AgriLIFE Extension -Denton County

                                                                                                                                                              306 N. Loop 288, Suite 222

                                                                                                                                                               Denton, Texas 76209-4887

April 7, 2008

BUTTERFLIES ENRICH THE GARDENING EXPERIENCE

 Contact:  John N. Cooper, County Extension Agent-Horticulture, 940.349.2883

  e-mail: jn-cooper@tamu.edu

          The beauty of nature is manifold and glorious. We see it in so many ways, from soaring hawks and scissortail flycatchers to dragonflies and bees, each and every life species, in its own way, knitting the web of life together in a rich tapestry of exuberant color and light.

          Nature evokes strong emotions.  Every form of art in every age has employed nature themes.  Nature teaches life’s lessons in their most elemental forms.  Our nature resonates with the truth of them, and no where better than where art and nature merge, the garden.

          Among the most beautiful expressions of life are butterflies.  From early childhood, they capture our imagination.  As attractive as caterpillars can be, we are fascinated even more by their transformation into beautiful adult butterflies.

          With the school year coming to a close next month it’s time to think of summer learning projects.  Flower gardening is a natural activity for kids of all ages.  Hands-on learning is one of the best ways to make a lasting impression on the mind and the earlier the better.  Kids can learn to garden as early as they can make mud  pies.  Butterfly gardening teaches respect for nature and our responsibility to care for it as well.

          Butterflies are an integral part of the plant kingdom.  Sixty-five percent of plants world-wide require insects for pollination.  Butterflies are second only to bees in importance as plant pollinators.  Over 700 species of butterflies are known to exist in North America and Texas has 450 of them, more than any other state.  A mere five percent of all butterfly species are harmful agricultural pests.  The rest are either non-economic or actually beneficial as pollinators.

          Local butterfly population densities are highly variable depending on the suitability of their habitat.  Your job as a butterfly gardener is to make your garden as suitable to their needs as possible.  Besides planting garden flowers, provisions can be as simple as laying flat stones out in the sun for them to warm up on in the early morning hours, planting or constructing wind screens to provide better flying conditions, and providing shallow water such as moist sand.

          Although adults visit and use the nectar from a variety of plant species, butterfly larvae usually have a limited number of plant species upon which they will develop.  For this reason, you need to grow certain larval plant species to increase your local butterfly populations.

          Other insects including moth larvae will also consume your garden plants so you will need to identify butterflies by their larval stage.  Texas Cooperative Extension has developed an identification wheel with full color photos of both the adult and larval stages of the 16 most common garden butterflies.  The wheel also shows the food plants for each butterfly species which will help you plant what they like.  To purchase a copy, call us at 940-349-2883 or visit our publications website at http://tcebookstore.org.

          Rearing butterflies can be a lesson in itself.  Collect larvae and put them in a clean, dry jar containing leaves of the plants they were eating when you found them. Give them fresh leaves every day and remove the old leaves.  To prevent diseases, dip the leaves in water with five percent household bleach and follow with a fresh water rinse before feeding. Tetracycline mixed with water can also be misted over the larvae for added protection.  Finally, prop sticks up in the jar as they reach maturity so they can build their chrysalis.

          Among the best garden flowers to attract butterflies in our area are, ageratum, cornflower, bee balm, blanket flower, gayfeather, geraniums, butterfly weed, clematis, coneflower, coreopsis, four o’clock, gloriosa daisy, lantana, Mexican bush sage, blue sage, passion vine, pentas, shrimp plant, summer phlox, verbena, and yarrow.  The larvae of many butterfly species eat what we normally call “weeds” such as plantain, mustards, nettles, grasses, thistles, and clovers, growing along roadsides and in vacant lots.  Whether you have their larval plants or not, butterflies will still visit your garden for nectar and refreshment.  So plant them and they will come.

          Possibly the best single reference book on butterfly gardening in our area is, Butterfly Gardening for the South, authored by Geyata Ajilvsgi, and published by Taylor Publishing Company in Dallas.  This comprehensive treatment of butterfly gardening contains many interesting facts and practical ways to increase your success with and enjoyment of butterflies.  You will also find a wealth of information on butterflies by visiting our entomology website at: http://insects.tamu.edu.

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The information given herein is for educational purposes only.  Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by AgriLIFE Extension is implied.

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Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin. The Texas A&M University System U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.