Getting Started – Plants to Attract Butterflies

When my daughter was three, we took her (along with my not-yet-walking son) to the Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, Ca. When we visited the gift shop on our way out, they were selling caterpillars, which would turn into Painted Lady butterflies–butterflies that look like small Monarchs

but can be easily distinguished by a brown coloring on the undersides of their wings. Over the next couple of weeks, we watched as the caterpillar made a cocoon for itself and eventually hatched into a winged beast, which my daughter named Siley. To my daughter’s disappointment, Siley flew away and like any dad that wants the best for his daughter, I started planning a way to bring back the wonder of this experience. Thus began my mission to find what to plant to attract butterflies.

I won’t lie. Though I was mostly motivated by the need to provide enriching experiences for my children, I also wanted to experience the awe and beauty of metamorphosis myself. There are several types of flowers that can be planted, with little maintenance, that draw butterflies. I partial list of common plants that attract butterflies include:

Lavender

Alyssum

Fennel

Marigold

Nasturtium

Oregano

Sage

I have listed these plants because they are easy to find, at least in Southern California where I live, and a few are herbs that can have a lot of different uses! Please do see this page on gardeners.com for a more exhaustive list.

The Magic of Milkweed – Saving the Monarch

One of the surest picks to draw butterflies to your garden is the milkweed plant. This plant has long, dark green leaves, and flowers in a variety of vibrant colors. What’s so special (and magical) about this plant is that it draws Monarch butterflies. If you’re lucky, these beautiful bugs will lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves of the milkweed plant, and it will soon be crawling with caterpillars. Planting milkweed is especially important because many Monarch habitats across America have been devastated by human development, which has led to dramatic decreases in Monarch populations. I’ve been keeping milkweed in my backyard for a few years now, and still find it breathtaking, seeing these orange and black marvels flutter across the yard. They are always welcome visitors.

If you want to get a quick start with monarchs, I suggest checking your local nursery for milkweed. Nurseries will often charge a premium. A more affordable (and convenient) alternative might be to buy it online. Direct Gardening sells a great bundle of milkweed plants that is sure to bring many guests to your garden.

I personally prefer growing the plant from seed and was fortunate enough to get starter seeds from someone in my neighborhood. This route takes a great deal of care, as the seeds are long to germinate and take a while to mature. However, once mature, the plants are hardy and can last a long time in warm climates. But then again, if you have a good number of caterpillars, they can definitely cut (or eat) into your supply! I will write up a separate blog on the planting and care of milkweed seeds, as it’s somewhat of a passion of mine.

On the Care of Caterpillars

A word on the care of the caterpillars themselves. The first year that I had milkweed in my backyard we had an incredibly hot summer. The container that held my plant was not in a shaded area and after a day of 115-degree heat I lost a dozen caterpillars. So, my suggestion, especially if you live anywhere in the Southwest, is to keep your plant in a partially shady area, which gets enough sun to keep the plant healthy. I keep in in a place that gets 4-6 hours of partial sun a day.

The best bet is to put the plant in a partly shaded area that gets water from the sprinklers. I did this and

after the plant was established, could completely forget about it. We now get batches of caterpillars and frequent visitations from Monarchs. Each caterpillar receives a name from my five-year-old daughter, and each butterfly is made a relative of Siley, the painted lady that started it all.

What to Plant to Attract Butterflies – In Summary

If someone came up to me and said they absolutely had to plant something to bring life into their backyard, I’d suggest buying plants already grown, such as those listed above. If she were interested in more of the experience of nurturing these creatures (beyond having them show up for a quick sip before moving on), I would hands-down suggest going with something like milkweed. There is nothing quite like seeing the metamorphic lifespan of an insect from pupa (caterpillar) to adult (butterfly) to provide learning opportunities for children (and adults).

As the smartest of creatures on this planet, and with our unprecedented control of its surface, it falls on our shoulders to protect creatures big and small. What better way than to invite them into your backyard, and to sit back and enjoy their company?

Of course, the full care and raising of milkweed plants will have to wait for another post. But if you have any questions at all about the process, please feel free to send me a message in the form at the bottom of this page (or in the comments). Maybe you’ve tried to attract butterflies or other insects to your backyard? I would absolutely love to hear more. I’m always looking for new things to experiment and play with, so please share your experiences in the comments below.

Some Helpful Links

The link for the site where you can buy milkweed plants is here:

Direct Gardening – Butterfly Plant Collection. According to the site description, this order comes with 1 Hello Yellow, 1 White Milkmaid, 3 Pink Cinderella and 3 Orange Glory Butterfly Plants.

If you’re looking for potting soil, gardening tools, or containers, Amazon is always a good place to look!

Tools: Vremi 9 Piece Garden Tools Set (I have this tool set, love it, and will be writing a review in the future!)

Containers: Garden Grow Bags ,Lucco 5-Pack Mixed. I have used these and they are super convenient. You can start the plant in one of these on the ground, and if you want to eventually plant it, just dig a whole and put the whole pot in the ground. The roots will grow right through the compostable container bag.

Garden Soil: Miracle-Gro All-Purpose Garden Soil. While I mix my own growing medium (more on this later), if you’re just getting started, and particularly impatient (like me sometimes!) then Miracle Grow is just what you need. One Cubic Foot is more than enough to get started.

You can send me a message directly through this form:

I always appreciate a good share!