Butterfly Gardening 101

Red Admiral feeding on pentas at Mercer.

Butterfly Basics Butterflies Found in Texas

- Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary Planting a Butterfly Garden

- The Basics (use NABA brochure)

- Nectar Plants- Host Plants- Additional Tips

Resources- Books- Websites- Local resources

Butterfly Gardening 101

Butterflies go through 4 stages: egg caterpillar chrysalis imago (adult)

Butterfly species vary in seasonal timing and length of life cycle

Adult butterflies are usually active only during the growing season when the day is sunny or warm.

Butterflies annual cycle typically includes a period of diapause (inactivity) during very cold or very dry weather.

Butterfly Basics

Source: “Straight Talk About Butterfly Biology by Ann B. Swengel, 1995, www.naba.org

Butterfly Life Cycle

Swallowtail (Black, Giant, Spicebush, etc.)

Sulphur (Cloudless, Little, Cabbage, Sleepy, Orange, Large)

Monarch Queen Gulf fritillary Red Admiral Viceroy Painted Lady Buckeye Skipper

Gulf Coast Species

Monarch vs.

Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs.

Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs.

Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs.

Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs.

Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs.

Gulf Fritillary

Goal: Improve your yard so more butterflies

are attracted to live there!

Sunshine – Butterflies need to be warm to be active.

PlantsCombine nectar and host plants to provide the best habitat. Allow native “weeds” to grow if possible.

Planting a Butterfly Garden

Source: “Basics of Butterfly Gardening by Ann B. Swengel, 1995, www.naba.org

Moisture – Puddle edges and moist dirt are popular because they also provide nutritious minerals leeched from soil.

CoverLet a corner of your garden grow “wild”. Provides cover for caterpillars, chrysalides. Provides cover for butterflies at night and in winter.

Pest ControlAvoid insecticides if at all possible! Be tolerant of pests. Look into “integrated pest management”.

Planting a Butterfly Garden

Cosmos Marigold Zinnias Pentas Verbena Butterfly Bush Indigo Lantana Mountain Laurel Aster Senna Black-eyed Susans Passionflower vine Mexican false heather Firecracker plant

Nectar Plants Indian Blankets Buckwheat Gayfeather Milkweed Coreopsis Goldenrod Lupine Purple Coneflower Sage / Salvia Sunflower Sweet clover Yarrow Morning Glory Trumpet vine Honeysuckle

Dill Parsley Anise Fennel Rue Citrus Milkweed Snapdragon Nettle, false nettle Passionflower vine Shrimp plant Aster Hollyhock Thistle

Host Plants Willow Cottonwood Sweet bay, Red bay Spicebush Sassafras Senna Canna Sunflower Mislletoe Hammerwort Purslane Flax Partridge pea Pipe vine

Sit back and enjoy the butterflies that come to your garden!

Go slow. Go low. Approach from behind. Don’t cross the butterfly with your shadow. Avoid sudden movements.

Visit local parks and arboretums and observe what plants the butterflies are attracted to to get an idea of what to plant in your own garden.

Additional Tips

Books Butterflies of Houston and Southeast Texas

by John & Gloria Tveten The Butterfly Gardener’s Guide

a Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guide Beginner’s Guide to Butterflies

by Donald & Lillian Stokes

Websites North American Butterfly Assoc: www.naba.org Monarch Watch: www.monarchwatch.org

Local resources Cockrell Butterfly Center Mercer Arboretum

Resources

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