly species. Butterflies may be attracted to the garden by a large patch of bright flowers, but they will linger longer if there are also areas that provide shelter, water, sun and a diverse group of plants that imitate the way plants grow in the wild.

Plant Diversity
in the garden results from choosing plants of different types, such as shrubs, trees, perennials, and even vines. In choosing plants that grow to different heights, with a variety of flower shapes and colors that have different bloom times, you will be creating a garden that is attractive to a wide range of butterflies. Grouping more than one plant of each type together will help to unify the look of the garden and will lessen the distance that nectaring butterflies have to travel. If your garden is small and has no room for trees or shrubs, consider an arbor covered with vines to create height. There are many vines to choose from that act as nectar or caterpillar food plants.

Shelter
While shrubs and trees can create unnecessary shade, they do provide an important feature in the butterfly garden. Properly placed, trees and shrubs will shelter your garden from wind, which makes it easier for butterflies to explore your location. Additionally, trees and shrubs give valuable shelter where butterflies can roost at night or hide from predators. Keep in mind that many shrubs and trees are also caterpillar food plants!

Water
is needed by butterflies, but not very much. Nectar, dew, and tree sap provide butterflies with moisture but puddles and moist dirt or sand are also popular water sources. Puddling stations can be as simple as a damp area of ground covered with sand. Placed where they are easily viewed and sheltered from the wind, puddling stations are thought to provide dissolved salts in addition to water.

Sun
is essential for the butterfly garden. Butterflies are cold-blooded insects that often start their day by warming their bodies in the sun. Be sure to include a spot in the garden where sunlight will reach the ground early in the day. Large rocks, exposed soil, or even pavement are all surfaces that will warm up in morning sunlight. Try to locate your garden where it will receive at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.

Once you have combined careful plant selection with the details of site selection, you will have created a butterfly garden that is a microhabitat providing a unique location where a wide variety of butterflies can live and grow.

What is a Butterfly Garden?

Butterfly gardens are full-sun gardens that are filled with plants that attract butterflies. These plants are generally nectar-producing flowers. Nectar-producing flowers are usually beautiful, so you have the double benefit of attracting butterflies and adding beauty to your yard.

Butterfly gardens range from small ones consisting of just a few pots or planters, to large elaborately planned spaces. Butterflies are present in almost every region of the world, so with the right plants virtually any spot can become a haven for them.

Selecting a Site

As with many types of gardens, placement is a critical decision that will determine the success of the entire project. For optimal growth and butterfly attraction there are a few important requirements to keep in mind as you choose the location for your garden. Let’s look at each factor in a little more depth:

• Full Sun – Butterflies thrive in the sun and the plants that attract them are typically plants that require lots of sunlight. When choosing your location, look for an area where there will be plenty of sun throughout the day.
• Pesticide Free – While you might not consider a butterfly to be a pest, the same probably isn’t true for your pesticides. Most pesticides kill or repel butterflies. Organic growing methods are a great choice for a butterfly garden. Choose an area where pest control isn’t necessary or where you can limit your use of chemicals.
• Protection From Wind – Butterflies are delicate and like sunny areas with very little wind. By creating a sheltered garden you will attract more butterflies. You can create a sheltered area in more than one way. Some gardeners choose to build barricades or fences around the outskirts of their garden. Others find that planting tall plants and shrubbery can work well also. If you choose to plant bushes or shrubbery considering using plants that butterflies like to lay their eggs on since this can lead to more butterflies in your garden.

Here are some links to help you learn more about butterfly gardening.

Recommended Plants

You will find that there is plenty of variety when it comes to finding plants for your garden. Try to find plants that are specifically intended for attracting butterflies in your region. Consult your local Cooperative Extension Service for suggestions on native plants. You will want to include nectar producing flowers to bring the butterflies into your yard and some plants that butterfly larvae will feed on. Don’t fill your garden with exotic plants. Your goal is to attract the butterfly species native to your area and while exotic and non-native plants may look great, they won’t bring in any butterflies.

