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Attracting Butterflies to the GardenMany people like to attract butterflies to their gardens. Each species of butterfly requires a particular larval host plant to lay eggs on, and each type of butterfly has one or two favorite sources of nectar. Most of these plants do best when planted in full sun. Obviously, you should avoid spraying pesticides on or near these plants. Below you can see some of the larger and more common butterflies of Central Florida, and a list of some plants that attract a variety of butterflies. (I wrote this page when I was living in Orlando and I haven't updated it to match my new location yet... I will get to it when time permits.) |
| butterfly | larval host plant |
gulf fritillary
| passion-flower (Passiflora spp.)
|
zebra longwing
| passion-flower (Passiflora spp.) |
monarch
| milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
|
red admiral
| false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) |
cloudless sulphur
| senna (Cassia spp.) |
pipevine swallowtail
| Dutchman's pipe-vine (Aristolochia spp.)
|
black swallowtail
| dill (Anethum graveolens), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), parsley (Petroselinum crispum) |
nectar plants:In my observations, these plants' flowers attract the most butterflies; your mileage may vary.
I've also been told that black-eyed Susan, goldenrod, and white clover are popular among local butterflies. Most of the plants listed above stop flowering or die back during the winter. For the few butterflies that hang around during the winter months, you can consider using a butterfly feeder to provide artificial nectar; these are sold at most of the larger plant nurseries and garden centers in our area. A patch of wedelia and lantana growing in a sunny spot protected from frost may also provide some nectar for a few species. To find more web pages on the topic of Florida butterfly gardening, click here. |
lantana