Why plant a butterfly garden? We are making a butterfly garden because monarch butterflies are endangered, other pollinators are being endangered, and more carbon dioxide is getting into the air.   

We think you should make a butterfly garden because it will make our air cleaner, it will help save the monarchs, and it will save the pollinators.

Join us as we show you how to make a butterfly garden!

What Will Attract Butterflies:

Butterflies need flowers and plants in their environment to survive. Butterflies lay eggs on plants so that they can have something to eat already. Butterflies like Black-eyed Susan, milkweed, verbena, clover, phlox, coneflowers, spicebush, hydrangea, and sumac.

Supplies Needed: Flowers

When planting a pollinator/monarch butterfly garden you need bright colored flowers. When the Monarch butterflies fly, the bright colors attract them to land and pollinate the flowers. Their favorite colors are bright red, pink, magenta and purple. The brighter the colors, the better!

Do you know why Monarch butterflies are attracted to Black-Eyed Susan flowers? The butterflies like the bright yellow colored petals. The flowers also give the butterflies a sturdy place to land. Black-Eyed Susan flowers also provide a tasty snack such as nectar for the butterflies.

Monarch butterflies also like Marigold flowers. They provide plentiful nectar!

Supplies Needed: More Flowers

Milkweed: Milkweed is an incredibly important plant for Monarch butterflies. Without it, the butterflies cannot finish their lifecycle because Milkweed leaves are the only thing that helps caterpillars to grow.

Roses: Butterflies like roses a little but not too much. Only use if they are one of the only options. 

Lantana: Butterflies are attracted to the nectar,  attractive scent, and overall color.

Coneflower: Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies are all attracted to the cone flower for the colors. 

Blazing Star Flower: The blazing star flower is nicknamed "The Monarch Magnet." It's called that because it's one of the Monarch butterfly's favorite flowers. It gives nectar during the fall migration times. It is also common for many Monarchs to try to get on the flowers all at once. 

Verbena: They grow in clusters of tiny flowers that are very good for attracting

Monarch butterflies. They provide nice nectar and grow in multiple colors. 

Aster: Asters are like daisies and are very nice looking. They provide the 

nectar needed for Monarchs. 

Zinnia: They are easy to grow and are vibrant and bloom in many colors and have plenty of nectar. 

More Supplies Needed:

Fence

Butterfly house premade- pole to hold the house

Sugar/Muddy water

Leaves

Wood

Rocks: There are many different rocks that you can use for a butterfly garden. I think that butterflies would like bagged pond pebble landscape rocks.  I also think that southwest boulder and stone Mexican beach Pebbles are really pretty and that butterflies would really like them. 

More Supplies Needed:

Seeds: American Meadows- Fall Maximum Wildflower seed mix attracts bees and butterflies.

Notes:

Bright flowers: Pink, magenta, and purple flowers are best to attract butterflies.

No tropical milkweed: It is important to only plant milkweed that is native to your area. For example, if you plant tropical milkweed in an area it doesn't belong, it can trick the monarchs into laying eggs instead of migrating. If that happens, the Monarch eggs won't survive. 

Where To Put Your Butterfly Garden:

Have you ever seen butterflies flying around you before? Any time you go outside you may be in their environment. The environments of butterflies are found outside. The places you could find these are schools, homes, parks, and gardens.