Monday, August 6, 2012

Get Butterflies To Come To You

By Barry Wise


Want to attract butterflies to your yard? Well, it's probably easier than you think. With the right types of plants and flowers you can invite these creatures into your yard and get them to stay. There are over 13,000 different species of butterflies that we currently know about broken down into family. Riodinidae Butterflies or metalmark display metallic colors such as greens or oranges and come in many sizes. They are also often mistaken for swallowtails. Nymphalidae Butterflies are commonly referred to as brush-foot butterflies to which family the Monarch belongs.

While there are feeders and such that can be used, perhaps the easiest and most common ways to lure butterflies to your property is to use specific flowering plants. While you might find there are plantings that can target specific species, there are also plants that can be used to attract butterflies in general. Adult butterflies can be attracted with colorful flowers such as red, purple and yellow. Some of the most common flowers that work well are butterfly weed and milkweed. These plants grow in many different climates and are often used to attract butterflies to your yard.

Since butterfly species are native to certain areas of the country it can make sense to first find out which species can be found near you. You can then use this information to figure out how to best attract them and get them to stay. Keeping them on your property requires host plants for their young. Some swallowtails, for example, are attracted to such things as dill, fennel and Queen Anne's lace. Other species, like skippers can be lured with sedges and purple grasses. With each species having specific interests it makes sense to do some research first on which types of butterflies are in your area and what you can use to best attract them.

Sunlight is also crucial to attracting butterflies since they feed on nectar in the full sun. Also, many of the plants required to attract them will also require full or partial sun to flower properly. "Try to plant in a sunny part of your yard that at least gets sun during the morning and early afternoon hours," advises Holly Jameson with a Morris Plains landscaping company. You should also avoid the use of pesticides on your newly planted garden as these can easily kill not only the butterflies, but any caterpillars that consume plant matter.

It can be fun and easy to bring these winged creatures into your garden. Using perennial plants and herbs can mean these plants come back year after year and need only be maintained. There are many resources available on the Internet for finding what butterflies are typical in your state and also which native plant varieties can be used to attract them. Armed with this information you're well on your way to creating a beautiful butterfly garden on your property in no time.




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