Enjoying Colorado Outdoor Spaces: Butterfly Garden
Enjoying Colorado Outdoor Spaces: Butterfly Garden
Butterflies are beautiful creatures. They flutter about and help us to remember to walk gently on the Earth. They are very interesting creatures, who blossom from caterpillar to a gorgeous butterfly in a short period of time.
The Front Range of Colorado attracts about 450 butterfly species, which is among the most diverse set of species in the world!
By planting a butterfly garden with the right kinds of plants and flowers that butterflies love to feed on and lay eggs on, you will have a yard full of butterflies throughout the growing season. Your butterfly garden can be any size – an entire garden, a window box or any area you have available outdoors.
3 Reasons to Plant a Butterfly Garden
- Provide a nice habitat for native Colorado butterflies
- Enjoy watching butterflies in your garden all season
- Help increase the local butterfly population
First, you will want to do a little bit of research to learn what kinds of butterflies are native to your area (we've done this for you, below). From there, you can choose plants that are native to your area so they will grow well and provide a lovely place for butterflies to flutter about all season. “Host plants” are the kind adult butterflies seek out to lay eggs on. Head to your local green house and purchase your plants and wait for the beautiful creatures to arrive!
Butterflies Native to Colorado
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus) – Each fall and through winter, adults migrate thousands of miles south along the California coast and into central Mexico. Thousands to millions of Monarchs come to the same sites every year and often roost in the same trees used by their relatives in previous years. The upper sides of the males are bright orange with wide black borders and black veins, upper side of females are orange-brown with wide black borders.
- Painted Lady (Vanessa carduii) – This is the most widely distributed butterfly in the world. High rainfall can lead to population growth, which stimulates massive migration.
- Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes) – This is the largest butterfly in the United States with a wingspan reaching up to 6 inches. When disturbed, the caterpillar extends its osmeterium, a bright red, forked gland which emits a foul-smelling liquid. You don’t want to disturb this one!
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) – The wing markings of this species resembles eyes, which may startle potential predators.
- Queen (Danaus gilippus) – Queen and Monarch butterflies are closely related to the Queen, they can by distinguished by the Queen’s smaller size and brown color.
- Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchella) – These butterflies often lay their eggs on asters and other closely related plants. Asters also can provide nectar for adult butterflies in late summer and early autumn.
Plants Colorado Butterflies Prefer
- Asters
- Butterfly bush
- Cosmos
- Lilac
- Marigolds
- Sunflower
- Verbena
- Zinnia
- Sweet Pea
- Rosemary
- Lavender
You can also accent your butterfly garden with accessories like a butterfly house which has slots ideal for butterflies, this will keep them safe from birds, wind and weather. Also you can provide a source of nectar so the butterflies will linger around your garden as long as possible.
Improve your outdoor space this summer by planting a butterfly garden. It is sure to bring you and your family many hours of enjoyment!
Other Colorado Gardening Ideas:
