"Butterfly Garden Requirements" from Eden of Wings Nursery, FL
A butterfly requires two different types of plants in order to complete its life cycle. Flying adult butterflies drink flower nectar and their crawling offspring chew on plant parts. What this, means, essentially, is that the butterfly gardener should provide both necking flowers for the adults, and foliage for the caterpillars. The food required for both Laval ( caterpillar) and adult life stages should be planted, or cultivated, in order to develop a successful and abundant butterfly garden. The more butterfly plants you grow... the more butterflies you will have hanging around your garden.
An adult butterfly is equipped with a proboscis, or tubular tongue, that it uses for drawing in liquid. Immature butterflies, know as larvae or caterpillars, have chewing mouth parts and feed on the leaves and stems of their host plants.
Additional requirements for a successful butterfly garden include water and shelter. However, these are usually met without additional effort one the butterfly garden becomes established and filled with plants.
An often overlooked subject is the use of chemicals in the butterfly garden. This is the absolute worst possible idea. You cannot control Mother Nature, but you can decide not to kill your butterflies outright. These delicate creatures have enough working against them. Pesticides are antithetical to the goal to creating a natural habitat in which butterflies can thrive. Poisons mean indiscriminate death... do not use them in your butterfly garden..ever. Don't even use insecticidal soap... butterfly and caterpillars are insect and soap will kill them.
By Sharon R. Laplante