Attracting Butterflies

Many bird enthusiasts are also naturally taken with the beauty and characteristics of butterflies. These delicate, winged creatures are exquisite and rare, a short-lived wonder of the natural world. When you want to attract butterflies to your yard, it is all about having the right plants, plain and simple. Planning an entire garden, section of the garden, or separate bed for attracting butterflies is easier when you know what their preferred diet entails. This guide will help you choose plants to include that will bring nature’s most delicate winged creatures flitting into your garden this coming season.

Perennials are nice because they will come back year after year with a bit of pruning, deadheading, and care. And the right ones serve as butterfly magnets. Choose from the following for the most success.

1. Aubretia: This spring bloomer delights the senses of humans and butterflies alike with bright blooms of violet, red and blue.
2. Dianthus: Especially effective for our wing-bearing insect friends are pink and white varieties. This traditional plant loves full sun, and where it thrives, butterflies will find it.

3. Michaelmas Daisy or Aster: When late summer hits, this old-world beauty will bud, then bloom into violent shades of purple and pink. The blossoms are hardy and long-lasting, and are a favorite treat for many species of butterfly. Sunny to partly shady patches of your garden or yard are the most suitable for this gorgeous plant.

4. Sedum: This hardiest, most resistant of the traditional plants is also a favorite of passing butterfly. They find it hard to resist the delicate, fragrant aromas which prove the appetizer for a nutritious meal. Place them at the perimeter of your garden and they will lure in butterflies in late summer and into autumn.

5. Sweet William: A form of Dianthus, this mid-summer bloomer presents its pink, purple and white blooms at the peak of butterfly season. You will love its aesthetic beauty and also the skill it seems to have in attracting gorgeous winged creatures of the insect variety.

A good many annuals will also serve to coax butterflies into your viewing range. Add these to your garden for variety from year to year, to complement your honored perennial friends.

1. Candytuft: This is a very old, traditional bloom that butterflies cannot get enough of. Take a close whiff of these sweet blossoms and you might just agree. They are aromatic and very pretty.

2. Cornflower or Bluebottle: These beauties are easy to grow and will supply butterfly-attracting blooms all summer long. Plant them in spring, add a bit of compost, water in dry spells, and sit back to watch them lure beautiful butterflies into your yard.

3. Marigolds: The many varieties of marigold are all on the menu for butterflies. This bushy, hardy, orange and yellow mainstay of English gardens provides a tasty, stable place for butterflies to feed and rest. Edge your garden with Marigold and keep some pests out while bringing in the species you want to enjoy.

There really is a science to attracting butterflies, and planting the right varieties in your garden is the foundation for success. Many of these plants offer aesthetically appealing blooms, and will further delight you when you see the first butterfly of the year alight on one of them – with many more to follow.

Related posts:

1. Simple Tips for Designing an Attractive Butterfly Garden
2. Butterfly Gardening
3. Attracting Birds to your Backyard with less than $100
4. Perennials Flowers
5. Seasonal Flowers