 |
| Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Purple Sage (Salvia leucophylla) |
Butterflies are among the most attractive visitors
to any garden. Their large size, bright
colors and interesting habits make them a joy to watch. Even a brand new garden
(like Mother Nature’s Backyard) can begin attracting butterflies. We’ve delighted in Tiger Swallowtails,
Mourning Cloaks and other butterflies nectaring this spring. For recent pictures and a complete list of
our insect visitors see the ‘Insect
Visitors’ and ‘Insects Seen in Mother
Nature’s Backyard’ pages to the right.
While some gardens attract lots of butterflies, most
home gardens are less attractive to butterfly visitors. A few butterflies may flit through - but they
don’t stay long and may not return. So,
what is different about gardens that are successful butterfly gardens? And how
can we attract more of these lovely creatures to our own backyards? Let’s consider some lessons learned from
Mother Nature’s Backyard and other butterfly gardens.
 |
| Umber Skipper nectaring on Purple Sage (Salvia Leucophylla) |
The words ‘butterfly plant’ conjure up an image of
plants with lots of bright flowers. But this kind of plant is just part of the
story, as we'll see below. Most adult butterflies feed on
the nectar produced by some flowers (although some butterflies feed on
fruit). Butterflies have a tongue-like
proboscis through which they literally ‘sip’ the nectar. You can see the extended proboscis on the
Umber Skipper butterfly in the picture above.
Not all flowers produce nectar – and not all nectar
is equally tasty and abundant. The
plants most of us think of as ‘butterfly plants’ tend to be those that produce
lots of sweet nectar. Such plants often
have many small flowers grouped in rather flat clusters – making it easy and
efficient for butterflies to feed. Some
nectaring plants are also good at advertising: their flowers are bright red,
yellow, orange or blue/purple and may be sweetly scented. They look attractive to us and to the
butterflies.
 |
| Western Yarrow (Achillea millefolia) cultivar 'Island red' |
The first step in making your garden more
butterfly-attractive is to decide if you want to just attract adult
butterflies or whether you’d like butterflies to complete their entire life cycle in your yard.
Most butterflies start as small eggs, go through several caterpillar stages (each a bit larger) and then form a cocoon (pupa). The adult butterfly – which has changed (metamorphosed) from the caterpillar – then emerges from the cocoon. The butterfly life cycle is fascinating to watch and a great education for children and adults alike. And it can happen in your own garden!
 |
| Drawing courtesy of
Open Door Web Site (© ODWS www.saburchill.com)
|
Most butterflies start as small eggs, go through several caterpillar stages (each a bit larger) and then form a cocoon (pupa). The adult butterfly – which has changed (metamorphosed) from the caterpillar – then emerges from the cocoon. The butterfly life cycle is fascinating to watch and a great education for children and adults alike. And it can happen in your own garden!
 |
| Monarch butterfly emerging from chrysalis |
If you decide to attract only adult butterflies. There are many good plant choices, but you still
need to choose the right plants. One
thing that puzzles home gardeners is why plants that look like they should be
good butterfly plants turn out to be duds.
Common garden plants used for color – even some plants advertised as
‘butterfly plants’ – just don’t seem to attract the butterflies. There are
several reasons why this may be so.
Common non-native garden plants have been bred for
large, attractive flowers and garden hardiness.
Selecting for these traits sometimes has negative consequences - at least from the perspective of
insect visitors. Genes needed for proper nectar production may literally be
lost or ‘bred out’ of some cultivars. For others, it’s a question of limited energy:
energy spent on large, colorful flowers can’t be used for producing nectar.
Since many gardeners don’t collect seed, the fact that flowers don’t attract
pollinators – and produce viable seed - is not viewed as a negative consequence
by nurseries. But it does explain – at
least in part - why many colorful gardens are lacking in butterflies and other
insect pollinators. If you want to use
non-native plants, choose older, open-pollinated varieties that are more likely
to be good nectar producers.
 |
| Marine Blue butterfly on Deer Vetch (Lotus scoparius) |
An even more fundamental reason explains why some
‘butterfly plants’ native to other areas don’t attract Southern California butterflies. Butterflies and their native food sources
literally ‘grew up together’ over time.
Over thousands of years, butterflies and food plants have adapted, making each
better suited to the other. In other
words, they have become specialized.
When you plant a ‘butterfly bush’ from Australia, it’s not surprising
that it doesn’t attract many butterflies.