Great Nectar Producing Plants

Any Location

• Butterfly Bush
• Butterfly Weed
• Marigold
• Verbena
• Aster
• Lavender
• Lobelia
• Coreopsis
• Phlox

Northern States

• Clover
• Coneflower
• Daylily
• Aster
• Snakeroot

Southern States

• Salvia
• Lantana
• Red Pentas
• Porterweed

Butterfly Breeding Ground Plants

Any Location

• Cabbage
• Hollyhock
• Sunflower
• Paw Paw
• Dill

Northern States

• Lilac
• Spicebush
• Wisteria
• Butterfly Bush

Southern States

• Citrus Trees
• Willow
• Snapdragon
• Milkweed
• Carrots
• Parsley
• Dill

Check out these links for more information about choosing plants for your butterfly garden.

CC flickr photo courtesy of SFAJane

Arranging Plants in a Butterfly Garden

Once you have done a little research and are familiar with the butterfly species and plants that will work well in your area, you can start planting. It works well to follow a professionally designed plan since this will help you to create a beautiful display that will also attract butterflies. Here are a few plans that can get you started. Customize them for your area by substituting regional plants of similar color and height.

Other Elements to Use in Your Butterfly Garden

There are a few other elements that can make beautiful touches to your butterfly garden and that can attract additional butterflies. Many gardeners supplement the nectar that their plants produce with nectar feeders. This can be a great way to bring keep up with the necessary nectar supply without devoting additional space to more nectar producing plants.

Other gardeners find that decorative and practical elements like bird baths or a butterfly house make a nice addition. You may also want to consider having a small puddle of wet sand in your garden since this can keep your butterflies cool even in warmer temperatures. Rocks provide a warm place for butterflies to sit in the sun.

Learn more about the other elements that you can use in your butterfly garden by following these links.

With a little effort, you will find that a butterfly garden will provide hours of enjoyment, education and beauty to your home.

Would the world be an uglier place without butterflies? Oh my goodness, yes, just look at them, they’re beautiful! But beyond just ugly, a world without butterflies and other pollinators would be far less hospitable to life.

Insects that feed on nectar, like butterflies, play an essential role in the lifecycles of many of the plants that humans and other animals depend on for food. Without them, those plants would be in trouble, and so would we.

That’s why the Student Conservation Association works to protect pollinators from the many threats that are causing their populations to drop, including habitat loss.

Looking for a way to help? You’re in the right place. Sign up now to receive conservation email updates from SCA, and you’ll receive instant access to our free guide to butterfly gardening.

By building a simple butterfly garden, you’ll help preserve the essential habitat that butterflies and other pollinators need to survive and, bonus, bring more butterflies to your yard! It’s a fun and easy way to truly make a difference for the planet while enjoying some time in the great outdoors.

Create Your Own Butterfly Garden!

Picking the Perfect Location

When determining a location for your butterfly garden, sunlight is the key. Most native plants that attract butterflies will require full sun for at least half of the day. When considering a location, you also want to look at the quality of the soil. If your soil is acidic, rocky, or mostly clay, you may want to consider adding compost or buying nutrient rich topsoil.

Choosing the Right Plants

Choosing the right plants requires a bit of research as it’s very important to use plants that grow naturally in your region. Not only are native butterflies more likely to be attracted to a garden filled with the native plants they are familiar with, but in some cases non-native plants can actually be harmful to butterflies and other pollinators. A fun way to begin is by scouting around your neighborhood to see what plants and butterflies are already there. Once you have some ideas, complete your research by downloading a list of pollinator-friendly native plants in your region, and head to a nursery that’s knowledgeable about local plants and wildflowers.

Host Plants

Two types of plants that butterflies need are host plants and nectar plants. Host plants, where butterflies lay their eggs, are vital to the butterfly lifecycle and will encourage butterflies to linger and explore. Common examples of host plants are milkweed (make sure it’s native and not tropical!) for monarch butterflies and their caterpillars, and parsley, for black swallowtails and their caterpillars.

