Create a butterfly sanctuary in your backyard

Create a butterfly sanctuary in your backyard

It’s true, having a backyard can be a wonderful thing.

Even better when you landscape it in such a way that it helps the local environment.

There are many ways that you can aid your local environment with your backyard.

One of the most unique ways to aid your backyard is with a butterfly sanctuary.

Today we will look at a few awesome ways that you can create a butterfly sanctuary in your backyard.

Here’s the deal, a butterfly sanctuary is a wonderful way to turn your backyard into a paradise for a variety of species of butterflies. It is also a great way to make your backyard unique and a pleasure to stare at for hours.

Butterfly sanctuaries are essential. Many butterfly species around the world are dying due to loss of habitat as well as pesticides used to kill other insects.

The best part of a butterfly sanctuary is that you don’t have to transform your entire backyard to make it happen. With just a few plants, a windbreak, some warmth from the sun, and a bit of shallow water for the butterflies to drink from, you can create an amazing space butterflies will love!

Methods for Attracting Butterflies

So what methods can you use to attract butterflies to your butterfly sanctuary?

Let's take a look!

Butterfly Puddler

A butterfly puddler is a stone, or a basin that holds mud or wet sand. 

When a puddler is wet it provides a mineral-rich liquid to butterflies, which they crave. Using a butterfly puddler is a unique way to attract butterflies, and is a sure fire way to get them into your butterfly sanctuary.

Don’t forget this! Sunlight is important because butterflies like to sit in the sun, warming their wings.So place your puddler in a well-lit location to attract butterflies to your garden.

Provide Shelter For Butterflies

Most people don't know this but, it is important that you provide shelter from the wind and that is why bushy plants are a very good way to do this.

Here’s the deal, wind will keep butterflies away from your garden, and you don’t want that! Providing plenty of bushy plants will provide shelter for the butterflies that are coming by to visit.

But that's not all...

You will also want to add some flowering plants which will provide food for adult butterflies and larvae alike.

Let’s take a look at some of butterflies favorite plants.

Plants for Attracting Butterflies to Your Sanctuary

It’s no secret that butterflies love flowers. In fact, butterflies need flowering plants for the pollen they produce.

Even more importantly many species of butterflies can only lay their eggs on specific varieties of plants. If you are trying to attract specific butterfly species to your garden, use this great butterfly plant guide.

Here are some popular plants to attract butterflies to your garden:

• Aster
• Black-Eyed Susan
• Butterfly Bush
• California Buckwheat.
• Echinacea
• False Nettle
• Mallow
• Nasturtium
• Rue
• Shasta Daisy
• Snapdragon
• Spider flower
• Sunflower
• Verbena
• Violet

That's not all though! There are two species which you can attract by adding specific plants to your landscape.

Let’s take a look at how you can attract these beautiful creatures to your butterfly sanctuary...

Attracting Monarchs

One of the best plants to put in your backyard  for attracting butterflies is milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant which can host monarch butterfly larvae.

Monarchs will want to place their eggs in the plant, and they will be drawn to the milkweed in your yard in the spring because of its sweet smell. 

Again, Milkweed is the only plant that monarch larvae can eat they are critical to the survival of the monarch butterfly.

Be Aware! One thing to note is that milkweed is poisonous to humans. If you have children in your home, consider this if you decide to plant milkweed in your yard. Get this, the reason that milkweed is used by Monarchs is because the substance that they eat from milkweed, makes them toxic to birds.

Attracting Black Swallowtails

Black swallowtails are gorgeous butterflies whose larvae look nearly identical to the Monarchs. 

Here’s the deal you can host a habitat for these butterflies by growing plants of the carrot family. In fact, if you see what looks like a monarch caterpillar, but it’s not on milkweed, it is probably a Swallowtail. 

Plant these to attract the Black Swallowtail Butterfly:

• Carrots
• Parsley
• Queen Anne’s Lace

TLDR: Turn your backyard into a butterfly paradise!

Easy Steps:

1. Plant flowers they love (asters, sunflowers, etc.).

2. Add some shelter from wind (bushes, rocks).

3. Put out a shallow puddle with mud or sand for minerals.

4. Place everything in sunshine.

Bonus:

1. Milkweed attracts Monarchs (only plant they eat!).

2. Carrots, parsley attract Black Swallowtails.

Benefits:

1. Help butterflies survive.
2. Make your yard more beautiful and fun to watch.

Attracting butterflies, and giving them sanctuary in your backyard is an excellent way to support wildlife, and improve the enjoy-ability of your landscape.

Creating a butterfly sanctuary in your home can be as easy as some plants, a bit of water, sunlight and a break from the wind. 

With over 575 common butterfly species in the US, how many have you had a chance to see in your backyard?

If you need some help creating your backyard butterfly sanctuary you can reach a professional landscaper through GreenPal. GreenPal hosts the best lawn care professionals and landscapers across America. If you want help with planting and landscaping (not just mowing), here’s how to request it: How to Request Landscaping Services using Your Free GreenPal Account.
Need help? GreenPal connects you with lawn care pros.