Butterflies

Gardening for Butterflies

"A butterfly garden should be sheltered from strong wind and feature larval food plants, nectar flowers and other foods for adult butterflies...Good nectar plants often have clusters of small flowers, which lets the butterflies conserve energy by sampling many flowers in one small area...Planting lots of the same plants in groups means butterflies needn’t travel as far, and keeps them in your garden longer. Gardeners can also accommodate butterflies by providing large rocks in the sun for wing warming, a small water feature (or better yet, a permanent mud puddle) and an environment free of pesticides and herbicides. Don’t over-prune your plants, as you risk cutting away or exposing the chrysalides of metamorphosing butterflies. When choosing plants, be sure to include local natives, as local butterflies are best adapted to local plants." - read more of CA Native Plant Society Blog: Gardening for Butterflies