Nectar Plants

Nectar plants are the flowers that adult butterflies feed on. Common native wildflowers like Aster, Echinacea, and Black-eyed Susan are a great source of nectar for butterflies. Be sure to pick a few flowers that bloom throughout the spring and summer to provide nectar throughout the season. Plant nursery staff are generally an excellent source of knowledge on the blooming cycles of local wildflowers. One thing to be sure and avoid is the butterfly bush! While this plant is famous for attracting butterflies, it lacks nutritional value and is actually addictive, preventing butterflies from feeding on healthy plants.

Plant Orientation

When you plant your flowers, be sure to clump them by species and color. This makes the colors easier to see and butterflies will be more likely to utilize them. Primarily, butterflies are attracted to red, orange, yellow, and purple flowers.

Butterflies Need More Than Plants!

Providing a few flat rocks for sunning and some cool, shady spots for resting will help butterflies regulate their temperature. If an area is particularly windy, you can use larger shrubs as a windbreak. While not completely necessary to include, some butterfly gardens have bird baths or other water features that allow butterflies to “puddle” and obtain hydration and mineral nutrients. Birdbaths and benches also provide a sturdy, sheltered place for caterpillars to pupate.

Maintenance

Thankfully, native plants do not require much maintenance, but you can weed, trim, and water as you see necessary. Do NOT use pesticides or insecticides in your garden! Doing so will kill the butterflies you’ve worked so hard to attract. If you include many species of native plant in your garden, you will see fewer pests and, bonus, more butterflies. Don’t worry about lightly-chewed leaves, as they’re usually a sign of an active, healthy butterfly garden.

How to build a pollinator garden

Tiger swallowtail butterfly on purple coneflower. Photo by Jim Hudgins/USFWS.

We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service know that pollinators are the engine that run healthy habitats. While we’ve been actively working to restore and conserve more than 1.3 million acres of land across the midwest, we need your help. Whether you have a few feet on your apartment balcony or several acres, you can make a difference. Follow this easy step-by-step guide to build your own pollinator garden and help ensure the future is filled with pollinators.

Planning your garden

Hummingbird clearwing moth visiting a wild bergamot flower. Photo by Rick Hansen/USFWS.

Careful planning is essential to creating a successful pollinator garden. Follow these easy steps to make sure you have everything covered before you make your investment.

Choosing your location

While flowering plants can grow in both shady and sunny locations, consider your audience. Butterflies and other pollinators like to bask in the sun and some of their favorite wildflowers grow best in full or partial sun with some protection from the wind.

Identifying soil type and sunlight

Take a look at your soil – is it sandy and well-drained or more clay-like and wet? You can turn over a test patch or check out the soil mapper for your county to learn more. Your soil type and the amount of sunlight it gets will help determine the kinds of plants you can grow.

Choosing your plants

Research which varieties of milkweed and wildflowers are native to your area and do well in your soil and sunlight conditions. Native plants are the ideal choice, because they require less maintenance and tend to be heartier. Find a nursery that specializes in native plants near you – they’ll be familiar with plants that are meant to thrive in your part of the country. It’s essential to choose plants that have not been treated with pesticides, insecticides or neonicotinoids. You’ll also want to focus on selecting perennials to ensure your plants come back each year and don’t require a lot of maintenance.

Remember to think about more than just the summer growing season. Pollinators need nectar early in the spring, throughout the summer and even into the fall. Choosing plants that bloom at different times will help you create a bright and colorful garden that both you and pollinators will love for months!

Seeds vs. plants

Once you’ve identified your plant species, you’ll need to decide whether to use seeds or start with small plants. While both are good options, your choice will depend on your timeline and budget. Seeds are more economical, especially for larger gardens, but will require more time. If you’re using seeds, plan on dispersing them the fall or late winter ahead of your summer growing season. This gives the seeds time to germinate. Nursery-started plants cost more, but will generally give you a quick return on your investment and bring pollinators into your yard during the same growing season.

Planting your garden

A pollinator habitat sign posted in a blooming pollinator garden. Photo by USDA.

When you’re ready to start planting, you’ll need your seeds or plants along with essentials like gardening tools to break the soil as well as extra soil or compost and mulch.

