Butterfly Bonanza

Barbara Lindholm

DeKalb County Master Gardeners

August! This is the month when even the most dedicated gardener seems to lose interest. It is hard to stay enthusiastic about your garden when the temperatures soar and the humidity level is off the charts.

However, during a mid-day walk through your garden, you may suddenly discover that something new and exciting is starting to occur. At first there may be only one or two, but soon their number and varieties begin to increase. The butterflies and moths are emerging from their cocoons.

Butterflies and moths are insects that have four life stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (cocoon) and adult. When the egg hatches, the larvae begin to feed and grow dramatically in size. During the pupal stage, the insect stops all larva movement and external fiunctions as great changes begin to occur. At this time, wings, legs, eyes, antenna and all body parts develop into the adult form. When development is complete, the adult butterfly or moth struggles out of the cocoon, dries its wings and prepares for its first flight. These insects often only live a few weeks. However some, like certain monarchs, are able to live several months and actually have the capability to migrate great distances.

Butterflies prefer a warm, sunny and, if possible, sheltered location. They need temperatures at least in the 80's for successful flight, mating and egg laying. A shallow depression of any type filled with a mixture of sand, dirt and water is greatly appreciated by butterflies and moths as this is a source of moisture, nutrients and salts.

To create a successful butterfly garden or to increase the number of butterflies and moths visiting and living in your garden, you will need to plant varieties that will provide nectar for the adult stage and host plants to serve as food for the larval stage.

Nectar plants are critical to the survival of butterflies. If you live in a rural area, many of the necessary plants may already be there. If you are in a more urban setting, butterfly attracting plants can easily become a part of an existing garden or of a garden created specifically for butterflies and moths.

At the top of the list of favorite butterfly foods are the butterfly bush (Buddleja) and butterfly weed (Ascelpius). The butterfly bush is a large shrub like plant producing long, cluster type flowers ranging in color from white and yellow to lilac, magenta and purple. It blooms in late July and August and is a butterfly magnet. The smaller, native butterfly weed blooms a vibrant orange in mid-summer.

Other perennials to consider growing for nectar plants include New England aster, bee balm, black-eyed Susan, blanket flower, coneflower, coreopsis, liatris, mums, garden phlox, pincushion flower and veronica.

A variety of annual plants are appealing to butterflies. They include alyssum, cosmos, heliotrope, lantana, marigold, nicotiana (very popular with moths), penta, verbena and zinnia.

As important as the nectar producing plants are the host plants. They provide a site for the butterfly to lay her eggs so that the next gereration of larvae have a ready food source as they emerge. Often this host plant is very specific to the type of caterpillar; and without it, the caterpillar will die.

Garden plants that successfully serve as host plants include the following: milkweed for monarchs, parsley and gas plants for black swallowtails, artemesia, mallows and bachelor buttons for painted ladies, violets for fritillaries, helenium for sulphurs and New England asters for pearl crescents.

Other Illinois butterflies such as mourning cloaks, viceroys and red admirals prefer to lay their eggs in trees such as willows, poplars, birches and cottonwoods.

There are really only two negative aspects in regard to butterflies in the garden. First, pesticide use is banned as it will kill the butterflies and moths. Secondly, the caterpillars are voracious eaters and will chew extensively on their host plants and make them unsightly. Generally, these two thing are over shadowed by the pleasure of having these fascinating creatures in your garden.

Whether you are adding butterfly plants to an existing garden or creating a whole, new butterfly garden, attracting butterflies and moths to your garden is easy. Try it. You're sure to enjoy it, and the butterflies will love you!

If you have questions or comments about this article, home gardening or about the Master Gardener program, call the Master Gardeners, c/o University of Illinois Extension DeKalb County office at (815) 758-8194 or e-mail dekalb_mg@extension,.uiuc.edu.