The Bountiful Butterfly Garden
Created and maintained by The Putnam County Master Gardeners
WHAT IS A BUTTTERFLY GARDEN?
A butterfly garden is a garden
with a special emphasis on supporting and encouraging butterflies. Many people have heard of the recent decline
in butterfly populations, due to several reasons, including loss of habitat due
to increased population, indiscriminate use of harmful pesticides, and climate
change. A concerted effort is underway
by many people to provide increased food supplies, safe habitat, and cover and
food for the larvae and butterflies. The garden should provide host plants for
the caterpillars and nectar plants for the adults. An example would be 10 milkweeds and 10
nectar plants including asters and goldenrods.
Butterflies also like flat rocks to rest on and wet sand or puddles to
drink water and obtain minerals. It is actually easy and fun to create a
butterfly garden and a great way to introduce children to the beauty of nature
and the value of garden.
What
are good plants for a butterfly garden? An example of plants can be found in
our butterfly garden, and include the following:
Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’ –Yarrow (Perennial) Yellow blooms from June – September. Good
nectar plant.
Achillea
‘Strawberry Seduction’ - Yarrow
(Perennial) strawberry-red flowers, each with a tiny
yellow eye bloom from early summer to early fall. A nectar source.
Asclepias syriaca
- Common Milkweed – A drought
tolerant perennial plant which functions as a food source for Monarch larvae and also a nectar source for
numerous butterflies. Fragrant, pinkish -purple flowers appear over a long
bloom period from late spring well into summer.
Asclepias
incarnata Rose or Swamp Milkweed - (Perennial)
Flowers are very attractive to butterflies as a nectar source and food for the
larval stage of Monarch butterflies. Pink to mauve flowers bloom July-August.
Asclepias tuberosa
‘Hello Yellow’ Butterfly Weed- (Perennial)
Flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and leaves are a food source
for monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars).
Hello Yellow has yellow flowers and tuberose has orange flowers.
Aster
novi-belgii ‘Alert’ (Perennial) Densely
packed clusters of deep purplish-red flowers bloom from late summer into fall
and are a great nectar source when many plants are not blooming.
Buddleia
davidii ‘Buzz Purple’ Butterfly Bush –
(perennial shrub) A dwarf butterfly bush that is 1/3 the size of standard
butterfly bushes. The deep purple flowers provide nectar for butterflies from
summer through fall.
Echinacea tennesseenis
Tennessee Purple Coneflower – Native
to Tennessee. A perennial flower originally found only in cedar glades in
central Tennessee. Echinacea are a favorite nectar source for many butterflies.
Purple rays with coppery-orange center cones bloom from June – August.
Echinacea
purpurea Purple Coneflower ‘Double Decker’ - Second-year plants produce a large
magenta-pink daisies with a second smaller flower produced on top of each dark
brown central cone. Blooming starts in midsummer and continues for weeks. A
perennial nectar plant.
Echinacea
purpurea 'Rubinstern' ‘Ruby Star’ (perennial – nectar source)– Flowers are
carmine red to purple rays with bronze-brown cones bloom June – August.
Echinacea
purpurea ‘Magnus” - has broad
non-drooping petals of rosy purple surrounding a dark cone. Blooms June-
August.
Echinacea
purpurea 'Balsomsed' Sombrero Salsa Red-
(perennial nectar source) A compact, upright coneflower with sturdy stems that
do not need staking. Orange-red rays with orange brown center cone bloom from
June- August.
Eupatorium maculatum ‘Phantom’ Joe Pye Weed –A a perennial
with a compact growth habit compared to the species makes it an ideal
choice for smaller gardens; features fluffy plumes of lavender-purple flowers.
A great nectar source for butterflies.
Foeniculum vulgare ‘Rubrum’ Bronze Fennel a perennial herb
but typically grown as an annual. The herb has attractive
purplish-tinted foliage and yellow summer flowers which are attractive to
butterflies. Fennel is also a host plant for certain swallowtail butterflies.
Lantana camara
‘Bante cheriasun’ Lantana Bandana Cherry Sunrise (Annual) A nectar
source for many butterfly species. its flowers combine 4 colors: yellow
centers, followed by rings of apricot, pink, and an outer circle of bright
crimson.
Liatris
‘Blazing Star’ a perennial native
wildflower nectar plant. Plants form a low clump
of grassy looking leaves, bearing tall spikes of bright magenta-purple flowers
in July-August.
Petroselinum
crispum var. neapolitanum Flat
leaf Italian Parsley is a biennial
herb that is typically grown as an annual. It is a
host plant for Swallowtail butterflies.
Zinnias ‘Profusion
Varieties’ in Coral, Pink , Orange,
and Yellow and ‘ Zahara Red’ (Annual) Highly prolific bloomers, each
variety in the Zinnia Profusion series produces masses of 2" semi-double
flowers on mid-height plants. Blooms all summer long.
Tagetes
patula French Marigolds an annual
plant with Yellow, orange, red and bicolor flowers that adult butterfly love as a nectar source.
Our garden has been certified as a ‘Monarch Waystation’.
Further information on how you can certify your yard can be found at http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/certify.html.
Putnam County
Master Gardeners are ready to assist and answer any questions. Good luck with Butterfly Gardening!
Documents on Butterfly Gardening
Click on links below to open in your browser or download
The Bountiful Butterfly Garden HandoutNorth American Butterfly Association Central Tennessee Butterfly Plants
UT Extension Publication PB1636 BUtterfly Gardening
Resources
Monarch Waystation Information
waystation-brochure
MONARCH WATCH MONARCH WAYSTATION CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Monarch Waystation Guide
Monarch Waystation Requirements
For more information go to the Putnam County Master Gardener website at: http://www.pcmg-tn.org/
