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3 Tips for Planning a Thriving Butterfly Garden

4/22/2018

11 Comments

 
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Bloom Succession

Bloom succession- plants that start blooming at different times of the year- is a huge component to planning a thriving pollinator garden. It creates a beautiful year-long display and also provides butterflies with a food source all year long!

Make sure to consult your local native plant nursery or extension office to get accurate bloom-times for your flowers. Sometimes a plant that is distributed throughout the U.S. will bloom slightly earlier in the warmer regions compared to the colder Northern regions. 

Pollinators need more than just flowers to survive. They also need leaves to feed and reproduce on. Plant a variety of plants that are both nectar sources as well as host sources for insects.
​

Butterflies also need shelter from wind and rain. Having a mixture of plants in your garden such as trees, shrubs, grasses and sedges will provide great habitat for a variety of insects.

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Plant Native Plants 

Benjamin Vogt, author of “A New Garden Ethic” says, “Right plant, right place. The benefit of native plants is in their wildlife support, and re-wilding the landscapes we've erased around our homes.”

There are many resources out there to start researching native plants in your area. Remember, your local extension is a great resource along with local botanical gardens and native plant nurseries.

Some plants such as the Butterfly bush (Buddleja sp.) are known for being a great pollinator plant. However, they can become invasive since they are not native.  Butterfly bush is not a host to a single insect species in the U.S. and has been banned from being sold in Oregon. That doesn't mean that it doesn't offer nectar. However, it offers nectar only to the insects with a specialized proboscis to reach the nectar. 

Think Like a Butterfly

Give it a try! It may help you to appeal to the butterflies you are trying to protect. If you were a butterfly, what would you enjoy the most? Perhaps, moisture, a place to rest and nectar of course! 

When the growing season is over, that doesn't mean the butterflies are gone. If you leave your plants and leaves and delay plant material removal, they can provide butterflies a home in the winter. 


Benjamin Vogt recommends, cutting down perennial flower stems and grasses to about 12 to 18 inches tall, which will leave future homes for spring and summer bees to nest. 

​Happy Gardening!
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11 Comments
Tanya Aiza link
1/14/2021 11:18:40 am

I enjoyed reading this article, I love gardening and had been an avid botany enthusiast. I might have spent half my life around plants.

Reply
John w. Richardson Jr
3/23/2021 05:49:48 am

I enjoyed this article as well the others I've read here I released over 200 hundred Monarch BUTTERFLIES last year in my first year. I look forward to more this year 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

Reply
Landscape Construction Christchurch link
3/28/2021 07:37:53 pm

This is a really great content, I can see how detailed you have gone through and explained about 3 tips for planning a thriving butterfly garden. I love this article, thanks for producing such great contents. I love your posts always.

Reply
Arborist Tauranga link
4/15/2021 02:07:18 am

I was looking for this information relating to 3 tips for planning a thriving butterfly garden. You have really eased my work by posting this article, loved your writing skill as well. Please keep sharing more, would love to read more from you!

Reply
Jennifer Rodriguez link
4/19/2021 01:12:50 pm

I love Butterfly and always expect they will be available in my garden. I got some tips here to full fill my expectation. Thanks for your tips.

Reply
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5/7/2021 11:48:38 pm

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Conservatory Garden link
2/19/2023 10:27:55 am

This garden is a phenomenal one in NYC. It has a blend of so many flowering displays in different seasons. So, visiting the garden will never make you bored. Handicapped people are also welcome here. Horticulture practice turned into a flowering garden and display over this place in 1937. Since then, it is very famous. The garden has three units and over 4o million people visit this garden each year. So, if you want to explore this garden, visit their website for more info.

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    Author

    Rebecca Chandler
    Garden Educator, Naturalist and Ethnobotanist

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