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Butterfly
Magnets (click here for printable PDF)
Recently
we’ve noticed a big interest in butterfly gardening and decided it
was time to put together this information. Along with observations
from Tucson botanist Greg Starr, two sources of information were
particularly helpful – the booklet “Desert Butterfly
Gardening,” published by the Arizona Native Plant Society and the
Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute and the book “Native Gardens
for Dry Climates,” by Sally and Andy Wasowski.
In a
butterfly garden you should provide both nectar sources and larval
food plants. Adult butterflies feed on the nectar of certain
flowers, while the caterpillars feed on specific plants known as
“larval food plants.” Try to combine plants to provide a
year-round source of nectar, if possible. Limit or eliminate the use
of pesticides and other chemicals in the garden, as they can kill
caterpillars and adult butterflies. You can expect butterflies to be
most active during ideal conditions: sunny, calm days, when the
temperatures range from 65 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. They seem to
prefer early mornings and evenings during the hot summer months. On
the following list we have included the “butterfly plants” that
we grow, as well as a few others that you may be able to locate
elsewhere.
Native trees
listed in the songbird table can also be used for peripheral
plantings and shade for butterflies.
Design
Guidelines
-
Provide
a variety of plants that feed larval and adult butterflies. Food
plants need to provide for two different stages of the
butterfly’s life: larval and adult. Therefore, it is important
to have an adequate mix of plants that will support larvae and
other plants that will be available for the adults.
-
Emphasize
massing of plants. Massing should be relatively greater in
butterfly gardens compared to bird gardens. This is due to the
greater recognition factor of plant masses rather than a
singular plant by adult butterflies. Use of accent plants (with
unique shapes, such as agaves or yuccas) with the many masses
can create effective contrast and interest for the garden
visitor.
-
Provide
sunny, wind-protected locations. Butterflies are cold-blooded
and need sunlight to warm the muscles they use to fly, and
protection from wind when feeding.
-
Provide
a puddle. Butterflies require a shallow puddle or moist soil for
water. A slow dripping emitter near a water-loving plant can
fulfill this need.
Plants
for Butterfly Gardens
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Genus
Species:
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Asclepias subulata
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Common
Name:
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Milkweed
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult and larval food
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Genus
Species:
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Buddleja davidii
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Common
Name:
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Butterfly Bush
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Buddleja marrubifolia
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Common
Name:
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Butterfly Bush
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Caesalpinea pulcherrima
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Common
Name:
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Red bird of paradise
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Calliandra eriophylla
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Common
Name:
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Baja Fairy Duster
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Larval food
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Genus
Species:
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Chilopsis linearis
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Common
Name:
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Desert Willow
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Type:
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Tree
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Cordia parvifolia
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Common
Name:
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Little leaf Cordia
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Encelia farinosa
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Common
Name:
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Brittlebush
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Hyptis emoryi
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Common
Name:
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Desert Lavender
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Lantana montevidensis
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Common
Name:
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Trailing Lantana
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Type:
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Groundcover
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Notes:
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Adult and larval food
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Genus
Species:
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Leucophyllum spp.
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Common
Name:
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Texas Sages
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Oenothera caespitosa
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Common
Name:
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Evening Primrose
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Type:
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Perennial
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Pasiflora foetida
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Common
Name:
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Passion flower
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Type:
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Vine
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Notes:
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Larval food
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Genus
Species:
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Penstemon spp.
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Common
Name:
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Penstemon
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Type:
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Perennial
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Notes:
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Larval food
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Genus
Species:
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Plumbago scandens
(Summer SnowTM)
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Common
Name:
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Plumbago
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Salvia clevelandii
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Common
Name:
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-
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Salvia greggii
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Common
Name:
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Autumn Sage
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Type:
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Shrub
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Sphaeralcea ambigua
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Common
Name:
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Globe Mallow
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Type:
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Perennial
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Notes:
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Adult and larval food
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Genus
Species:
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Tagetes lemmonii
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Common
Name:
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Mt. Lemmon Marigold
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Type:
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Perennial
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Verbena goodingii
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Common
Name:
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Desert Verbena
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Type:
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Perennial
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Vitex agnus-castus
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Common
Name:
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Monk’s Pepper
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Type:
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Tree
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Notes:
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Adult food
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Genus
Species:
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Zinnia acerosa
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Common
Name:
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Desert Zinnia
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Type:
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Perennial
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Notes:
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Adult food
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(back
to the top)
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