Creating a Garden for Butterflies

A butterfly garden is a magical place. By creating an inviting habitat for butterflies, you will also be creating a place to encourage a sense of wonder and a connection with the natural world. A butterfly garden provides a colorful array of nectar-producing flowers to support adult butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators. It also provides the plant nursery where caterpillars that grow into adult butterflies will flourish. With a little bit of hard work, you can transform a small part of your yard into a butterfly oasis where you can learn all about the life cycle of a butterfly, explore the intricate relationships of plants and animals, and provide a place where both you and wildlife will flourish.

In this guide, we'll guide you through the ins and outs and starting a butterfly garden. We'll be covering the following concepts:

• The importance of native plants
• Weeds
• Host plants and nectar plants
• Activities (Lawn weeds scavenger hunt, true or false, creating a butterfly garden for beginners)
• Butterfly gardens at Duke Farms
• Vocabulary and additional resources 

Download the full PDF here.

This resource was created by Joanne Vogel and Abigal Schmid.