After all that plant’s special butterflies are half-way around the
world! If you choose California native
nectar plants then you’re much more likely to attract California native
butterflies. We’ve included a list of
good ones at the end of this posting.
 |
| Monarch butterfly sunning near native Yarrow (Achillea millefolia) |
If you choose to provide
habitat for all butterfly life stages you are to be commended. You're well on the road to
becoming a modern, life-promoting gardener.
Your decision to provide butterfly habitat does have several consequences. First, you’ll need to know what plants the
caterpillars (larva) eat. Larval and
adult butterfly foods can be quite different, depending on the type of
butterfly. Caterpillar food plants are
often very specific to a type of butterfly and may be rather plain
looking. That doesn’t matter to the
caterpillar – they just need the right type of leaves to eat.
Supply the right species of plant and butterflies will lay their eggs on it. If you plant one of our native Milkweeds, for example, you'll attract female Monarch Butterflies. They pollinate the flowers and lay their eggs on the Milkweed leaves, insuring a ready source of food for their hatching larva. You likely already know that when Monarch caterpillars eat the Milkweed, they ingest plant chemicals that protect them from predation by birds. This is yet another example of insects (caterpillars) and California native plants evolving together to ensure survival of both plants and insects.
Supply the right species of plant and butterflies will lay their eggs on it. If you plant one of our native Milkweeds, for example, you'll attract female Monarch Butterflies. They pollinate the flowers and lay their eggs on the Milkweed leaves, insuring a ready source of food for their hatching larva. You likely already know that when Monarch caterpillars eat the Milkweed, they ingest plant chemicals that protect them from predation by birds. This is yet another example of insects (caterpillars) and California native plants evolving together to ensure survival of both plants and insects.
 |
| Monarch larvae on Milkweed |
Providing complete butterfly habitat means there
will be caterpillars in your garden. So, consider carefully: are you truly happy about sharing your garden with them? If you're not, just plant the nectar plants and enjoy the adult butterflies - that's fine too. Learn to identify the good caterpillars (we've given you some good resources below). You don't want to get rid of a good guy just because s/he looks ugly (to you). Some caterpillars are rather unusual looking. Note the use of camouflage by the two large catarpillars shown below.
Caterpillars will eat some foliage – that’s what caterpillars do. They usually will not destroy your larval food plants, although their leaves may look a little raggedly by summer’s end. Your garden may not look as nice as gardens without caterpillars - but you're helping protect our lovely and fragile native butterflies by tolerating a bit of untidiness!
 |
| Anise Swallowtail caterpillar - spots and stripes effectively hide this large caterpillar from bird predators |
 |
| Giant Swallowtail caterpillar looks like bird poop - eew, that's a really effective trick to discourage predators |
Caterpillars will eat some foliage – that’s what caterpillars do. They usually will not destroy your larval food plants, although their leaves may look a little raggedly by summer’s end. Your garden may not look as nice as gardens without caterpillars - but you're helping protect our lovely and fragile native butterflies by tolerating a bit of untidiness!
 |
| Deer Vetch (Lotus scoparius) - important larval food plant for El Segundo and other Blue Butterflies - in the wild |
 |
| Deer Vetch (Lotus scoparius) in the native plant garden at Madrona Marsh Nature Center |
Twelve Things You Can Do to Attract Butterflies/Provide Butterfly
Habitat
1. Plant
larval food plants. This is probably the single best way to attract more
butterflies. Be sure to plant enough of
each type of plant. A good rule of thumb
is at least 6 square feet for a given type of food plant. For example, you could plant two native Buckwheat
plants, each covering 3-4 square feet (total area: 6-8 square feet).
2. Plant
nectar plants for adult food (see
list). Most of these plants have many colorful
flowers. If planting non-native plants,
try to get ‘old-fashioned’ varieties. Be sure to have enough plants – 8-10 sq.
feet total is best. Feel free to provide
a variety of plant species. For example, you
might include several types of buckwheat, milkweeds and yarrow in the same
flower bed.
3. Plant
flowers that bloom at different times. Try to include plants that bloom in spring, summer
& fall. In western Los Angeles
county, some butterflies fly throughout the year. Help insure that they have food at all times.
4. Plan
a sunny, protected area for butterflies to perch. Butterflies need to warm up on cool days.
They also need protection from the wind.
A sunny area with large shrubs makes a good perching area. The type of
shrub doesn’t matter. But if you plant a large native shrub like Toyon or
Ceanothus – or a citrus tree – you’ll provide both perches and a food source. Butterflies will also perch on sunny rocks,
walls, even on bare ground.
