The Butterfly Garden

Last week I wrote about the edible garden that you and your family can enjoy. This week I am writing about the edible garden for butterflies! A butterfly garden is an easy way to both see more butterflies and to contribute towards their conservation, since many natural butterfly habitats have been lost to urbanization and other development.
There are many plants one can plant to attract various types of butterflies. In our garden I have only planted things that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. My daughter, Lulu, loves to chase the butterflies around and goes out there looking for them. It is a great way to get the kids outside and more interested in nature- rather then watching the same episode of Dora for the 47th time.
Generally speaking, the best butterfly nectar plants are those that are sun loving, purple, pink, yellow or white in color, and single-flowered rather than double flowered. Butterflies will seek nectar from many types of plants: ground covers (clover, alfalfa, and periwinkle), annuals (marigolds, petunias, verbena, and zinnia), perennials (butterfly weed, coneflowers, daisies, phlox, and many others), shrubs (azalea, butterfly bush, and lilac), and trees (plum, pear, and cherry).
My top 4 choices for butterflies are:
Buddleia or Butterfly bush- True to it’s name it is a real butterfly magnet. It comes in shades of purple, pink and white. Some people say that certain butterflies like certain types of buddleia but I am not an expert…this shrub can get rather large and isn’t the neatest of plants. I trim mine back a lot to keep it more compact and less leggy. The blooms resemble lilac and smell amazing.
Salvia- You could create an entire garden around salvia/sage because there are hundreds of varieties, from annuals to biennials to tender or hardy perennials. Some are tall and stalky, others are more bushy. Blooms very from trumpet like to heart shaped. The possibilities seem endless! My personal favorites are Mexican sage and Salvia coccinea ‘Bicolor’. Both of these also attract hummingbirds. Some species of salvia are edible for example common sage and pineapple sage.
Passionflowers- These amazing vines look like they come from another plant. They are so lovely and their flowers smell divine! There are many many varieties to choose from but the most common ones available are the white and purple. This is a fast growing vine and can cover a lot of area….also a great attractant for hummingbirds.

Fennel/Anise- This is a fun one because it mainly attracts Swallowtails. The caterpillars are amazing and will thrill your little ones. This plant also seems to attract ladybugs which is yet ANOTHER bonus! These plants can get rather tall and spread quickly by seeding itself. This plant is also edible and a good addition to a summer salad.