Page 18 - North Haven Magazine Special Edition Issue 13 2020

d B Butterflies:utterflies:

JEWELED POLLINATORS FOR YOUR GARDENSTORS FOR YOUR GARDENS
JEWELED POLLINA
I imagine there is scarcely a person who does not enjoy seeing colorful butterflies flitting around the flowers in by Sally Brockett
our gardens. As we watch their amazing antics in flight, we know that they are not only entertaining, but they
are performing an important environmental service – pollination. Without pollination, the human race and our
ecosystems would not survive.

POLLINATION m WHY DO POLLINATORS ARE BUTTERFLIES GOOD
POLLINATORS?
VISIT THE FLOWERS?
Pollination is the transfer of pollen The flowers provide food in the form Butterflies are not the most efficient
grains from the male part of the plant, of energy-rich nectar and protein-rich pollinators, but they are among the
the anther, to the female part, the stigma. pollen needed by the pollinators. The most enjoyed. Unlike bees and hum-
If this transfer does not occur, the plant flower type, color, scent, and form, mingbirds, butterflies cannot hover
cannot produce seeds which will create also attract specific types of pollina- while feeding. They perch with their
the next generation of that plant. While tors to certain flowers. A symbiotic long, thin legs on the flower, and pre-
butterflies are among the most enjoyed relationship develops between the fer a flower form that has a flat top to
and the most beautiful of pollinators, plants and pollinators such that each use as a landing pad. So they tend to
there are many other types of pollina- receives some benefit, which helps select flowers based on the shape.
tors, including: bats, bees, beetles, birds, maintain the interaction between the
flies, moths, and the wind. two species. g k

Attracting butterflies is not difficult, but it is helpful to know a few things that will increase the odds. Select plants and flowers that but-
terflies will seek out. They know what they need to survive, so you must also learn what they need.

VARIETY AND NATIVE: AVOID PESTICIDES WHENEVER POSSIBLE:
Variety is important because the season is long and the flowers If you do use pesticides, choose the least-toxic, and apply at dusk
need to be available throughout the season. If you plant a lot of when most pollinators are not active. Neem oil is quite effective
one type, and it only is in blossom for a few weeks, what will the for many pests but must be used at dusk.
butterflies do for the rest of the time? They will leave your yard in
search of more flowers. Native plants are adapted to the soil and AVOID MODERN HYBRIDIZED, ESPECIALLY “DOUBLED
climate where they naturally occur. These plants should grow well FLOWERS”:
and you can avoid the frustration of poor growth and die-off.
Although the form of the flower may be beautiful to us, the pro-
cess of hybridizing may have reduced or eliminated the pollen
INCLUDE LARVAL HOST PLANTS: and nectar, as well as the scent of the original flower. We need to
Butterflies need specific plants for their caterpillars to eat when be sure to offer at least some of the flowers in their native form to
they emerge from the egg. The butterflies will stay in yards that assure that the characteristics needed by the butterflies are pres-
not only offer flowers they need, but also include the host plants ent.
on which they can lay their eggs.

Butterfly Weed Mexican Sunflower

SUGGESTED PLANTS FOR YOUR GARDEN: PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLY LARVA:
Butterfly weed*, Butterfly bush*, Calendula, Cosmos, Coneflower*, Asters (Painted Lady, Pearl Crescent), Butterfly weed* and
Daylily, Shasta daisy, Tithonia (Mexican Sun Flower)*, Verbena, Milkweed (Monarch), Parsley & Queen Anne’s Lace (Black
Yarrow, and Zinnia*. Swallowtail)*, Shasta Daisy (Mourning Cloak, Painted Lady, Red
Admiral), and Snapdragon (Buckeye).
* Highly recommended.
You do not need to have a large butterfly garden in your yard. If space is limited, select a few of the highly recommended plants and plant
them in your yard, or even in containers for your patio.

18 North Haven Magazine - Special Edition 2020