5. Provide
protected places for larva and pupa (cocoons). In
many cases all that’s needed are some large, dense shrubs (any will do) or densely planted
larval food plants. Don't prune your larval food plants - or leave some unpruned - until after butterflies have hatched.
6. Provide
a source of water & minerals. Butterflies need a shallow source of water. Put a flat stone in your bird bath so
butterflies can access the water. The
water should just cover the rock.
Alternatively provide an small area with moist/muddy soil. Butterflies will drink and obtain needed
minerals from the soil.
7. Don’t
use insecticides. They kill
butterflies, too. Hand remove, or use
water or insecticidal soap if you need to control pests.
8. Encourage
your neighbors to butterfly garden. If it
takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a neighborhood to raise a
butterfly. You don’t need to provide all the
habitat by yourself. Join forces
with your neighbors to provide good butterfly habitat and improve your neighborhood.
9. Visit
butterfly gardens for inspiration and information.
10. Participate
in butterfly activities. Local organizations sponsor July butterfly counts,
butterfly surveys, classes and other activities. These can be great ways to learn, promote
native butterflies and meet others interested in butterflies. Several possibilities are:
·
Los Angeles
Butterfly Survey - http://www.nhm.org/site/activities-programs/community-science/butterfly-survey/how-to-participate
·
July
Butterfly count – see Madrona Marsh calendar for July - http://www.friendsofmadronamarsh.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=42&Itemid=61
11. Learn
what common butterflies look like – at all their stages. Adult butterflies are easy to spot. The eggs, caterpillars and pupa are more
difficult. You don’t want to remove a
butterfly caterpillar or egg by mistaking it for a garden pest! Some good
places to learn more about S. California butterflies are:
·
Garden
Butterflies of Great Los Angeles - http://www.urbanwildlands.org/Resources/gardenbutterflies.pdf
·
Butterfllies
& Their Larval Food Sources - http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/bflyplnt.htm
·
NABA
L.A. pictures - http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabala/gallery.htm
·
Butterflies
& Moths of S. California - http://www.calflora.net/butterflies/index.html
·
Southern
California Butterflies - http://socalbutterflies.com/
Books:
·
Thomas J. Allen, Jim P. Brock, and Jeff Glassberg.
A Field guide to Caterpillars. 2005.
0195149874 978-0195149876
·
T.C. Emmel, T.C. and J. F. Emmel: Butterflies of Southern California. 1973.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
·
John
S. Garth and J.W. Tilden
: California Butterflies (CA natural
History guides). 1985
·
Jeffrey Glassberg: Butterflies through Binoculars: The West
. 2001. 0195106695
978-0195106695
·
Fred
Heath & H. Clark: Introduction to Southern California
Butterflies. 2004. Mountain
Press Publishing – ISBN: 0-87842-475-X
·
Rudi
Mattoni : Butterflies of Greater Los Angeles. 1990 - ISBN-13: 9780961146443
·
P.
Opler and A. Wright : A Field Guide to Western Butterflies
(Peterson Guide). 1999
·
Stewart,
Bob. Common Butterflies of California. 1997- 0966307208 978-0966307207
12. Learn
more about butterfly gardening and native food plants at:
·
Project
SOUND food lists: adult & larval foods for western L.A. county: http://www.nbs.csudh.edu/biology/projectsound/habitat/default.shtml
·
Butterfly
Obsession site: http://www.obsessionwithbutterflies.com/
·
CA
Butterflies & Native Plants - http://www.laspilitas.com/butterflylist.htm
We also have a slide show on designing a butterfly garden at:
Books:
· Butterfly Gardening in Southern California by Natural
History Museum of Los Angeles County
- Butterfly Gardening--Creating Summer Magic in Your
Garden by the
Xerxes Society/ Smithsonian Institution. ISBN-10: 0871569752 ISBN-13: 978-0871569752
- Butterfly Gardens (Brooklyn Botanic Garden
All-Region Guide). ISBN-10:0945352883 ISBN-13:
978-0945352884
____________________________________________________________________________
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Garden
Butterflies of the South Bay
and Their Best Food Plants
and Their Best Food Plants
Butterfly
|
Months fly*
|
Nectar (Adult) Food Plants
|
Larval (Caterpillar) Food Plants
|
Anise
Swallowtail
Papilio
zelicaon
|
Feb-Oct
|
Holly-leaf
Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
|
Spring
Gold (Lomatium utriculatum)
Water
Parsley (Oenanthe sarmentosa)
Non-native Sweet Fennel & Citrus
|
Western
Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio
rutulus
|
Jan-Sep
|
Toyon
(Heteromeles arbutifolia)
|
CA
Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)
Willows
(Salix species)
Cottonwoods
(Populus balsamifera & fremontii)
|
Giant
Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes
|
Apr-Jun
|
Many
native & non-native flowering plants
|
Non-native citrus
|
Cabbage White**
Pieris rapae
|
Year-round
|
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Sand Asters (Corethrogyne
filaginifolia)
Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)
|
Tansy
Mustard (Descurania pinnata)
Peppergrass
(Lepidium species)
Non-native garden vegetables--cabbage, cauliflower, kale,
mustard greens, radish; other -- nasturtium and mustard (Brassica sp.).
