Create your own butterfly garden in a few easy steps!

Texas has more butterfly species - over 440 - than any other state.  Do you want them to make an appearance in your garden?  Here are some simple tips to start a butterfly garden.
The key to successful butterfly gardening is to select a variety of flowering plants so butterflies are attracted to the food source all summer long.  Plant flowering plants known to provide nectar for butterflies and provide plants known as food sources for butterfly caterpillars.  

Utilize plants of different colors and different heights of flowering plants. Examples of  butterfly attracting plants for Texas gardens are salvia, lantana, turks cap, purple coneflower, verbena, buddleia and butterfly weed.

Create a garden habitat that butterflies will enjoy - a sunny garden surrounded by shrubs.  The sun warms the insects and the bushes provide shelter and protection from predators.  Encourage flowering plants to continue blooming by pinching off dead flowers. 

Another important point is to eliminate the use of insecticides in your garden.  Butterflies and caterpillars are very sensitive to insecticide.