Tip of the Week — 7/28/08

Posted in Gardening Tips on July 28 2008, by Sonia Uyterhoeven

Lepidopterist Delight

Sonia Uyterhoeven is Gardener for Public Education at The New York Botanical Garden.
Butterflies delight us with a kaleidoscope of color. They are wonderful for educating children about nature, keeping us connected with the natural world, and giving us a deeper appreciation for insects in general.

Butterflies are also second to bees are our most important plant pollinator. They are sensitive to the environment and so are good indicators of the health of the environment. How then can we encourage them into our garden?

Butterflies need sunny, open spots that are protected from heavy winds. They need a sunning area such as a rock, a path, or pavement, where they can sit and warm up (insects are cold blooded). Just like birds need a bird bath for water, butterflies need puddles or a pool of water where they can get moisture and minerals. The garden should be free of pesticides.

To draw butterflies into your yard, provide plants that are a good source of nectar such as butterfly bush, lilacs, lavender, bee balm, ornamental sage (salvia), cosmos, zinnias, coneflowers, and asters, to name a few.

Also remember to provide food sources for hungry caterpillars that will eventually be transformed—through metamorphosis—into the stately butterfly. Host plants include fennel, parsley, violets, blueberry bushes, dogwoods, viburnums, cherries, and maples.