Gardening for butterflies


Butterfly Gardening

Gardens can become a haven for butterflies and help act as stepping stones between natural habitats. Flowery meadows filled with butterflies were once commonplace, but now they are little more than a distant memory. We have lost many of our hedges and field boundaries rich in wild flowers and grasses.

How to attract Butterflies and Moths

A butterfly friendly garden can attract up to 18 species of butterfly, if we can provide suitable nectar plants. Many of these plants will attract bees, moths and other insects.

Butterflies visit our gardens to drink nectar from the flowers. Many good nectar plants are easy to grow, the old fashioned flowers tend to be best - modern ones have sometimes been developed for their looks and have lost their nectar. Single, not double, flowers are more likely to have nectar, and the shape allows the butterfly to get at it.

Butterflies like warmth so choose sunny, sheltered spots when planting your favorite nectar plants. The area around where you choose to sit is often the perfect area to start.
The greater the variety of plants that you grow the greater number of butterflies may visit. Place the same types of plant together if you have room. Try to provide flowers right through the butterfly season. Spring flowers are vital for butterflies coming out of hibernation and autumn flowers help butterflies build up their reserves for winter.

Prolong flowering by deadheading flowers, mulching with organic compost, and watering well to keep the plants healthy. Plants that are well-watered will produce far more nectar for hungry butterflies. Don't use insecticides and pesticides. They kill butterflies and many pollinating insects as well as ladybirds, ground beetles and spiders.

Don't be too tidy; provide areas of native British grasses which are the food-plant of many butterflies and moths. Trees and shrubs provide breeding area for moths. Areas of native wild plants are ideal or mix them in with your garden plants. Leaf litter is where some butterfly/moth chrysalises will be found and of course the dark corners of your shed are where some butterflies will hibernate over winter.

Plants for Butterflies and Moths

Our Members will be providing photos of Butterflies and Moths on their garden plants and the best will be displayed on this page.

Plants that attract butterflies, moths and bees are available for sale from Saith Ffynnon Wildlife Plants.

Page last update 27th Sept 2011