Butterfly Gardens

Butterflies use plants as a floral food source when they are adults and as host plants when caterpillars.

Adults feed solely on liquid with their proboscis (prow·baa·suhs), a straw-like sucking mouthpart. Butterflies with larger wings typically have longer proboscides. To maximize the nectar they can consume, small butterflies prefer nectar-rich flowers that are densely planted. Butterflies are not capable of hovering while feeding. For this reason, they prefer either large and flat flowers or small and densely clustered flowers.

A robust butterfly garden needs host plants for developing caterpillars in addition to nectar plants. Female butterflies choose host plants for egg laying using vision, smell and also by tasting leaves with chemoreceptors on their feet. The plants butterflies choose to lay their eggs on plants are specific and tend to belong to only a few plant families.

Gardeners that support butterflies will enjoy witnessing their entire lifecycle, from a vulnerable egg to a graceful, vibrant adult.