One of the many joys of gardening is watching the wildlife that thrives among your flowers and trees. One gardener has taken to Instagram to explain the host plants that will encourage butterflies to visit your green space every year.
The scoop
Gardener Claudia Weekes (@theorganizedhomemaker) has shared some valuable information to help bring a variety of butterflies to your garden.
"I have ensured they will come and stay by planting loads of flowers but also host plants for the butterflies that are native to my area to raise their young," Weekes captioned her video.
Among the host plants — plants that organisms live on and off of — Weekes recommended are asters, shasta daisies, black-eyed Susans, and echinacea, whereas trees such as oak, ash, and dogwood are also welcome environments for butterflies to lay eggs.
Finally, dill, parsley, and fennel are among the herbs suggested to allow caterpillars to thrive.
However, Weekes noted that it's important to research the butterflies that are native to the area you live in, as well as the host plants that would suit them best.
How it's helping
Weekes listed some of the butterflies found in her garden thanks to the presence of her host plants. Her asters attract pearl crescents and painted ladies, and her black-eyed Susans and echinaceas bring silvery checkerspots.
Other visitors include monarchs, queens, red admirals, and zebra longwings, while her herbs encourage the presence of black and anise swallowtail caterpillars.
The Gardening Know How website observed that butterflies not only bring "movement and beauty" to your outside space, but they also provide a few benefits to your garden. Butterflies are excellent pollinators and can help "sustain plant diversity." They are also important creatures in the food chain, providing a food source for birds, frogs, and bats.
What everyone's saying
With over 1,000 likes and a host of comments, it's clear that Weekes' post has been valuable for butterfly enthusiasts.
"Thank you for sharing this type of info!" one Instagrammer commented. "Native plants to each of our states (easy to look up) are definitely best for local wildlife, so this is such an important message."
"I have several of these plants this year and we are [hoping to] see lots of beautiful butterflies," said another.
Meanwhile, one Instagrammer noted that butterflies love the gaillardia plants in their garden, saying the creatures have "really come out this year." Perhaps that's another host plant to try if you want to see more of the winged beauties in your backyard.
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