To create a butterfly garden, you need to consider the needs of both the adult butterflies (nectar plants) and the larvae or catepillars (host plants). Many people make the mistake of just providing the nectar plants. This will result in the butterflies just passing through your property and will prevent you from observing one of the most remarkable transformations in nature: the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly.

Site: Butterflies prefer to feed in sunny areas protected from the wind. Select an area that you can easilly observe, but keep in mind that butterfly nectar plants will also attract bees.

Plant Selection: Select plants suitable for the butterflies that frequent our area. Specific details about the butterflies in Brevard County can be found at this very extensive website: Butterflies of North America - Butterflies of Brevard County, Florida. Remember to select both Caterpillar Host and Adult Food plants. Select plants that bloom throughout the year to encourage a continuous succession of butterfly visitors.

Garden Layout: Butteflies will lay their eggs on the host plant and the growing larvae will devour much of that plant for its growth phase. Therefore, it is best to plant larvae plants amidst other plants that will hide the defoliated host plant. This can also be camoflaged by choosing plants with staggered blooming times and various heights.

Shelter: Woody plants or a row of shrubs located near the nectar plants will provide butterflies with shelter during bad weather and at night. Butterfly gardens can also be created close to sheds or other garden structures as a windblock.

Other food sources: Although many butterflies eat only from plants, some will also eat fermenting fruit or sugar water from butterfly feeders. A shallow dish to hold rotting fruit can be placed on the ground in the garden.

Water:   Butterflies can't drink from open water, but instead drink from very wet sand or soil. A puddling area can be constructed by placing a bowl of wet sand somewhere in the butterfly garden or burying a tray of wet sand up to the rim in the garden. You can also make a watering area by adding sand to a bird bath or clay saucer filled with water. A resting spot for the butterflies can be provided by placing a rock in the center of the sand and water.

No Pesticides! All butterfly life stages are extremely sensitive to pesticides.