What would a garden be without butterflies? We will show you 10 butterfly-friendly plants that will also attract the colorful butterflies into your garden.
Whether young or old, Butterflies With their colorful exterior and easy flight, they have always amazed the eyes of all generations. But the colorful insect is not only worth protecting because of its beauty. What few people know: Butterflies are one of the most important pollinators in the garden and are therefore real Beneficial insects. Wild plants in particular are often dependent on the pollination of butterflies, but some species also reliably pollinate useful plants. The caterpillars, which many gardeners fear, are often not a problem - in fact, caterpillars also prefer wild plants such as nettle (Urtica), Dock (Rumex) or different grasses. If the caterpillars do infest a garden plant, they cause unsightly feeding spots, but as a rule the plants do not die. If you let the caterpillars have their way, most plants will recover quickly and you will be rewarded with colorful gardeners.
contents
- This is what distinguishes butterfly-friendly plants
- 1. Globe thistle
- 2. liguster
- 3. phlox
- 4. Purple loosestrife
- 5. Evening primrose
- 6. Medicinal Valerian
- 7. lavender
- 8. Purple sedum
- 9. Sal willow
- 10. sage
This is what distinguishes butterfly-friendly plants
When creating a butterfly-friendly garden, one should especially consider the adult moths and don't have the graceful caterpillars in mind, because there is a lack of nectar plants for the adults. However, thanks to nettles and wild herbs, caterpillars usually find enough food sources so that they do not have to rely on specially created beds. However, both butterflies and caterpillars are happy about an overgrown corner in the garden, where wild plants can also grow. Those who prefer pretty flowers will find the ten best butterfly-friendly plants that attract the colorful moths to the garden.
tip: Would you like a whole mix of butterfly-friendly plants? Then you are with ours Plantura butterfly meeting precisely. The seed mixture contains over 30 annual and perennial butterfly-friendly plants that provide the butterflies and their caterpillars with a rich supply of food. You can also simply sow the mixture in a pot or in a balcony box.
1. Globe thistle
the Globe thistle (Echinops ritro) has a really modern, almost bizarre look with its spectacular spherical flowers that seem to float high above the ground on narrow stems. If a butterfly lands on the extravagant flower ball, this sight is hard to beat. In fact, like almost all species of thistle, the distinctive spherical thistle is one of the most important sources of nectar for butterflies, especially the painted lady.
2. liguster
Of the liguster (Ligustrum vulgare) can be found in many gardens - no wonder, after all, the plant is ideal for Hedges and can also be cut nicely into shape. In addition, privet is considered to be extremely straightforward and robust. But the plant can do even more: For many German butterfly speciesLike the big ox-eye or the little fox, the plant is an ideal source of food because its delicate white panicles of flowers give off precious nectar. This interplay of optics, robustness and butterfly-friendliness makes the privet a must for every garden.
3. phlox
The ensures a veritable sea of flowers phlox (phlox) and is therefore a real magnet for Beneficial insects how Bees and Butterflies. The plant, also known under the name of Flame Flower, ensures a firework of colors in the garden from June to September and is therefore one of the most important food donors for butterflies. But their easy-care nature also supports the popularity of the beautiful flower.
4. Purple loosestrife
Don't worry - even if the name of the Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) sounds a bit creepy at first, behind it is an extremely attractive plant that knows how to impress with its large, dark pink flower candles. At best, thirsty butterflies could explain the gruesome name of the plant: They actually attack the plant like vampires. Especially C-Falter and the little fox like to use the abundant nectar supply of the beautiful flower. But moths also depend on the plant: it plays an important role as a food plant for their caterpillars.
5. Evening primrose
Even if we mostly think of the colorful butterflies when we think of butterflies, about 80% of all butterflies actually belong to the moths, so they only become active in the late evening hours. For this reason, the moths are particularly attracted to plants that only develop their full aroma at dusk. the Evening primrose (Oenothera) is one of these butterfly-friendly plants: With their brilliantly beautiful flowers, which grow from June to Blossoming in September, the plant is an ornament for every garden and proves to be a reliable magnet for Butterflies.
6. Medicinal Valerian
Medicinal Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is thought to be reassuring to most Medicinal plant known for anxiety disorders and insomnia. But the plant can do a lot more: Valerian impresses in June and July with its large white or pink flower umbels, which also exude a wonderful smell. But not only people appreciate the perennial shrub: butterflies like the thick-headed butterfly are looking for them Plant because of their nectar and the caterpillars of the valerian butterfly also use the plant as a Food source. The plant is also very popular with cats - they react to them as intoxicated as they do to Catnip (Nepeta).
7. lavender
With its unique appearance and irresistible smell, the transforms lavender (Lavandula) every garden into a Mediterranean oasis. The plant is a true jack-of-all-trades: Not only does that apply Care of the lavender as extremely light, it also shines with its healing powers and edible flowers. Even The purple lavender drives away mosquitoes - In contrast, it attracts beneficial insects such as butterflies almost magically. From the whitefly to the little fox, almost all butterfly species sooner or later seek out the plant as a source of food. The plant is only not very popular as caterpillar feed.
8. Purple sedum
A big problem for butterflies that still fly in late summer is that many summer flowers have already faded. Fortunately, the purple sedum (Hylotelephium telephium): From July the plant shows its large, almost umbrella-like inflorescences, which often last into winter. In this way, the plant ensures that peacock butterfly and C-butterfly can still find plenty of food in autumn. The plant is particularly interesting for gardeners because it is not only particularly beautiful as a succulent, but also is very robust - drought, heat and temperatures down to -20 ° C do not affect the butterfly-friendly plant the end.
9. Sal willow
The Sal Willow (Salix caprea) is an important source of nectar for butterflies and bees. As the only native willow species, it also grows outside of swamps and floodplains. It already blooms in late winter in March and April and thus secures the nutritional basis for the insects in spring. Among other things, the peacock butterfly and the small fox fly to the Sal willow. The caterpillars of many nocturnal moths, but also a few diurnal caterpillars, also feed on their leaves.
10. sage
as Medicinal plant and spice is sage (Salvia) probably known to most people and can already be found in many gardens. But it's not just its spicy aroma and undemanding nature that make the plant so popular with gardeners - its purple flowers, which show up from June to August, also make the plant a real one Eye catcher. Butterflies are particularly fond of the small flowers - because the nectar is hidden deep inside the flower, the long-nosed insects have an enormous advantage over other pollinators and secure a lucrative one Source of nectar. Especially the meadow sage (Salvia pratensis) is a popular source of food for butterflies like the bluebird and the famous swallowtail.
If you also want to attract bumblebees to your garden, then you will find it here 10 bumblebee-friendly plants. How to get a Beneficial house for butterflies builds, we show here.