Prepping your garden

If you’re converting an existing lawn, you’ll need to remove grass and current plant cover and turn your soil to loosen it up. If you’re planning on using raised beds or containers, there are a lot of pre-made options available, as well as simple designs to build your own. No matter where you decide to plant your garden, you’ll want to add nutrient-rich compost or soil to improve the success of your garden.

Planting your seeds or flowers

When you’re using seeds, keep in mind that they will need time to germinate, so fall and late winter are ideal times to get started. In the fall, disperse seeds and cover with soil. In the late winter, scatter seeds over the snow. The sun will heat up the seeds and help anchor them into the snow. The melted snow provides moisture that will help the seeds germinate.

If you’re starting with small plants, make sure you follow frost guidance to avoid putting your plants in too early. Dig holes just big enough for the root system, then cover and reinforce the roots with soil or compost. Add mulch to reduce weed growth.

Wait, watch, water and weed

It may take some time, but you will eventually see butterflies and other pollinators enjoying your garden. Make sure to weed and water your garden to keep it healthy. Keep in mind that it may take a couple seasons for milkweed to start producing flowers.

We wish you the best of luck with your pollinator garden. Thank you for making a difference for butterflies, bees and other pollinators!

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service.

Looking for more content? You can connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For multimedia, check out our videos on YouTube and download photos on Flickr.

Plant a garden that caters to butterflies, and you’ll be rewarded with flitting, fluttering color—along with drifts of flowers.

Related To:

Butterfly Bushes Create Welcoming Ambiance Around Pool Area

Buddleja bushes were planted around the pool area to attract butterflies and create a welcoming ambiance.

Photo by: Scenic Landscaping

Invite butterflies to set up housekeeping in your yard with a butterfly garden design. The best butterfly gardens welcome not only spotlight-stealing adults with their colorful wings, but also encourage their humble beginnings: caterpillars. By including plants that nourish adult butterflies along with their caterpillar precursors, your butterfly garden design can create a place where nature rules. Learn what it takes to have an effective butterfly garden design.

Use a two-pronged approach to your butterfly garden by including attributes that attract adult butterflies, as well as their young. To fuel adults with ample food, include a variety of nectar-rich bloomers. Intermingle flowers with different forms, like a flat-blossomed zinnia (Zinnia elegans) that provides a wide landing pad for butterflies or a spikey Summer Jewel salvia (Salvia coccinea ‘Summer Jewel’).

Plan your garden to have non-stop color to keep the butterflies coming. Most butterfly garden designs incorporate quite a few annuals to help achieve a steady flower show. Good annual candidates for a butterfly garden include creeping zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens), marigold (Tagetes spp.), mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea), Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) and pentas (Pentas lanceolata).

It’s also wise to include perennials in your design to give your garden year-round interest. Perennials that butterflies favor include butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), bee balm (Monarda didyma) and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

Arrange bloomers in drifts so that near-sighted butterflies can easily spot the large swaths of color. Focus on flowers that feature bright tones in your butterfly garden design. Most butterflies can’t resist blossoms in shades of pink, red, purple, and yellow. These winged wonders also have a strong sense of smell and are lured by fragrant flowers. Remove spent blossoms in your butterfly garden faithfully to coax more flower buds to form.

Develop your butterfly garden design for a sunny location, since both butterflies and most of the plants they feast on thrive in sun. Try to choose a spot protected from wind. Include a watering hole in your butterfly garden design. Adult butterflies like to sip salts, moisture and minerals from moist sand or damp earth. Build a butterfly puddle by sinking a shallow pot saucer into soil and filling it with sand. Maintain a water level that’s just below the sand’s surface.

Surround your puddle with a ring of flat stones that can absorb sunlight and provide a place for butterflies to sun. Try to site your stones where they’ll absorb morning sunlight. Butterflies are cold-blooded and seek spots to bask and warm their wings for flight.

Many butterfly gardens focus solely on the winged portion of a butterfly’s life cycle, and you certainly must attract the adults before you can hope for a caterpillar. By including plants that caterpillars like to munch in your butterfly garden design, you’ll improve your chances of hosting a caterpillar. If you’re lucky, you may even get to witness an adult butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.

