Don’t Hang Butterflies Out To Dry

This week is part two of our discussion of a relatively new form of gardening - the butterfly garden. Of course, butterflies have been around for eons, but they were usually viewed as mounted trophies under glass. Today, these exquisite winged insects can be studied and enjoyed in their natural setting, the flower garden.

Before we invite this family of lepidoptera to our garden, a few criteria should be met. For butterflies to live a long and peaceful life, there must be: protection from wind and other predators, nectarproducing flowers for the butterflies, chewable plants for the caterpillars and water for both.

Last week we looked at the ideal location for our garden and various sources of food for the butterflies. Today we’ll examine sources of water, types of food for the caterpillar stage of the butterfly (yes, it has to eat, too) and the use of pesticides.

Water: Butterflies, unlike birds, cannot drink from open water. Their water source is mainly small puddles. Here, they extract moisture from damp sand and pebbles. This not only satisfies their thirst, but the minerals from the soil particles replenish the minerals lost from their bodies during the busy days.

When planning your butterfly garden, don’t forget to include these puddles. One way to do this is by sinking a large pail filled with dirt into the ground, leaving the top two inches exposed. Add enough water to dampen the soil. Butterflies will perch on a few grains of sand while extracting moisture from other grains or from the mud. Bird baths may also work if they are constructed from a porous material, such as concrete.

Food for the caterpillars: Unlike their delicate butterfly parents, caterpillars are voracious eaters.

Instead of sipping on sweet nectar, they devour the leaves and flowers of the plants they were born on. One saving grace for the plants: The lifespan of a caterpillar is quite short, only a couple of weeks or so. But boy, can they eat during that period.

Obviously, if we want butterflies, then we have to have caterpillars and a source of food for them.

Plants that serve as good hosts for these hungry fellows are: willows, cottonwoods, aspen, elms, birches, hackberry, nettle, dogwood, cherry, viburnum, anise hyssop, dill and parsley. Many of the flowers that are chosen for the butterfly menu are also served up for the caterpillar.

Once a caterpillar has reached maturity, it spins a web of silk around itself. The web will harden to form what is called a chrysalis.

After two weeks, the wings of the butterfly begin to appear. Soon the chrysalis splits, and the butterfly emerges. Watching this incredible phenomenon makes losing a few flowers to the caterpillar very worthwhile.

Pesticides: Sprays or dusts of any kind, chemical or organic, are not allowed in a butterfly garden. If we kill off the larvae, we kill off the butterfly.

If we must deal with aphids and mites on our flowers, invite natural predators such as lady bugs and lacewings into this garden.

Many of the beneficial predators do not harm the butterflies or the caterpillars.

Some though, like birds, can be just as detrimental as pesticides. Discourage birds by not planting bushes that produce berries. Keep nesting boxes and feeders out of the area.

Even if birds, parasitic wasps and spiders (natural enemies of the butterfly) are present in this special part of the garden, the butterfly isn’t totally defenseless. Nature has provided it with an uncanny ability to camouflage itself.

When its wings are folded tight like a sailboat’s sail, it appears as just another leaf in the tree. Some wings are even jagged and torn to further appear like leaves or tree bark.

Late at night, it will find a roosting spot in the tree for a good night’s sleep.

Butterflies are truly exquisite guests in our gardens. There are many books on the market specifically on butterfly gardening.

One that I’ve found very helpful is “The Butterfly Garden” by Mathew Tekulsky. There is also an excellent newsletter available: Butterfly Gardeners’ Quarterly, P.O. Box 30931, Seattle, WA 98103.