Bring in the butterflies

When thinking about attracting native butterflies to your garden, you need to consider their entire life cycle. They require nectar for nourishment, and their main objective is to source it. Their favourite food-plant species are those in the daisy (Asteraceae) and pea (Fabaceae) families, such as billy buttons (Craspedia spp.) and wattles (Acacia spp.)
Butterflies also want plants on which to lay their eggs that are food sources for their caterpillars. And finally, they desire places to rest, preferring to do this on grasses and sedges (and on rocks). Although butterflies enjoy the warmth of the sun, in extreme heat they will seek shelter in shady areas, including tree hollows. According to Jaclyn Crupi, we can all help by taking their needs into account when designing spaces in our backyards. For example, the addition of a rock garden will give them a place to rest.

Building a rock garden

Butterflies rely on the warmth of the sun to increase their body temperature because their bodies cannot regulate this themselves. They enjoy having an open space in which they can fly around in full sun, but they also make use of rocks as a place to rest and warm up.

To build a small (or large) rock garden where butterflies can land, follow these steps:

• Choose a sunny spot for your rock garden.
• Select rocks in different shapes and sizes. Mudstone, granite, slate and basalt are most commonly used in backyards.
• Lay out the rocks randomly (or in a pattern if you prefer). If the rocks are heavy, then make sure that you have someone to help you move them.
• Ensure that there are horizontal surfaces for butterflies and cool crevices for other wildlife (such as lizards).
• Plant some butterfly-attracting perennials and grasses around the rocks.

To find out how to more ways to attract butterflies to your garden, get a copy of our Early Spring 2025 issue (OG 159) here.