Caterpillars feed on specific plants, so you’ll have to do some research to stock your garden with plants that caterpillars native to your region find tasty. The one thing caterpillars consistently do is munch, munch, munch. It’s a good idea to tuck plants destined to satisfy voracious caterpillar appetites into a less visible portion of your butterfly garden design. Place this section where you can easily visit and observe caterpillars, but not front and center where chewed—and even missing—leaves will detract from the garden’s beauty.

Learn how to make your yard a destination for these beauties.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes)

Close-Up Of Black Swallowtail Butterfly On Purple Flowers

Photo by: Getty Images/Vinod Kumar

Getty Images/Vinod Kumar

Related To:

Materials Needed

• butterfly-attracting flowers
• large, flat rock
• water source
• one or more trees or shrubs

Step 1: Select Site for Butterfly Garden

Choose a site that has some sun but is also sheltered from wind. Include a few trees and shrubs for roosting at night and for cooling off on the hottest days.

Step 2: Remember the Rocks

Add one or two large, flat rocks in the sun so butterflies have a place to bask when mornings are cool.

Step 3: Provide Water

Since butterflies cannot drink from open water, provide them with a “puddle” by filling a container, such as an old birdbath, with wet sand where they can perch and drink safely.

Step 4: Add the Plants

Add nectar plants, including aster, black-eyed Susan, butterfly bush, butterfly weed, cosmos, ironweed, Joe-Pye weed, phlox, purple coneflower, sedum, and zinnia. Include food plants for the larvae, including dill, fennel, milkweed, and parsley. Different butterfly larvae feed on different plants, so research the butterflies native to your region to determine what to plant. Remember: Butterfly larvae are caterpillars. Learn to distinguish the larvae of butterflies you’re trying to attract from pest species. Minimize the use of pesticides to protect butterfly larvae and adults.

With pollinators in a serious decline, it is more important than ever for people to take part in their conservation. One of the most rewarding ways to do this is by creating butterfly habitat in your own garden. Follow these steps to get you started:

Location, Location, Location

You can plant a garden anywhere (backyard, front steps, raised deck) and a pollinator will benefit from it. But if your intent is to create a butterfly sanctuary that attracts many species and allows them to grow and multiply, you’ll want to choose a location with the following conditions:

SUN
There should be a part of the garden that gets at least 5-6 hours of full sunlight each day. Since butterflies are cold-blooded, they seek out warmth first thing in the morning. You can include large rocks that will warm quickly in the sun to provide a nice warming spot for them to start their day.

SHELTER
Although you don’t want a shady garden, carefully placed trees and shrubs will provide necessary shelter from wind. They also provide a place for butterflies to roost at night or to hide from predators. Many trees and shrubs are also food sources for caterpillars. Another option for roosting is to place butterfly houses in your garden. Some people love them, some say they don’t work. But they look pretty, so it’s worth a try! Click here to learn more about the butterfly house debate.

WATER
Butterflies get their necessary water from nectar, dew and tree sap, but puddling stations can also be beneficial. You can create a butterfly puddling station by filling a shallow dish with sand or gravel and bury it to the rim in your garden where there is sun and protection from wind. Fill it with water so that it’s damp but not pooling. Butterflies will use this “puddle” in the hottest part of the day. Butterflies actually look for salt in these puddles, so if you want to make it a delicacy, sprinkle it with a small amount of salt. Better yet, use sand from a beach, which already contains salt! There is also a beautiful puddle stone on Amazon here.

PESTICIDE-FREE
Butterflies are very sensitive to pesticides, so be sure to choose a location that is not near any areas that are treated by you, a neighbor, or your municipality. Learn how to garden organically >

Get to Know Your Soil

Before you can choose your plants, you need to become friends with your soil. Most butterfly plants thrive in soil that drains well and is rich in organic matter. Adding compost will boost the soil structure and add the nutrients necessary for plants to thrive. A standard practice is to add 3″ of compost to the top of your soil and mix it into about the top 8″ of soil.

If your soil is particulary difficult to balance, consider a raised bed garden. Gardener’s Supply Company has some great quality raised garden kits here.

