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     Do you know someone who is? You may be one and not even know it. It is nothing to be embarrassed about. If you are a lover and observer of butterflies or moths then you are one who studies their species, called Lepidoptera. Butterflies are one of the many things that make our gardening adventure a little more enjoyable. When a butterfly lands close enough for observance, we undoubtedly take the time to stop and wonder at these little marvels. Their coloration, while beautiful to us, may be source of protection to them in nature. Many of the wildflowers that we look forward to in spring would not re-seed without the pollination that butterflies provide. We can actually lure these little creatures to our own garden by planting some butterfly friendly plants. First, let’s talk a little about the butterflies themselves.

     Butterflies go through four life stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult. An adult lays an egg, the egg hatches into a caterpillar, the caterpillar feeds on a plant and then turns into the chrysalis (the cocoon stage), which then hatches into the butterfly. We can attract butterflies by either feeding the caterpillar with a host plant for them to munch on or you can attract the adult butterflies with nectar plants. So we have host plants and nectar plants. Probably the best family of plants that will do both of these things is the milkweed family. Butterfly Weed is in this family and can be found at nurseries. It is a Texas native that is both beautiful and functional. Many species of butterflies will use it for nectar and the Monarch favors it for laying eggs. If your want to attract certain kinds of butterflies then you will need to study which plants your chosen butterfly likes for caterpillar and nectar feeding. If you are not so picky, then many perennials, shrubs, and trees will work. 

    Native trees that act as host plants are redbuds, Mexican Plum, Black Willow, Flameleaf Sumac, and Texas Persimmon. All can be planted in full fun or partial shade. Shrubs that will act as hosts and also provide nectar include honeysuckle, bottlebrush, spiraea, and ligustrums.  Perhaps the plants that attract butterflies the best are the plants know as perennials.

     Most perennials die to the ground in the winter and return each spring. While we may not like the bare ground in the winter, we are more than rewarded for our patience with most perennials blooming from spring until frost in autumn. And it is the abundance of blooms that make these plants so attractive to butterflies. Many you may already have in your garden. Lantana is the single best shrub-type perennial for nectar feeding of adult butterflies. If you are a fan of the swallowtail butterflies, then plant some artemisia to act as the host for the larval stages of growth. Butterfly Bush is a shrubby perennial that will attract butterflies with many differently colored blooms including pink, blue, purple, lilac, and white. Verbena is an attractive evergreen groundcover that comes in different colors and is a nectar feeder.  Other perennials that will work are Cigar plant, Blue Mist Flower, Guara, Skyflower, salvia, phlox, coneflower, cosmos, larkspur, daylily, coreopsis, aster, and many others. If you are an herb gardener, try lavender, mints, or thymes. 

     Gardening is more than the perfect rose or the weed-free yard. The best of gardens will have an abundance of life in and around it. Butterflies, like the birds and the bees, are a healthy and vital part of the natural life that we want in our local natural world. With a little help, you can attract more than your fair share of these little wonders.