Matching butterflies with plants

If you would like to get started on making a simple, butterfly garden, here is a short list of plants and the butterflies that are attracted to them.

-Monarch : The beloved, orange- and black-patterned butterfly adults will feed on the nectar of many flowers such as Hyssop (Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’), Goldenrod (Solidago), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and Butterfly Bush (Buddleja) but will breed only where milkweeds are found. Monarch larvae or caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed leaves. (Asclepias speciosa, A. pumila, A. tuberosa and many others.)

-Black Swallowtail: A black and cream patterned adult is attracted by the scented flowers of the perennials such as Purple Coneflower, Joe-Pye Weed, Oregano, Asters, Oriental lily, Butterfly Bush, Butterfly Weed and annuals such as Zinnia, Heliotrope, Lantana, Tithonia and others. The butterfly lays its eggs on fennel, parsley, dill or Rue which is an evergreen shrub.

-Meadow Fritillary: Orange-red upper-wings with heavy black markings define this small and adaptable butterfly. As an adult, it prefers the nectar of the Black-Eyed Susan, Ox-Eyed Daisy, Cup-Plant and even the common Dandelion. The caterpillar feeds mostly on violet leaves such as the Northern White Violet (Viola pallens) and the Wooly Blue Violet (Viola sororia).

-Painted Lady: An adult ‘Painted Lady’ is quite colorful with splashes of orange and brown on the upper-side of the wings and duller shades of gray and brown on the under side. It prefers the mauve-pink flowerheads of the Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium) that blooms in late summer. Eupatorium ‘Gateway’) grows up to 5 feet tall, when given enough moisture.) Also, aster, thistle, milkweed, cosmos, ironweed and blazing star. The caterpillars feed on the host plants such as thistle, hollyhocks and mallow.

-Red Admiral: The adult with its showy, orange-red and black wings dotted with white in the front corners, prefers the nectar of later-bloomng plants such as milkweed, goldenrod, butterfly bush, asters, sedum, daisies and even rotting fruit on the ground. The caterpillar needs only nettle leaves.

TIP: For best results, you’ll need a sunny, warm location to site your butterfly garden. The adult butterflies that crave nectar from flowers are mostly attracted to vibrant colors and groupings of a single flower variety and color. (Scientists say that butterflies are near-sighted and are more easily attracted to a large block of a particular color.) Also, the flowering plants (yarrow, Joe-Pye weed, coneflowers) that have flatter tops or umbrella-shaped centers are easier than other shapes for butterflies to land on.