Butterfly Gardening in Texas

Butterfly gardening is a fun, educational way to enjoy nature’s most abundant form of wildlife- insects! A basic understanding of the life history of butterflies, their food needs and the plants that provide these is all you need to plan and grow a garden suited for butterflies. Butterfly gardening requires some knowledge of local butterfly species, flowers that are attractive to nectar-feeding adults, and host plants for the developing caterpillars. Adult butterflies feed on flower nectar, using it as an energy source for flight and egg production. Some butterflies also are attracted to moist soil at puddles and pond edges and fermenting sap exuding from wounds on tree trunks. Butterflies rest, hidden in foliage of plants, during nights and on cloudy or rainy days. Butterflies are most abundant from spring through fall. Several species of butterflies--monarchs, cloudless sulfurs and snout butterflies-- migrate during late summer and fall. Plants that flower throughout the summer and into October and November attract migrating butterflies. Nursery flowers that are excellent nectar sources include white mist flower, Eupatorium wrightii, white; blue mist flower, Eupatorium greggii, bluish-purple; lantana, Lantana spp., in assorted colors; scarlet sage, Salvia coccinea, red; Indigo spires sage, Salvia x ‘Indigo spires, ’ blue