Butterflies are extremely selective when locating a host plant on which to lay their eggs.
Providing the right host plant in you garden is the most important step in creating a butterfly garden. It is important to plant a large number of host plants in order to provide adequate food for the caterpillars. They will perish if there is not enough available. Due to this fact it is very important NOT to use any pesticides, even organic pesticides in the garden. The use of beneficial insects is the most effective way to control pest problems in a habitat garden for butterflies.