|
Common Checkered White
Pontia (Pieris) protodice
|
Feb-Oct
|
Many native and non-native species in Sunflower (Asteraceae), Mustard (Brassicaceae), Pea (Fabaceae) and other families.
|
See Cabbage White
|
Orange
Sulphur
Eurema nicippe
|
Year-round
|
Many
flowering species
|
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
Non-native
Cassias/ Sennas
|
Cloudless
Sulphur
Phoebis
sennae marcellina
|
May-Nov
|
Non-native
red-flowering geraniums
|
Non-native Cassias
Non-native Canary Bird Bush (Crotalaria agatiflora)
|
Gray
(Common) Hairstreak
Strymon melinus
|
May-Sept
|
Milkweeds
(Asclepias eriocarpa & fascicularis)
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
|
False
Indigo (Amorpha species)
Buckwheats
(Eriogonum species)
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
Lupines
(Lupinus species)
|
Western
Pygmy Blue
Brephidium exilis
|
Jul-Nov
|
Buckwheats
(Eriogonum species)
|
Saltbushes
(Atriplex species) Goosefeet (Chenopodeum species)
|
Marine
Blue
Leptotes marina
|
Mar-Oct
|
Common
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Buckwheats
(Eriogonum species)
Golden
Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
|
False
indigo (Amorpha)
Rattlepod
(Astragalus trichopodus)
Milkvetches
(Astragalus species)
Buckwheats
(Eriogonum species)
Wild
Sweet Pea (Lathyrus vestitus)
Lotus/Brooms
(Lotus species)
Lupines
(Lupinus species)
Clovers
(Trifolium species)
Non-native Cape Plubago (Plumbago
auriculata), Alfalfa (Medicago
sativa)
|
Acmon
Blue
Prebijus (Icaricia)
acmon
|
Mar-Oct
|
Milkweeds
(Asclepias eriocarpa & fascicularis)
Douglas’
Baccharis (Baccharis douglasii)
Buckwheats
(Eriogonum species)
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
|
Vetches
(Astragalus species)
Ashy-leaf
Buckwheat (Eriogonum cinereum)
California
Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)
Other
Buckwheats (Eriogonum spp)
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
Other
Lotus/Brooms (Lotus species)
Lupines
(Lupinus species)
Clovers
(Trifolium species)
|
Mormon
& Fatal (Dusky) Metalmarks
Apodemia mormo
& Calephelis nemesis
|
Mar-Sept
|
Buckwheats
(Eriogonum species)
|
Mulefat
(Baccharis salicifolia)
California
Bush Sunflower (Encelia californica)
California
Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)
|
Gulf
Fritillary**
Agraulis vanillae
|
May-Nov
|
Seaside
heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum)
|
Johnny Jump-up (Viola
pedunculata)
Non-native Passionflower (Passiflora
caerulea)
|
Mourning
Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
|
Year-round
|
Milkweeds
(Asclepias eriocarpa & fascicularis)
Toyon
(Heteromeles arbutifolia)
|
Willows
(Salix exigua, laevigata &
lasiolepis)
Cottonwoods
(Populus balsamifera & fremontii)
|
Painted
Lady
Cynthia (Vanessa)
cardui
|
Jan-Oct
|
Cobwebby
Thistle (Cirsium occidentale)
|
Menzie’s
Fiddleneck (Amsinckia menziesii)
Cobwebby
Thistle (Cirsium occidentale)
Broad
Leafed Lupine (Lupinus latifolius)
Bush
Lupine (Lupinus longiflorus)
Arroyo
Lupine (Lupinus succulentus)
Checkerspot
(Sidalcea malvaeflora)
Hoary
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Non-native Baby's Tears (Soleirolia
soleirolii)
|
American
Lady (Painted Beauty)
Vanessa
virginiensis
|
Mar-Oct
|
Common
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Milkweeds
(Asclepias eriocarpa & fascicularis)
Douglas’
Baccharis (Baccharis douglasii)
Sand
Asters (Corethrogyne filaginifolia)
Golden
Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)
|
Sagebrush
(Artemisia species)
Bedstraws
(Gallium species)
Marsh
Everlasting (Gnaphalium palustre)
Two-tone
