Make Your Own Butterfly Garden

With spring around the corner a great idea to start thinking about is starting a butterfly garden. This is a fun project to do in the school yard, or at your house so the kids can watch the caterpillars and butterflies grow! It doesn’t even need to be a huge area. It can be a small window box, or even a corner of the yard! Let the kids get dirty and dig in on the fun!

First, do a little research and find out what kinds of butterflies live in your area. That will help you decide what sorts of plants to buy. Don’t know where to look? Why not start by using this Butterfly Map to look up your state!

After you’ve determined what sorts of butterflies live in your area, you can check the Butterfly Plants chart to find out what types of flowers you will need to plant! Did you know that they actually make butterfly houses for butterflies to seek refuge in?? Some people actually leave nectar  out as an extra enticement for butterflies!

So here are some ideas for those of you in Florida!!

Emperors (Hackberry & Sugarberry plants)

Leafwings (Pineland croton)

Longwings (Passion vines)

Monarch (Milkweed)

Snouts (Hackberry plant)

True Brushfoots

Harvesters (Wooly Aphids)

Metal marks

Swallowtails (Fennel, Citrus, Carrot, Dill, Parsley)