Attract Butterflies to Your Garden!
Recently, the Butterfly Foundation reported that the number of butterflies has decreased by a staggering 40% since 1992! How can you attract butterflies to your own garden?
The red list of butterfly species threatened with extinction is growing, just like it is with bees. There are now only 53 species of daytime butterflies left in the Netherlands, and we have even fewer moths.
What are the causes of the declining butterfly population?
According to the Butterfly Foundation, the main reasons for the decline in insect species, such as butterflies, dragonflies, and bees, are habitat fragmentation and nitrogen pollution. There’s less and less space for butterflies, and their habitats are being continuously damaged. Additionally, the ways in which farmland is often cultivated also contribute, as neonicotinoids—a pesticide deadly to butterflies and bees—are frequently used.
Butterflies are also important indicators of the health of an area. Their presence tells us a lot about the state of the environment.
Are butterflies useful creatures?
Many people love watching butterflies because they’re so beautiful. Most daytime butterflies are brightly colored and flutter joyfully from flower to flower. This behavior makes them important pollinators, as they help plants and flowers reproduce when they visit them for nectar. Nectar provides food for butterflies, giving them energy to lay eggs and fly.
However, not all butterflies feed on nectar. Some species, like the Red Admiral, prefer rotting fruit. Butterflies are also a key part of the food chain. Caterpillars and butterflies are often a tasty snack for other animals.
Important and Useful Butterfly Plants
What plants attract butterflies? Mostly colorful, nectar-rich plants. ‘Host plants’ are also essential for butterflies. These are plants where butterflies lay their eggs, and the caterpillars feed on them afterward. These are often wild plants, such as nettles, but also holly and ivy. If you want a butterfly-friendly garden, it’s best to have a combination of these plants.
– Tine, Ineke, Annie (Working Group on Play, Green Spaces, and Environment)
Source: Butterfly Foundation