Everlasting (Pseudognaphalium biolettii)
California
Everlasting (Pseudognaphalium
californicum)
Cotton-batting
Plant (Pseudognaphalium stramineum)
|
West
Coast Lady
Cynthia (Vanessa)
annabella
|
Year-round
|
Common
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Milkweeds
(Asclepias eriocarpa & fascicularis)
Sand
Asters (Corethrogyne filaginifolia)
Golden
Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)
|
Island
Bush Mallows (Malacothamnus
species)
Checkerspot
(Sidalcea malvaeflora)
Hoary
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Non-native Baby's Tears (Soleirolia
soleirolii)
|
Common
Buckeye
Precis (Junonia)
coenia
|
Feb-Nov
|
Douglas’
Baccharis (Baccharis douglasii)
Bush
Monkeyflowers (Diplacus species)
|
Sticky
Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus)
Chaparral
Bush Monkey Flower (Diplacus linearis)
Creek
Monkey Flower (Mimulus guttatus)
Other
Monkeyflowers (Mimulus species)
Plantains
(Plantago species)
Non-native garden snapdragon (Antirrhinum sp.)
|
Red
Admiral
Vanessa atalanta
|
May-Dec
|
Fermenting fruits, bird droppings, and
sap from trees.
Nectar from Asteraceae spp, milkweed ,
alfalfa, more.
|
Hoary
Nettle (Urtica dioica holosericea)
Non-native Baby's Tears (Soleirolia
soleirolii)
|
Monarch
Danaus
plexippus
|
Jan-Mar
Sept-Nov
|
Milkweeds
(Asclepias eriocarpa & fascicularis)
Red
Thistle (Cirsium occidentale)
Blue
Dicks/Wild Hyacinth (Dichelostemma
capitatum)
|
Milkweeds
(Asclepias eriocarpa, fascicularis and
speciosa)
|
Funereal
Duskywing
Erynnis funeralis
|
Feb-Nov
|
Buckwheats
(Eriogonum species)
Black
Sage (Salvia mellifera)
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
Sunflower
family (Asteraceae)
|
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
Vetches
(Vicia species)
Non-native Alfalfa (Medicago
sativa).
|
Western
Checkered Skipper
Pyrgus
albescens (Pyrgus
communis)
|
Feb-Oct
|
Many
species of flowering plants
|
Island
Bush Mallows (Malacothamnus
species)
Checkerspot
(Sidalcea malvaeflora)
Alkali
Mallow (Malvella leprosa)
|
Northern
White-Skipper
Heliopetes
ericetorum
|
Apr-Oct
|
Many
species of flowering plants
|
Island
Bush Mallows (Malacothamnus
species)
Checkerspot
(Sidalcea malvaeflora)
Desert
Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)
|
Sandhill
Skipper
Polites sabuleti
|
Mar-Oct
|
Seaside
heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum)
|
Grasses,
particularly Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata);
|
Sachem
Atalopedes
campestris
|
Mar-Dec
|
Milkweeds (Asclepias
spp.)
Clovers
(Trifolium spp.)
Many
common non-native garden flowers
|
Grasses
: Bromes (Bromus species);
Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata);
Barleys (Hordeum species); Melic Grass (Melica imperfecta); Deergrass (Muhlenbergia species); Needlegrasses (Nasella species); Sedges (Carex
species);
Non-native lawn grasses
|
Eufala
Skipper
Lerodea eufala
|
Feb-Oct
|
Many
native and non-native flowers including many in Sunflower (Asteraceae)
family,
|
See
Sachem
|
Umber
Skipper
Paratrytone
(Poanes) melane
|
Feb-Oct
|
Common
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Sand
Asters (Corethrogyne filaginifolia)
Wild
Hyacinth (Dichelostemma capitatum)
Buckwheats
(Eriogonum species)
Golden
Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum)
Seaside
heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum)
Deervetch
(Lotus scoparius)
|
See
Sachem
|
Fiery
Skipper
Hylephila phyleus
|
Apr-Nov
|
See
Umber skipper
|
See
Sachem
|
*months that adult butterflies have been sighted in Western L.A. County
**
not native to Western L.A. County