Butterflies!

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Want to attract butterflies to your yard? It's easy — they've got an appetite for a broad selection of flowering plants and shrubs and tend to find large masses of color first. A grouping of flowers — or large blooms — seem to catch their attention first.

by Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com

It's a lovely sight in the garden — bright color on the wing. Darting from flower to flower, butterflies add a special dimension, bringing movement, spontaneity and delight to the simplest of gardens.

It's easy to plant things that will attract them. The list is long and includes a range of annuals, perennials, wildflowers and shrubs — butterfly bush, bee balm, daisy, coneflower, coreopsis, mint, phlox, verbena, lantana, milkweed, lilac, privet, yarrow, butterfly weed, chrysanthemum, purple ageratum. Browse these pages to get plenty of planting ideas:

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Butterflies seem to spot yellow, orange, red and purple flowers first. Here, a western tiger swallowtail feeds on lantana.
Beckoning Butterflies
Flyers of Fancy
Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Garden
Butterfly Garden in a Pot
Consider the Milkweed
For Kids: Butterflies!
Butterflies and Veggies
Attracting Butterflies
Nectar Sources for Butterflies
Larval Host Plants
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Butterfly kids have to eat too. In fact, different species of butterflies lay their eggs on specific host plants. The monarch butterfly lays its eggs only on milkweed.

To do it right, include nectar-producing plants that the adult butterflies feed on as well as plants that the caterpillars like to eat. The University of Minnesota Extension Service has made it easy for you to create a butterfly garden:

Plants for adults (nectar sources) and the caterpillar stage
More plants for caterpillars
Garden plan

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Butterflies--here, the gulf fritillary--also spend time simply resting.
Butterflies like sunny areas — and not only because the plants they favor are sun lovers. Give butterflies a couple of flat rocks to rest on and sun themselves. A source of water and a bit of shade are helpful too. And finally, if you want to keep the butterflies in your garden, avoid using insecticides.

Good Books

Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies to Your Backyard
by Sally Roth

Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies (reading level: 9-12)
by Mel Boring