Q2. What insect does everyone love to see in their backyard? (P32) Sharing Your Garden with Winged Guests
By Beth Parker
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
For the very fussy, here are some plants that attract specific species. You also may want to consult a butterfly guidebook (see resources listed at the end of this article) to see what butterflies are in your area, and what kind of environment they prefer!
New England Asters, Goldenrod, Yarrow and Black Eyed Susan: Monarch butterfly larvae exclusively depend on milkweeds for both food and protection, but the Monarch butterflies love other plants as well as milkweed.
Wild Lupine is the food of choice for the threatened and gorgeous Karner Blue butterfly.
Many butterfly larvae love dill, including the Black Swallowtail; they also enjoy carrots and parsley.
Violets are the food of choice for Great Spangled Fritillary and easy to grow anywhere.
Butterfly bush and Butterfly weed are so popular to butterflies that they are even named after them!
Butterflies are attracted by colour, sunlight and protected areas in a garden. You are more likely to see butterflies in a spot that gets a lot of natural light. Make sure there’s some kind of shelter nearby, such as a border tree line, shed or hedge. When it’s windy, butterflies won’t stay and eat if they get tossed about. Also include a little pool of water or wet sand because they like to play in the mud! You can use a bird bath or decorative shallow pan. Other good items that encourage butterflies include:
• A few large stones that absorb heat and light and provide a good resting place when butterflies get tired, pieces of bark tacked to a fence or post.
• Tube or trumpet shaped flowers because they have a “landing platform”.
• A garden that stays in bloom from spring to late fall so there’s a consistent supply of nectar.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Amazing as it seems, butterflies seem to prefer warm colours such as yellow, orange, pink and purple. Certain types even prefer specific colours! They all like bright colours and will sometimes alight on a brightly patterned shirt that you are wearing! They also find your garden more easily if your garden contains a bright swath of colour.
Worried that you just don’t have enough blooms through the season? You can supplement the garden’s flower nectar with a home-made feeder made from an inverted small jar. Drill a small hole in the center of the lid and plug it with cotton. Fill the jar with a solution of one part sugar (not honey) to nine parts water. Attach bright fabric petals to the lid to make the feeder more appealing and hang your feeder in your garden.
Some butterflies do not feed on flower nectar but prefer ripe fruit so you may want to put out some overripe melon rinds and fruit during the day.
You can make a special butterfly house to shelter your visitors. It needs to be about 6 inches wide by 15 inches tall, with a slanted roof. Cut several slits in the front of the house that are approximately three inches long by a half inch wide. Paint the house bright colours and tack some pieces of tree bar to the front and sides as resting spots. Mount to an existing structure such as a fence, in an area sheltered from the wind.
Never use pesticides, which aren’t allowed in the City of Toronto. Instead use alternative control methods such as oils, soaps, and microbial insecticides. Remember that oils and soaps you put on plant leaves to kill grubs also kill caterpillars so check both on top and under the leaves before you spray.
Decorate with some added touches. Most garden shops as well as craft fairs have butterflyinspired garden art, pottery, wind-chimes, etc.
Create a record of the number and kinds of butterflies that visit, when you see them (time of day, month, season) and the kind of plant where you found them so you’ll know another year what to plant.
Involve children in “butterfly” tracking, looking up the kind of butterfly you saw and then drawing a picture.
Challenge your fellow gardeners to see who gets the most butterfly visits each season.
Finally, once you have your garden, know that it will be protected! Many butterflies are territorial and fight one another in order to chase others out of their territory.
Reference:
Butterfly Gardening by Vera Krischik
The Butterflies of Canada by Ross A. Layberry, et al
The Butterfly Garden: Turning Your Garden, Window Box
or Backyard into a Beautiful Home for Butterflies
by Mathew Tekulsky, Robert M. Pyle (Designer)