Designing a Butterfly Haven
Did you know that the Sunshine State is home to over 200 species of butterflies?! What is even more mind-blowing and super cool, or atleast to this Florida Gardenista, is that some of these butterfly species can only be found in Florida! It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve come across a butterfly dancing around me, a smile always comes to my face. I know I’m not the only butterfly lover out there, which is why today you’re going to learn how to create an ideal environment to attract and host those fluttery beauties to your garden!
If you’re wanting to create a butterfly garden, brainstorming on what plants are ideal nectar sources and food host is a good first step. Adult butterflies need plants that produce nectar to sustain them and their babies, the butterfly larvae, need host plants to eat and grow. Mixing nectar and host plants throughout your garden will allow you to see the different morphing stages!
Using Florida native plants is always a great way to create a butterfly friendly garden. Some non-native plants, like the Tropical Milkweed, can be detrimental to butterflies. Recent studies show the Tropical Milkweed is susceptible to a certain parasite that impacts the butterflies wing formation during their growth cycle and also effect their breeding cycle. Ahh, we don’t want that!! Another thing to keep in mind is native plants promote healthy wildlife and typically are easier to maintain because they can tolerate and thrive in Florida’s environment and soil.
According to the University of Florida, these are a few plants that would be excellent additions for your Butterfly Garden:
Flowers
Herbs
Horsemint a.k.a. Bee Balm prefers part shade/sun
Climbers
Passion Flower (I've heard red is best;)
Bushes
Butterflies (and people) tend to be more attracted to a garden if plants are blooming during various times of the year. Just this past month, I joined a small group of Master Gardeners to revamp the Butterfly Garden within the Brevard Discovery Garden. During the planning process, we chose different plants and/or flowers that bloom throughout the summer and into fall. It makes sense, but for some reason it never occured to me until this recent experience.
With Florida being the home to over 200 butterfly species, it’s not surprising that they aren’t all attracted to the same color flowers or petal shapes. Having diversity in your garden will bring in more types of butterflies and promote a stronger ecosystem. If your garden only has a few varieties and a pest or disease preys on those specific plants, your garden will soon be very sick and bare. Not very enticing for your butterfly buddies.
Throughout their lives, butterflies are very sensitive to pesticides. Minimizing or not using pesticides in your yard will promote, rather than kill, the butterfly population in your garden. There are natural solutions that are less invasive to the good insects and ecosystem.
Don’t forget about the shade! Shade provides an environment for butterflies to rest and shelter against predators and harsh environmental conditions. Keep this in mind when scoping out your plant selections.
I’m can’t wait to see and share the morphing of the Butterfly Garden in the Brevard Discovery Garden! From these tips and ideas, I also hope you take a moment to share your butterfly garden progress with me and the rest of us butterfly lovers! If you ever need help, please don’t hesitate to reach out using the Contact page of this website.
Happy gardening!