Give Me a Home
Where the Butterflies
Roam
Photographs, Text and Mark-up by Michelle
Baker
A
Garden is a Microcosm.
Coneflowers, Lobelia, and purple Verbena create an
impressionist's
haven.
The wider the variety of
colorful flowers, the more alluring the garden is for a broad
diversity of
butterflies, birds, bees and other insects. For each stage of a
butterfly's life,
there is a specific plant that fulfills each stage's needs. In
particular, each
species of butterfly has specific host plants for its eggs and
larvae. In some
cases, there is only one host plant, such as the Monarch
Butterfly, whose host plant
is Milkweed.
When considering planting a butterfly habitat garden, keep in
mind that many host and nectar plants are common weeds and wild
flowers.
Although there are plants
that are more difficult to find at
the Butterfly Habitat, the Urban Garden area has plants that
are familiar and commonly found.
Some helpful tips to remember. Pesticides are
harmful to butterflies and their larvae. Be prepared for the
leaves of
host plants to disappear, as caterpillars are hunger driven.
The reward will be a vibrant
garden quivering with the vivacity of butterflies.
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A Collection
of Other Insects and Plants
Found in The Butterfly
Habitat
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- Bumblebees abound in the Gaillardia.
- A morning feast for a Daddy Long
Legs.
- The peach
buds and flowers of the butterfly weed, Asclepias
tuberosa.
- Seed pods of Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata: an
integral part of the Monarch Butterfly's life.
Return to Main Butterfly Habitat Garden Page
Copyright ©1995 Smithsonian Institution. All rights reserved.
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