Anyone Can Make a Butterfly Habitat

Apr 8, 20226 min read

Updated: Oct 11, 2023

Written by Andrelyn Izquierdo.

How-To Article on creating a garden wildlife exhibit within the backyard or front yard of your home.

Image by Desha from Pixabay

One of the most delightful things to see in a garden can be a colorful butterfly fluttering about from flower to flower. The flighty nature of these winged insects makes us wonder how you can get any of them to stick around for much longer or even make your garden their new home. The bonus is that it's not a daunting or impossible task.

Good news! Anyone can do it and it doesn't take too many resources to make some creative additions for your new outdoor friends. It is as simple as having the right set of plants available, providing a nutrient and water source along with a resting spot.

Sunshine Plus Color Fun

To attract butterflies, certain types should be sought for your garden whether in the ground or inside containers of any size. Selecting the sunny variety and placing it strategically in the area of the yard that receives the most amount of sunlight for the longest time would be necessary. Butterflies replenish their energy by sucking the nectar out of flowers just like bees.

Dazzling up a garden can be done spontaneously or in one sitting depending on how large you make it. The more, the merrier as these pollinators cannot resist these many things to keep them busy. Colors assist in attracting them when they are red, pink, yellow, orange, and purple.

When it comes to the flowers, aesthetics plays only one part of it. Their shapes are important too along with the number of clusters. Flattened tops provide a steady space for them to land on and those with short flower tubes are rich in nectar. To create a garden bed that is everblooming, some choices of nectar-filled flowers include, but are not limited to:

Bee Balm
Pentas
Sunflowers
Coreopsis
Petunias
Calibrachoa
Zinnias
Marigolds
Purple cornflowers
Asters
Butterfly Bush

Keep in mind that the butterfly bush is invasive and is best to be kept inside of a container or greater distance from other plants. Culinary favorites are a lovable bunch too. As mentioned above, parsley is a preferred herb for butterflies. A few other herb choices include thyme, lavender, fennel, and sage. Attempting to plant each type of flower should not be the focus as a select few could be enough. If only a handful is chosen, another useful tip would be to ensure blooming times are different so there are always some matured with spread petals to reel in the butterflies.

Host Plants and Nutrition

Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay

If there is an abundance of Swallowtails, also known as the largest size butterfly, in your area, having parsley around would be a must. They also enjoy the Cleome (Spider Flower) as well. For the monarchs, Milkweed (Asclepias) should be the majority as their larvae only eat from this plant. The Monarchs lay their eggs on the bottom side of the Milkweed’s leaves keeping them away from airborne predators like birds, wasps, and dragonflies. When the eggs hatch, the youngins continuously snack on the leaves as pupa until they reach their chrysalis stage. Planting these will help the monarchs during their long travel so it’s a good suggestion. Their end destination during the annual migration is southward to Mexico traveling up to 3,000 miles. Since their lifespan is only 3-4 weeks, most of them do not get to make it all the way through. Their offspring, emerging from Milkweeds along the way, continue their journey for over-wintering in the warmer climates.

Image by YREA from Pixabay

In warmer climates, other tropical plant options like Passion Vines are another type of plant butterflies can use to raise their little ones like the Zebra Longwing. Cassias is a host for Sulphurs. Fire Bush is an attractant while the Sweet Almond Bush is considered a multi-pollinator bush for bees and birds too.

More options like the Partridge Pea are minimal maintenance invasive that sulphurs and yellows enjoy. The Spicebush Swallowtail gets its name from the plant it loves, the Spicebush.

Feeder Stations

Image from Pinterest

Feeders are easy to create without breaking the bank. There are many different terra cotta pots and saucer creations for a stable and elevated feeder. You could try the “hamburger” method (bun, meat, bun) using a large terracotta pot, a larger saucer, and then a small pot. Or vice versa with the larger saucer at the bottom, a small pot on top, and then a smaller saucer above that. The YouTube Channel Creative Kidstuff shows this version. The host does not mention the hamburger method, but you’ll understand more of what it means once you see it. Add some quality to your habitat with parsley or another herb inside a small container at the top with rocks as landing pads.

Creative Kidstuff on YouTube

A feeder station can be shallow with an upside-down pot and a saucer on top being surrounded by plants filled with nectar such as Echinacea, Calibrachoas, and Petunias. A small, curved terracotta pot can provide enough height for the saucer to meet the beauty of the plants. Tiny rocks clumped together can be used as mounds for the butterflies to rest on. A small bundle of dried flowers with loose leaves would float at the top of the water once the dish is filled, adding an additional natural touch.

Image by Andrelyn from Pixabay

If you would like to add more depth and height to your feeder station, use a decorated large clay plant container below the saucer. Elongated stems of Daylilies and segmented strands of Russian Sage tower over the habitat to lead the butterflies to their new location. A step higher lies the lobelia spreading to the sides as shown below.

Image by Andrelyn Izquierdo

Upcycling with pie pans as a saucer could be a good filler space too for additional water feeders. Use a hole puncher to make 3-4 holes on the edges to string through colored lanyards and beads with knots at the ends. The example shown in the image can lie on the ground, sit on another stand, or hang from a tree branch.

Image by bestoflifemag.com

Insects Need Some Play and Snooze Time Too

A resting area will be a spot for them to relax and bask in the sun for a recharge. Those with ants in their pants have the opportunity of playing in the mud and interacting as a group, or kaleidoscope, with their puddling. A gathering of multiple butterflies is called a puddle club. Puddling is when they insert their legs into the mud or watery sand to drink water and extract minerals. To further add from the above on making a watering station, it’s going the extra mile for butterflies to have a safety net instead of sharing a spot with other potential predatory critters somewhere on the ground. Creating a mini habitat using flat garden stones for basking in the sun and a shallow area of water for them to do their puddling is sufficient. Examples of materials to use include stepping stones of any shape, larger-sized pebbles, and smooth pavers.

Photo from Wildlife Gardener

Furthermore, for safety, a windbreaker would need to be installed by the new butterflies’ home for additional protection. Fierce winds will prevent them from recharging, therefore making them feel over-exhaustion. If their wings are too tired, they will not be able to successfully receive nutrients or pollinate. Wind interrupters that are installable are a fence (varied in size depending on the measurements of your area), a compact shrub, or a larger tree.

A fence like this could work for a larger area. Otherwise, a simple and small 2-3ft garden fence that can be purchased in a home improvement store would suffice.

Image by Congerdesign from Pixabay

Easy Peasy

All in all, you can see that anyone at any age can create a simple habitat with the right plants given the large array of colors. It is inexpensive, quick to assemble, and easy to maintain. When children are invited, it can be a great memorable event and teach the little ones some sort of responsibility at the same time while exercising their creative skills. There’s something in it for everyone.

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