Sunday, August 5, 2012

How To Attract Butterflies To Your Yard

By Mary Murphy


With the right plants and flowers and some research you can attract butterflies to your location with ease. There are over 15,000 different types of these winged creatures that we already know about. Scientists have broken butterflies into various families. Pieridaes Butterflies, better known as the whites or Suphors as many of their wings are white or yellow, are very common. Another type, Lycaenidae Butterflies, better known as coppers or blues, are small but extremely beautiful but are more difficult to attract.

You can bring butterflies to you with feeders but the easiest and most productive choice are planting flowers with the right colors that attract them. While each species may have preferences on which plants best attract them, using the right colors is vital. Colors such as reds, yellows and purples work very well to attract adults. Check your region to make sure the flowers you plant are native or they will not do well. Hardy plants like butterfly bush or milkweed are great choices and are sure to get noticed.

You may wish to first do some research to see what types of butterflies are common in your region. Plan which type you're interested in attracting and combine that with how to best do so. The giant swallowtail caterpillar, for example, favors prickly ash and citrus trees while painted lady butterflies prefer thistle and mallow. With such specific tastes you can really focus your butterfly garden to particular kinds of butterflies. It's easy to see how a little research can go a long way in making the most of your garden space.

Adult butterflies need sunlight to thrive and will only feed in full-sun. It makes sense that the plants they feed on also require full or partial-sun. Plan your garden space in the sunniest part of your yard to maximize the number of hours the butterflies can feed. The more light you can provide the better your success. Completely avoid the use of pesticides in and around your garden space. "These products can easily kill adults and caterpillars alike and can lead to several seasons of inactivity," warns Hector Nunez with a Denville landscaping company.

A butterfly garden can make an incredible addition to any landscaping or gardening project. With some simple research and planning it's both easy and fun to create an environment where they'll be drawn and want to stay. Make sure you do some pre-planning by looking for which species are common to your area and which plants are best suited and easy to grow. Choose plant varieties that return year after year and require only feeding and basic maintenance so you need not repeat your efforts. Armed with this information you're well on your way to creating a beautiful butterfly garden.




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