A bigger project – make a butterfly holiday park in your garden. If you don’t have a planting area, use a big pot or window box. Get the children to help by finding out which plants attract which butterflies, drawing a plan, planting the seeds or transplanting bought plants. When the garden is established you can
encourage them to log the butterflies who visit. If you have a veggie patch, don’t encourage the cabbage whites too much unless the butterfly haven is a fair way from the vegetables!
Butterflies like warmth so pick a sheltered and sunny spot for your butterfly plants.
Plants for Caterpillars
Butterfly type
The caterpillar likes…
Painted lady
Thistles, asters, hollyhock
Red admiral
Nettles, hop
Small tortoiseshell
Nettles
Peacock
Nettles
Holly blue
Gorse, ivy
Common blue
Clover, trefoils
Large white / cabbage white
Cabbage plants, nasturtiums
Orange tip
Honesty, watercress, wild mustards
Plants for Butterflies
Spring flowering
Summer flowering
Autumn flowering
Forget me not
Marigolds
Michaelmas daisy
Violas
Buddleia
Golden rod
Honesty
Hebes
Sedum
Lavender
Marjoram
Primroses
Sunflower
Catnip
Verbena
Sweet william
Wild cornflower
Bluebells
Chives
Pansy
Honeysuckle
Thyme
Wild area plants
If you have a big enough outdoor area to leave some wild plants for the local wildlife, here are some plants which are great to encourage for butterflies:
Making a Butterfly Haven
