Butterflies will visit your landscape to lay eggs wherever there is a variety of plants for food and shelter, some moisture and an absence of pesticides. Thus the number of butterflies directly depends on whether or not their favorite plants are growing there. Understanding that life cycle can guide you in planting trees and flowers that meet the butterflies' habitat and food needs at each life phase. The butterfly's life cycle requires food for both the adult and caterpillar stages. The adult butterflies feed on various nectar-producing flowers.
Some plants support their larvae while others support adult butterflies.
Its interesting that the favorite food of caterpillars are weeds like milkweed and Plantain. Adult butterflies need energy in the form of nectar which comes from a vast variety of flowers some of which are Lantana, Butterfly bush, Aster, Coreopsis, and Purple Coneflower. They are generally attracted to hot-colored fragrant flowers but most of all, flowers that they can easily extract the nectar from with their long tongues. Sometimes the larvae of butterflies cause damage to garden crops. Be sure you water your flowers in your landscape during these drought times to attract the maximum number of butterflies to your landscape.