It is as well to understand how and when a butterfly feeds before deciding upon which plants to use to attract Butterflies into your garden. Shrubs and perennials each have an important part to play in attracting Butterflies. best ones have small trumpet or tubular flowers.
Most butterflies and moths have a long tongue - or proboscis - through which they can suck up the nectar from deep inside the flowers of certain plants.
They do not feed on the readily available pollen, but push their tongue past the pollen and into the depths of the flower, wherein lies reservoirs of life giving nectar, which is not available to many other types of insects. Most suitable flowers for Butterflies to feed on, are made up of many small tubular shaped flowers combining to make a large flower head.
Once you are armed with this simple bit of information, it becomes
easy to select the best plants which will allow butterflies to access
this nectar. You can then attract Butterflies to your garden. Bees have
a similar feeding habit, so they will also be encouraged.
In the UK, most butterflies do not normally appear until early summer - June. A few are in evidence before then, so maybe also plants such as Bergenia for the early Butterflies.
A great plant for attracting butterflies to your garden -
verbena bonariensis, a perennial which will also seed itself
everywhere, and flower from seed in first year. A welcome feast
for the comma Butterfly.
Best known shrub for attracting Butterflies is the
Butterfly Bush -Buddleia (Buddleja) davidii types. here seen
with magnificent specimen of a Peacock Butterfly.
Tortoiseshell butterfly on Bracteantha - the everlasting flower. Here
the butterfly's tongue -proboscis- can be seen reaching down into the
flower's reservoir of nectar. This long tongue, makes it possible for
the butterfly to reach into the trumpet-like individual florets of
Buddleias, Verbenas, Hebes, Sedums and other similarly constructed
flowers.
The following is a short list - but more than ten - of our best plants for attracting butterflies into your garden.
Best shrubs
Buddleia, Escallonia, Syringa - Lilac, Berberis, Kolkwitzia,
Lavender, Rosemary.
All of these have tubular or trumpet-like individual flowers.
Shrubs Main Section
Best Perennials
Verbena, Aster - Michaelmas daisy, Cowslip, Echinops ritro -the
Globe Thistle, Hyssop, Marjoram, Origanum, Sage, Agastache, Most
daisy-type flowers, Kniphofia - Red Hot Poker, Sedum - light coloured
varieties
