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Winged jewels in your yard
It's easy for kids to attract butterflies to their yards by planting colorful flowers.
from the May 15, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 2
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As a caterpillar grows, it sheds its skin and produces new skin several times. When it starts to hang downward by its feet and twitch and twist, the caterpillar is getting ready to make a chrysalis or pupa. It sheds its skin for the last time, and the new skin begins to harden. When the chrysalis is hard, the creature can hardly move, except to wiggle its abdomen slightly.
In the final stage, the shell of the pupa splits, and a full-grown butterfly emerges, weak and covered with moisture. It crawls to a twig or other resting place, hangs its head downward, and waves its wings.
Gradually, the wings unfold, and the butterfly is ready to look for food. Adult butterflies have chemical receptors on their tongues, antennae, and feet to detect the scent of nectar. They also have a long, thin proboscis, which looks kind of like a straw, that they uncurl into the flower to get at the nectar.
Watching colorful butterflies is fun. Why not check out a butterfly book from the library? Then you can try to identify the monarchs, sulphurs, swallowtails, and other butterflies that visit your garden.
Helpful tips for your butterfly garden
1. Avoid the use of insecticides in your garden even though some plants won't look good because caterpillars will munch on them. Instead of spraying – and killing the caterpillars that will turn into butterflies – place the plants that caterpillars use for food behind some blooming nectar plants. (See plant selections below.)
2. Water regularly. Don't let soil around young plants get too dry.
3. Provide "landing pads" – flat rocks – in the garden so butterflies can bask in the sun. Butterflies like puddles, too.
Good nectar plants
Aster
Black-eyed Susan
Butterfly weed
Catmint
Coreopsis
Cosmos
Daisies
Daylily
Goldenrod
Hibiscus
Hollyhock
Lavender
Marigold
Morning Glory
Nasturtium
Pansy
Phlox
Purple coneflower
Sunflower
Verbena
Zinnia
Good food plants
Grow these so different types of caterpillars will eat these plants, spin into chrysalides, and then become butterflies – all in your yard.
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Dill
Hollyhock
Milkweed
Pansy
Parsley
Snapdragon
Violet
Willow trees
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