FUN FACTS ABOUT BUTTERFLIES, PLANTS and GARDENS:
· Plants and butterflies have been evolving together for over 100 million years!
· “Caterpillars spend most of their time eating, and because they are particular about what they eat, it is critical for the adult female to lay her eggs on or near an appropriate food source.” The Zerces Society
· The Monarch is the best-known milkweed specialist, but at least 11 other species of Lepidoptera reproduce on milkweeds as well. (Tallamy)
· “When it comes to suppling food for other animals, no group of insects surpasses the moths and butterflies… The fat, juicy larvae are favorites of birds, rodents, and predaceous insects, and thus lepidopterans form a critical base of the food web that keeps ecosystems healthy,” (Tallamy).
· Adult butterflies are attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms that are flat-topped or clustered and have short flower tubes.
· Set mower height no lower than 3” – 4” is better.
· Some plants repel pests from gardens. They include rosemary, salvia, mint, oregano and lavender.
· Hardscapes can connect people to the land in powerful ways and serve as sunning areas for butterflies