What conditions attract native butterflies to a backyard garden?
A successful butterfly garden includes a variety of bright and colorful flowering plants situated in a sunny area protected from wind. The best varieties produce a high nectar food source and a place for females to lay eggs. Many native butterflies are attracted to pink, red, purple, yellow or orange flowers in large masses of a single color, or closely related colors. Most butterflies must land in order to get to the nectar and prefer plants with clusters of short tubular flowers or large, flat petals. Since butterflies are active from early spring through frost, having a mix of flowering plants that bloom all season will ensure lots of visitors! Recommended plants: Bee-balm (Monarda didyma), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia species), Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Coreopsis (Coreopsis species), Sedum (Sedum species), Yarrow (Achillea species), and Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). Wilcox Park Perennials Alchemilla
