It's easy to attract butterflies to your garden by
providing their favorite nectar-producing flowers. But to persuade
them to stay all summer, you must grow those plants that supply
food for the larval stage. Zebra swallowtail larvae, for example,
feed only on pawpaw plants, while tiger swallowtails consume leaves
from many broadleaf shrubs and trees, especially willows and tulip
poplars. The larva of Florida's state butterfly, the zebra
longwing, feeds on passion flower.
Provide at least one puddle area for your
butterflies, since they cannot drink from open water. Wet sand,
earth or mud are the best butterfly watering holes. To make a
"watering station," take a large empty coffee can, punch the bottom
with 5 or 6 holes using an eight penny nail and a hammer.
Then fill it to the brim with beach sand, and bury it level to the
ground in a sunny area close to your butterfly garden. Drench
it with water and keep it moist to attract butterflies.
You can also make a watering station by
adding sand to the saucer of a bird bath to reduce its depth. Add a
rock in the center that can act as a resting spot. A large saucer
designed to fit beneath clay flower pots will do the same job
handsomely.
Let a few sunny areas in your yard go wild. Grasses
and wildflowers native to your region are the best and most
permanent draws. Over time, introduce other native
butterfly-attracting herbs, shrubs and trees, especially vegetation
that has staggered blooming seasons so you can offer a steady
progression of flowers. For more information about attracting
butterflies to your backyard, visit http://nsis.org/butterfly/
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