To optimize the flowering potential of your butterfly plants, use a balanced fertilizer in your newly composted soil. Our readers have said they like Jack’s Classic Blossom Booster from Amazon.

Plant Selection

If possible, choose native plants for your garden, as they tend to be the most hardy and are naturally occuring for the butterfly species that inhabit your region. A wonderful tool for the United States can be found by clicking here.Otherwise, your local nursery can help you determine which plants are native to your location.

There are two types of plants you’ll need to keep in mind. There are plants that provide nectar to butterflies and there are plants that provide food for caterpillars. The best butterfly gardens provide both of these so that butterflies will come to your garden to feed, lay eggs and grow new generations.

There are many types of plants that will provide nectar to butterflies. Many garden centers will include this information on plant tags, so you can look for “butterfly friendly” or similar on them. Don’t expect these to be caterpillar-friendly, however. In order for butterflies to lay eggs in your garden, you must have plants that local caterpillars will eat. We have a few resources for you to help you choose:

MONARCHS
Monarch population numbers overall have declined in recent years as their critical overwintering habitat in Mexico and California has been threatened by loss of milkweed breeding habitat, pesticide use, climate change and logging at overwintering sites. Scientists have said that numbers in the East have declined by about 80% and about 99.4% in the West. This is why it is so important for citizens to take part in their conservation by planting milkweed. Monarch caterpillars are completely dependent on milkweed plants. The Xerces Society has put together a wonderful list of nectar and food plants that are best for monarchs, which you can download by clicking here.

Here are some links to purchasing seeds and plants that will increase your backyard butterfly population! The dynamic duo of milkweed and butterfly bushes, will help you get there!

Danita Delimont / Getty Images

You don’t need to go out of your way to attract butterflies to your garden. If you plant enough flowers, they will find them. However, there are a few tricks you can apply to your garden design to make your garden border more tempting. Butterflies are attracted to bright colors and butterflies and hummingbirds both like high-nectar plants such as the ones featured in this garden design.

Another consideration is providing plants for all stages of the butterfly’s short life. For instance, adding a water feature such as a birdbath and rocks for sunning on.

The design illustrated here is for a curved border, 30-feet long by 10-feet wide. Most of the flowers selected are suitable for a range of hardiness zones, but alternatives are also listed. Keep in mind that local nurseries usually stock varieties that are uniquely adapted to your area.

Different species of butterflies prefer different plants, but you can be sure of attracting your share of butterflies with the plants in this garden design. The border is meant for full sun, which will also help in attracting butterflies since their wings need to be warm for them to be able to fly.

Most of the plants are suitable for a range of hardiness zones, but alternatives are listed. Specifics about each plant follow on successive pages.

1. Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
2. Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) ‘Shenandoah’
3. Scabiosa columbaria (pincushion flower) ‘Pink Mist’
4. Coreopsis verticillata (tickseed) ‘Zagreb’
5. Heliopsis helianthoides (false sunflower) ‘Karat’
6. Veronica spicata (spike speedwell) ‘Sunny Border Blue’
7. Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)
8. Asiatic lilies
9. Agastache x ‘Ava’ (hummingbird mint)
10. Eupatorium maculatum (Joe-Pye weed ) ‘Gateway’
11. Glandularia canadensis (rose verbena) ‘Homestead Purple’

How to Start a Butterfly Garden

(Even if you’ve never planted anything before.)

Curious about what it takes to start a butterfly garden from scratch?

Here’s the cheat sheet you’ve been searching for. Specifically designed for new gardeners — it’ll guide you through the most critical steps of how to DIY a butterfly garden you can be proud of (and avoid time-wasting mistakes.)

Discover your Zone — This USDA Plant Hardiness Map will show you exactly what growing zone you’re in (so you can figure out what plants will grow best in your area.)

Plant tags and nursery websites include the range of zones a plant is best suited for. For example, we live in Zone 6a. That means if we plant anything that’s designated Zone 6b or above, it will be fine during warm months but will not come back the following year (unless we have an exceptionally mild winter.) So treat any plant from a higher numbered zone than yours as an annual.

