The Butterfly Garden
Proper habitat is a key to butterfly survival in a world that is becoming increasingly urbanized and cultivated.
Adult butterflies dine on almost any available nectar source but larvae, or caterpillars, are picky eaters. They may starve in what appears to be bountiful food if their precise food plant is not available.
The Butterfly Garden provides the habitat needed for all stages of the butterfly’s life cycle using native Iowa plants.
Color, nectar abundance and use as a larval food source are what attracts a butterfly to a
particular plant. What appears to be a ‘weed’ to humans may be a critical meal to a hungry
caterpillar. Volunteers maintain the Butterfly Garden.
Butterfly Life Cycle
Egg » Caterpillar » Chrysalis » Adult Butterfly
Native Plants Adult Butterflies Prefer
Adult butterflies use many plants as nectar sources. They favor these:
Butterfly Milkweed
Black-eyed Susan
Prairie Clover
Grey Headed Coneflower
Ironweed
Prairie Phlox
Bergamot (Monarda) |
New England Aster
Blazing Star
Purple Coneflower
Goldenrods
Common Milkweed
Vervains |
Native Plants that Butterfly Larvae Require
Larvae (caterpillars) are fussy eaters and will not survive unless their particular food source is available.
| Plant | Butterfly |
| Prairie Clover | Blues, Sulphers |
| Dock | Coppers |
| Elm | Mourning Cloak, Question Mark |
| Indian Grass | Fiery Skipper |
| Little Bluestem | Nymph, Satyrs |
| Hackberry | Hackberry, Tawny, Emperor, Snout |
| Milkweeds | Monarchs |
| Nettles | Tortoise Shell, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Comma, Question Mark |
| Parsley Family | Black Swallowtail, Anise Swallowtail |
| Pipevine | Swallowtail |
| Plantain | Buckeye |
| Poplar | Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, Red and Banded Spotted Purple, Western Tiger Swallowtail |
| Sorrel | American Copper |
| Thistle | Painted Lady, Mylitta, Crescent |
| Turtlehead | Baltimore |
| Violet | Fritillary |
| Wild Cherry | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail |
GARDEN FEATURES
The Puddle
Butterflies require essential minerals obtained by ‘puddling’. They gather at mud puddles to lap up mineral-rich water. The rocks in the puddle supply minerals. Some species prefer dung or even perspiration on a hot day.
The Woodpile
Log sections with loose bark provide an overwintering site with protection. Butterflies, eggs, or chrysalises may be tucked into sheltering cracks and crevices. Each species has its own means of surviving Iowa’s harsh winter.
The Hibernation Boxes
The wooden hibernation boxes provide additional wintering sites for butterflies. Boxes are placed near plants which are spring food sources.
|
