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Grow nectar plants for butterflies in anything from window boxes to wildflower meadows.

Nectar-rich wildflowers include:
aster
bleeding heart
butterfly weed (Asclepias or milkweed)
clarkia
columbine
coreopsis
goldenrod
Indian paintbrush
iris
larkspur
lupine
nettle
owl clover
sedum
thistle
yarrow.

Other flowers including bee balm, dahlias, cosmos, dianthus, day lilies, geraniums, heliotrope, impatiens, lavender, marigolds, shasta daisy, snapdragon, statice, sweet alyssum, sweet pea, sweet william, zinnias and many members of the mint family are also great nectar sources for butterflies.

Flowering trees and shrubs which also provide nectar for butterflies include:
manzanita
ceanothus
rhododendron
elderberry
wild roses
red flowering current
butterfly bush (Buddleia)
Piper's willow
snowberry


Caterpillars, the voracious larvae of butterflies, must also have food.

Plants that provide caterpillars food include alfalfa, anise, clover, fennel, hollyhock, mallow, lupine, milkweed, nasturtium, snapdragon, sunflower, violet, cottonwood, poplar, willow, oak and horse chestnut.

In particular, Western tiger swallowtail caterpillars love alder, cherry, elm, maple, poplar and willows.

Anise swallowtail larvae love members of the parsley family such as fennel, dill and cow parsnip.

Nettles and hops are favorites of the red admiral.

And painted lady caterpillars love borage, burdock and centaurea.

For resting and sunning, shrubs provide a safe place out of the wind for butterflies.

Rocks placed in the sun or sunny bare patches out of the way of foot traffic are also great resting spots.

Butterflies cannot drink from open water.

The best way to provide drinking water is to have some wet mud somewhere in the yard where butterflies can land safely and sip.

Or mist your plants early in the morning and they will sip from the water droplets.

Misting plants later in the day may cause fungus problems.

Avoid the indiscriminate use of pesticides in the yard. Butterflies have become increasingly uncommon in urban and suburban areas because of pesticides and habitat loss.