Seeing butterflies flit around your garden makes it feel like your own colorful backyard paradise.
Although it may seem like a happy coincidence when you see one, it is probably more likely that the butterfly is attracted to a certain plant in your yard.
“Butterflies need nectar and a host plant, and are very specific about what host plant. Adding nectar plants to your native garden can give butterflies more sources for food,” says Christine Bock, Tennessee Aquarium’s lead horticulturist. “You can let the plants that naturally occur in your garden or woods attract them or you can enhance things. I prefer to enhance my garden to give the most opportunity for butterflies to get food since so many things that are the host plants-or the plants they lay their eggs on-are considered weeds, such as grasses, violets, milkweeds, etc., so some of these plants are cut and removed in cities as folks want to keep things tidy.”
Here are some tips from Bock on which plants attract which native butterflies and how you can make the winged beauties stick around in your garden:
Gulf Fritillary