Butterfly Gardening: Attracting and Supporting These Beautiful Pollinators

What Is Butterfly Gardening?

Butterfly gardening means growing flowers and plants that attract butterflies, creating a safe habitat. If you have cats, reconsider—they prey on butterflies.

Design Considerations

Garden size and plant selection are personal choices, but include plants that appeal to local butterfly species. Check your local library for region-specific recommendations. Provide water: a birdbath keeps butterflies off the ground, away from pets. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree works too.

Plant Selection and Color Coordination

Butterflies prefer nectar-rich flowers over pollen-heavy ones: honeysuckle, milkweed, summer lilac, valerian, daisies, purple coneflower, yellow sage, daylilies, lavender. Coordinate colors to avoid a hodgepodge. Warm colors (red, orange) pop against green; cool colors (blue, purple) soothe and work well with white for a fresh look. Sketching a colored layout helps visualize the result.