What is the best way to attract butterflies to your garden?

I know that plants attract butterflies, and the monarch butterflies loves the swan plant.

by chipp

Great question. I would have to say plants in full bloom with beautiful flowers.

by Justine Crowley

Certain plants can be grown specifically to attract certain species of butterfly., like for example monkey rope vine to attract the Common Crow buttefly. Butterfly Host Plants specialise in growing a wide variety of different plants which will encourage butterflies into your garden. They are Brisbane based and deliver within the Brisbane area or offer pickup from Ferny Grove. They even have Plant Parties, similar to a Tupperware party only for plants which sounds like a fun housewarming party idea.

I am looking forward to attracting butterflies to my garden so that my children can have the fun of observing the caterpillars turn into chrysalises and finally to butterflies.

by Jennifer Muirhead

Some flowers attract butterflies, and the bees. They also add some colours to your garden.

by annep

Well caterpillars have Huge appetites, and can eat every edible part of their preferred food plants. If gardening for butterflies, it is important to overcome the fear of caterpillars, and accept that some well munched plants are a sign of a good, working, butterfly gardening.

Also make sure you have a little water around, they need to drink!

by jonaja

Butterflies need two types of plants. They need nectar plants so the butterfly can drink nectar as a food sauce and they need host plants. Host plants are so the butterflies can lay their eggs and the caterpillar can eat the leaves of the plant. Most butterflies in Australia are VERY host spastic. This means they are very fussy about what they will lay their eggs on and what the caterpillar will eat. One of the reasons we no longer see so many butterflies is because these very specific plants are no longer being grown and are impossible to buy at big nurseries. We at Butterfly Hot Plants sell lots of these hard to find native plants. check out our website www.butterflyhostplants.com.au for our stock list and find us on face book at butterfly host plants

by butterfly lady

Just letting some of your herbs go to flower/seed with provide some much needed nectar for the butterflies in your garden. The Image shows a Plumbago Blue butterfly sipping nectar from a Basil flower

by butterfly lady