Once the springtime temperature reaches 60 degrees, butterflies re-appear and look for spring flowers such as lilac, phlox, rhododendron, and dame's rocket. Butterflies' feet have taste receptors that sense sweet liquids. When those receptors find a nectar-laden treasure, they uncoil their tubelike tongues, called proboscises, and dine. The length of a butterfly's tongue determines which flowers it visits. Moths, which sometimes have longer tongues than butterflies, take nectar from long-tubed flowers like daturas and petunias.
Skippers have long tongues, as much as one and a half times their wingspan.
Knowing the tongue length of various species will give you a head start on deciding which types of flowers to plant to attract which butterflies. An orange sulphur may delight in asters and dandelions, but those flowers won't attract the tiger swallowtail, whose favorites include lilacs, butterfly bush, and Japanese honeysuckle. Planning the Butterfly Garden Your garden can make a difference to the shrinking habitat of butterflies. Even an area as small as 250 square feet can provide food, shelter, and a place for butterflies to lay their eggs. Begin by learning about local butterfly species through your cooperative-extension agent or a regional guidebook.