Get the Dirt on Dirt — The good news is that soil type isn’t that big a deal when it comes to butterfly gardens. (We have very heavy clay soil that looks like nothing could possibly grow in it.)

Still, it’s helpful to know the basic soil types and which one you have before you start a butterfly garden. Most soils are clay, sandy or loam (although there are variations.) The easiest way to tell what type of soil you have is with this quick test.

Take a small amount of moist soil and roll it into a ball.

Clay soil — Stays in the shape of a ball. (Like clay!)

Sandy soil — Falls apart quickly.

Loam soil — The ball is crumbly or very loose. (This is the best type of soil.)

Don’t worry if you don’t have a naturally rich, loamy soil. Any soil can be improved by adding compost. Plus, many there are many butterfly plants that do well in each type of soil.

Pick a sunny spot! Butterflies love the sun and so do most of their favorite flowers. So keep that in mind when choosing your garden location and be sure to avoid any soggy areas.

Most butterfly plants require full sun or part sun. Full sun means 6+ hours of sun a day (not no shade ever.) In fact, plants grown in states with hot summers do a little better if they get some shade during the day.

Part sun means 3-6 hours of sun a day. So pay close attention to the sun requirements of the plants you’re choosing. There’s a little wiggle room here. But flowers do much better when they’re planted in the right conditions.

Dream big but remember it’s ok to start small. You’ll gain experience, knowledge and confidence as you go.

Our first butterfly garden was pretty tiny (mostly milkweed and coneflowers.) The next year we doubled the size and added a lot more plants. We kept expanding and adding new gardens every year for quite a while. Our skills grew along with our gardens and yours will too.

Start a butterfly garden, and you’ll discover that it gets bigger and better every year. That’s because many butterfly plants are perennials that will reseed (make more plants.) Some varieties you can divide to make more plants as well. Over the years, we’ve added on and started several gardens without ever having buy a single plant.

Garden design isn’t something you should agonize over. Tall plants go in the back, medium size plants in the middle and (you guessed it) shorter plants go up front.

Put colors you like together.

Seriously, it’s that simple. Have you ever looked at a garden and thought ew those flowers don’t go together? Me neither.

One final tip, for when you’re planning the shape of your butterfly garden — curves always look better than straight lines.

But if you want a little bit more direction it’s not hard to find. There are thousands of butterfly garden design ideas available. Just don’t get stressed about perfection. Flowers are pretty. Just stick to colors you like, check plant tags for size and space requirements and your garden will be beautiful.

The hard stuff. You knew it was coming — that part involving a shovel. Don’t let it scare you off though, you can usually knock this part out in a few hours.

When you’re ready to start a butterfly garden, the first step involves clearing out the sod. For large projects you may want to hire someone or rent a sod cutter. But we’ve always just done it ourselves. Check out this video to see the easiest way to remove sod by hand.

Once the grass is gone, you’re ready to add compost. This will improve sandy soil’s ability to hold moisture and improves drainage and aeration in clay soils. Plus, they add essential nutrients and improve soil structure. We’ve always been happy with the results from name brand bags available at most garden centers.

You’ll need to mix 1 to 2 inches of quality compost into the top 6-8 inches of soil. If you’re planning a smaller garden, you can probably handle this chore with a shovel or pitchfork. For larger projects (or heavy clay soil) renting or buying a tiller is probably the better option. (Tiller prices start under $100 and go up.)

Full disclosure here, many native butterfly plants will grow just fine without adding compost. But it’s a good idea to improve the soil, especially if you want to include annuals or non native plants in your garden.

Plant what you like! It’s your garden so get creative and have fun with it. If your kid (or you) fall in love with a non butterfly plant, it’s not a big deal. Go ahead and include it.

But if you really want bunches of butterflies to visit, be sure to include host plants and nectar plants. You’ll find a helpful list of the best plants for beginners below. They are all super easy to care for and really bring in the butterflies (many will attract hummingbirds too.)

And don’t forget to mulch! Not only does it instantly improve the look of your garden — it helps the soil retain water and prevents weeds too.

That’s all there is to it. Now all that’s left to do is sit back, relax and enjoy getting back to nature in your own backyard.