Butterfly Gardening

Visit our nursery website Butterfly Gardens to Go.

Butterflies and other pollinators need nectar which they drink from plants. Butterfly gardens should provide nectar plants that bloom continuously or sequentially throughout the season. Late autumn is particularly important for Monarchs as they are storing up energy for the long migration to their over-wintering sites in Mexico.

Butterflies prefer a warm, sunny location and eat nectar from a variety of flowers. They enjoy brightly hued and fragrant flowers that are best planted in groups of color and variety in a sunny location.  It is wise to include both annual and perennial nectar plants to ensure continuous blooming and nectar for your winged friends.

The Butterfly Gardens to Go collection was developed by Michigan Native Butterfly Farm. We have a diverse product line designed to help create habitat which promotes the life cycle of butterflies ensuring that future generations will prosper.  Each plant has been carefully chosen to support the most common North American butterflies through each stage of development.

Butterfly Host Plants

Butterfly host plants are vital for the butterfly garden! Butterflies go through a series of life cycles: egg (ova), larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis) and adult (butterfly). Host plants are important elements for your garden as they provide a place for butterflies to lay eggs and are a food source for emerging caterpillars.  Most caterpillars are specific about the type of plant they eat and the butterflies will look for suitable plants on which to lay their eggs.  By planting a variety of host plants you create a habitat that supports the lifecycle of many butterfly species.

Butterfly Nectar Plants

The nectar sources we have selected are proven butterfly favorites in our own gardens and the flight houses where we rear our butterflies.

Did you know that butterflies are important pollinators? With diminishing butterfly populations you can make a difference by planting butterfly and pollinator friendly gardens.

All of our plants are grown without the use of harmful pesticides and are safe for developing larvae and butterflies.