The Spanish Butterfly Garden • Ian
A successful butterfly garden has plants that meet butterfly's needs during all four life stages, the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult.
Butterfly gardening has increased in popularity in the last few years. Butterflies are pretty, fun to watch, and fun to photograph. And they are easy to attract if you are willing to allow their caterpillars to munch on a few plants. Here are some tips to make your garden especially butterfly-friendly. |
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A successful butterfly garden has plants that meet butterfly's needs during all four life stages, the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult. You can attract butterflies to your garden by providing them with food (plants and flowers), water, shelter, and places to lay their eggs (host plants). |
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Plant your butterfly garden in a sunny location, but sheltered from the winds. Butterflies use sunlight to regulate their body temperature. They need sunlight to keep themselves warm, but they won't want to feed in an area where they are constantly fighting the wind to stay on the plants. The outside temperature can also become too hot for them. A good butterfly garden should provide both sunny places and shady places where butterflies can cool off. |
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Butterflies also need water just like we do. “Puddles” are very easy to make by placing some containers filled with gravel or sand, and then pouring in liquids such as stale beer, sweet drinks or water. Over-ripe fruit, allowed to sit for a few days, is a very attractive substance to them as well.
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Plants for nourishment and plants to lay eggs on There are two different functions that plants serve for butterflies: Nectaring plants, plants that the butterflies will sip nectar from and host plants, species specific plants that they can lay their eggs on (and the caterpillars will eventually eat). |
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Nectaring plants: |
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Host plants: |
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For a butterfly garden to be successful, you have to control caterpillar predators and refrain from using pesticides, even organic ones, since many of them kill the caterpillars. Fire ants are a big problem for caterpillars, and are one exception to the no pesticide rule. Spread bait around per the label instructions to kill the ants without harming the caterpillars. |
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The larvae can also be very noteworthy. Certain swallowtail caterpillars imitate snakes or bird droppings. Other caterpillars are camouflaged, or blend into their surroundings very well. If caterpillars are eating excessive foliage from a prominent or desirable part of a plant, try moving them to the backside or another less noticeable portion of the plant. Some caterpillars have hairs or forked spines which might sting (often the hairs are just for show). It is better to be safe than sorry, so wear gloves if handling these larvae. |
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If predators such as birds are a major hazard, caterpillars can be kept in cages or screened off areas. They must be provided with fresh leaves of the plant they prefer. When the cocoon is formed, it should be watched carefully. When it turns clear, the butterfly is getting ready to emerge. Do not help it, as the struggle to emerge gets the fluids pumping and makes it possible for the butterfly to live. As soon as the butterfly is out, you should release it in the wild. |
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Butterfly attracting plants
Create a paradise for butterflies and you will benefit from colour twice over. A garden full of eye and butterfly catching, fragrant flowers from spring to autumn can be achieved by selecting some of the following easy-to-grow plants:
Lily of the valley (Convallaria)
Rock Cress (Arabis)
Lantana
Zinnias
Sweet Violets (Viola odorata)
Shasta daisy and Coreopsis
Buddleia, the butterfly bush, in white, pink or lilac or even Lilac itself
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) or other milkweeds
Dahlia, Cosmos and Marigold
Petunia, Verbena and fibrous Begonia
Purple coneflower (Ehinacea)
Delphinium, Aster and Day Lily
Hebe
Sunflower
Hibiscus
Herbs like lavender, sage and rosemary, dill and fennel.
Enjoy!
Marc Vijverberg
Useful links:
A link to help you identifying butterflies containing detailed information:
www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/species/index.htm
Checklist of 219 butterflies of the 227 species found in Spain: www.iberianature.com/material/spanishinvertebrates.html#checklist
Marc Vijverberg and Gurli Jakobsen
638 180 284
659 880 444
Guardamar del Segura
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