Butterflies are extraordinary and luckily there are so many lovely flowers which they favor. This makes attracting them into a garden or onto a patio easy. The fact that very few butterflies will actually harm plants or vegetables growing in your garden, and that they are actually particular to certain flowers because they, like bees, are pollinators and live to drink the nectar of sweet flowers.

There are about 670 different butterfly species in North America and there are bound to be many varieties in your area. You can determine just how many by planting a garden in a sunny spot for them to bask in. Include single flowers which posses a single row of petals, such as Black-eyed Susan, Cosmos, Goldenrod, Sage or Verbena for easiest butterfly access.

Creating a butterfly garden can be an enjoyable project, especially when the fruits of your work result in several varieties of beautiful butterflies frequenting your yard. To attract butterflies, you need plants that can cater to all stages of their life--laying eggs, feeding as caterpillars, building cocoons, and finally, consuming nectar as butterflies. Depending on the area in which you live, certain species of butterflies are likely to be more prevalent than others, and each species has its own set of preferred plants.

Colors
1. Butterflies are most attracted to bright, warm colors such as red, pink, yellow, orange and purple.
Butterfly Weed
2. Asclepias tuberosa is a type of milkweed, frequently sold as "butterfly weed" or "butterfly flower." This is a favorite of monarch caterpillars as well as tiger swallowtail and black swallowtail butterflies.
Trees
3. Oak, flowering dogwood and Eastern cottonwood are popular trees for caterpillars.
Wildflowers
4. Goldenrod, asters, ironweed, violets and purple coneflower are wildflowers that are especially attractive to butterflies.
Size and Shape
5. The best plants for butterflies to get nectar are those with clustered or large flat flowers where they can land, as well as a short tubular shape which makes the nectar easier to extract.
Location
6. Plants should be placed in the sunlight and be as sheltered from strong winds as possible to provide the most-attractive feeding spot for butterflies.

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