Plant Some Aromatic Herbs To Attract Butterflies!
Have you ever thought of planting an herb garden to attract butterflies? I know -- you probably don't think butterflies would care too much for herbs since so much attention is focused on planting nectar-rich flowers to attract them.
However, there are many herbs that produce lovely aromatic blossoms to which certain butterflies will simply swarm. You see, many adult butterflies seek out various herbs, not only as a nectar source but more importantly as host plants on which to lay their eggs.
Of course, if you are also planning to use some of these herbs to spice up your own meals, you will want to plant some extras for those caterpillars that will find them equally delicious. Once those caterpillars have hatched, they will immediately begin to voraciously eat their "host herbs" right down to a nubbin.
And yes -- Madam Butterfly knows exactly which herbs will provide food and nutrition for her offspring. After all, she doesn't want her babies to starve after hatching, as her only mission in her brief lifespan is to reproduce her species before she dies. Such devotion by Madam Butterfly surely doesn't go unnoticed by true butterfly gardeners and lepidopterists!
Before planting annual or perennial herbs as host plants to attract certain butterflies, you should first determine which butterflies are residents of your area. There are many resources available to help you determine this. One of the best sources on the Internet is Butterflies of North America. On this site, you will find a distribution map with thumbnail photos of butterflies commonly found in each state. This map will help you identify resident butterflies in your locale. The information provided on this site is an invaluable resource for butterfly devotees.
After you've identified the butterflies native to your area, you can then decide which herbs to plant for both you AND those specific butterflies. You will also find that certain species of butterflies are only found east of the Rocky Mountains, while others reside only in the western states. Still others, such as the Monarchs, can be found in both eastern and western states.
Butterflies possess an innate sense of knowing where they belong, and therefore seldom stray far from the habitats of the thousands of generations that preceded them. Just another of Nature's mysterious miracles!
Caraway-Scented Thyme {Thymus herba-barona}
Attracts: Black Swallowtails
This species of thyme is a member of the mint family, and blooms in masses of lavender and pink blossoms from late spring to early summer. It is a perennial in USDA Zones 8B to 10B, and in colder areas is treated as an annual. Although it is in the mint family, its tiny leaves exude a delightful caraway fragrance.
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