Have their favorites blooming in seasonal succession, too. And don't forget the mints for monarchs, goldenrod for great swallowtails, and verbena for great spangled fritillaries. To get the most out of your butterfly garden, provide host plants for females to lay their eggs on and for hatched caterpillars to feed on. Just think of the nibbled-on plants as a sacrifice to new life. Most caterpillars depend on only one or two host plants anyway, so if you plant extra you probably won't even notice the damage.
Fritillaries adore violets, while red admirals feast mainly on nettles.
Other caterpillar host plants and trees include sunflowers, birches, willows, wild plum, ash, penstemons, vetch, foxgloves, spicebush, passionvine, legumes, and grasses. Sunshine and Shelter Situate your butterfly garden in a sheltered area that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight. Butterflies can't regulate their body temperature very well, and this gives them a place to bask in the sun-especially important during cooler springtime weather. Butterflies start fluttering with a minimum air temperature of 60 degrees, but they fly best when it's warmer than 80 degrees. That's why you'll sometimes see them absorbing the sun's heat with outstretched wings.