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Butterfly Gardening Guide

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A butterfly garden requires a good mix of butterfly nectar and host plants so that butterflies will not only be attracted to your garden for a drink, but they will also lay eggs. This will provide a location for the entire butterfly life cycle to occur. Eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis and butterflies can all be found in a good butterfly garden.

To get the butterflies to arrive, you just need to provide the right plants. Once you start planting your garden, be patient. Butterflies and eggs might show up right away or it may take some time for them to find your garden. If you plant, eventually they will show up. Remember: Native and Florida Friendly plants not only encourage better habitats for butterflies but also reduce the costs of watering.

Nectar Plants

Nectar plants are used by most butterflies, but some types will attract more of one species of butterflies than others. It is helpful to have a variety of these available so that many species of butterflies will be drawn to your garden. Good Florida nectar plants include (*indicates native plants):

Host Plants

Host plants are plants on which butterflies will lay their eggs. Butterflies are specialists, and their larvae can only consume certain types of plants per species. Host plants will be eaten by caterpillars, so know that these plants will often look ragged and less than perfect. This is part of the butterfly gardening process. (Learn how to select good healthy host plants here.) Good Florida host plants by species include: