Butterflies are some of the most delightful garden visitors. It’s a joy to watch them flutter around the yard, stopping here and there to drink nectar from your flowers. They are also important pollinators, so it makes sense to take steps to attract and support them in your garden.
June is a time of peak activity for butterflies as they search for resources for food, mating and laying eggs. Unfortunately, many modern gardens are too sterile to support these activities, but a few tweaks now can make a big difference for the rest of the summer.
A butterfly garden it doesn’t have to be complicated, long or complicated. Just follow these simple tips to create a more butterfly-friendly space right in your backyard.
1. Plant nectar-rich flowers
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June-blooming flowers that are rich in nectar it is a huge help to butterflies. Your yard will attract butterflies from all over if you provide an abundance of flowers as a food source. Hopefully you already have some perennial plants that feed butterfliessuch as conifers, bee balm, cosmos, salvia and black-eyed Susans.
If you still need more flowers or your space is limited, add some annuals that attract butterflies or fast growing flowers for containers. Be strategic in how you plant flowers, both in bedding and container plants. Butterflies will find them easier if they are grown in drifts and in the sun, as they prefer to feed in warm places.
Explore a wide variety of butterfly magnet plants from Jackson & Perkins online.
2. Grow caterpillar host plants
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Your favorite local butterflies came from caterpillars. And in June, they’re looking for specifics native plants for spawning which will turn into more caterpillars and butterflies. Many species only use one or a handful butterfly host plantswhich their caterpillars will feed on once they hatch from their eggs.
Do some research in your area (local extension office is an excellent resource) to determine which butterflies are native and the plants they use as hosts. Some examples include; of milk for monarchs, native violets for fritillaries and allspice for allspice butterflies. Some species need specific trees, so consider adding them for future seasons. For example, black cherries or tulip poplars for eastern tiger swallowtails.
You can get a variety of different milkweed seeds from Amazon.
3. Create a Puddling Station
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Just like birds, butterflies benefit from a water source in your yard, but a typical bird bath is too deep for them. A mineral-rich, shallow water source at ground level is ideal for butterflies. They need both water and minerals to survive and thrive.
You can make a pit by burying a shallow, wide dish in the soil of a bed so that it is level with the ground. Fill it with sand or gravel and add water plus some compost or sea salt. Place some flat rocks in the puddle as landing spots. Check the puddle regularly and add water as needed to keep it moist.
As an alternative to a pit station, you can place one dish of fermenting or rotting fruit. Like the pit, it acts as a source of water and minerals.
This adorable butterfly pond from Amazon will suit any landscape.
4. Provide rocks for sunbathing
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Butterflies rely on sunlight to stay warm, so they will seek out flat, sunny surfaces to rest. Provide these areas by adding flat stones to some of your flower beds. Make sure you have lots of them that get sun at different times of the day and aren’t too shaded by large plants.
Morning sunlight it is especially important for butterflies. They look for spots to molt early in the day to warm up so they can fly and forage for food later in the day.
5. Make your yard pesticide free
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If you are trying to support native species, esp beneficial insects like butterflies, it is best to avoid using pesticides altogether. Most pesticides they are general, meaning they will kill all types of insects, not just pests. June, when the butterflies are very active, is a particularly dangerous time to use pesticides. They harm butterflies and caterpillars.
Instead of chemical pesticides, use non-toxic or safe and organic pest control methods. For example, you can release ladybugs or mantises to prey on pest insects. You can buy predatory insects from amazon that will control unwanted bugs in your garden but leave the beneficial insects unharmed. Or wash the pests off the plants with a strong stream of water, use traps or collect the pests to avoid using pesticides.
By eliminating pesticides in your yard this summer, you will allow butterflies to complete their life cycle and produce the next generation.
6. Let your garden go wild
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Leaving uncluttered corners in your garden or yard is a great way to support all kinds of native wildlife, not just butterflies. Depending on the size of your yard, you can create one or two wild garden corners. Do not cut here and allow native grassesflowers and weeds to occupy the space. Leave stems, branches and leaf litter in place.
Butterflies will appreciate native plants as well as sheltered areas where they can rest and hide from predators. Some species will even overwinter in debris in these wild regions.
These simple additions to your June garden aren’t difficult to implement and the rewards are huge. More flowers, host plants, wild areas, pothole stations, and rocks help butterflies find food, lay eggs, rest, stay warm, and more. June is the perfect time to make these upgrades so you can enjoy butterflies in the garden for the rest of the summer.
