Butterfly gardens are one of natures simplest pleasures for your own enjoyment, photo opportunities, or an outlet for artistic talent. These gardens can also be extended to interest youth in nature, by providing a small window of native inhabitants of the local environment.
Different species of butterflies have different preferences of nectar, in both colors and tastes. A wide variety of food plants will give the greatest diversity of visitors. Try staggering wild and cultivated plants, as well as blooming times of the day and year. Groups of the same plants will be easier for butterflies to see than singly planted flowers.
Overripe fruit, allowed to sit for a few days is a very attractive substance (to them!) as well. All insects are cold-blooded and cannot internally regulate their body temperature. Butterflies will readily bask in the sun when it is warm out, but few are seen on cloudy days. It is a good idea to leave open areas in a yard for butterflies to sun themselves, as well as partly shady areas like trees or shrubs, so they can hide when it’s cloudy or cool off if it is very hot.
Butterflies also like puddles. Males of several species congregate at small rain pools, forming puddle clubs. Permanent puddles are very easy to make by burying a bucket to the rim, filling it with gravel or sand, and then pouring in liquids such as stale beer, sweet drinks or water.
Some varieties of flowers which are easy to find and grow in Illinois, and will be attractive to many species of butterflies include:
- Rudbeckia (July-Aug)
- Aster (sep-oct)
- Lilac (May)
- Goldenrod (Sept-Oct)
- Lavender (June-Sept)
- Daylilies (June-Sept)
- Echinacea (July)
- Marigolds (all summer)