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Not only are the butterflies beautiful to look at it, but they are also beneficial for Your backyard . They help pollinize flowers, fruits and vegetables in your garden, and they attract other important species such as bees, birds and ladybugs. Whether you hoped to harvest the environmental advantages of butterflies or that you Find them pleasant And soothing to look at, there are easy things you can do to increase their chances of landing on your lawn. Continue to read to hear gardening experts on how to attract butterflies in your backyard.

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How to attract butterflies

1. Add host plants.

The first thing you want to do is learn which butterflies are common where you live. From there, you can determine the specific plant species that make the best hosts, or the plants on which the butterflies lay the eggs because they provide a food source for the caterpillars.

"By planting host plants in your garden, you can encourage butterflies to lay their eggs and raise their young people," said Ben Hilton , founder and publisher at The courtyard and the garden .

"For example, monarch butterflies lay their eggs on Asclepia's plants since baby caterpillars have feeded asclepiad," said Erinn Witz , an expert in garden and co-founder of Seeds and spades . "But only certain species of Asclepia are beneficial for monarchs, and certain species can in fact be harmful to them."

Other examples include parsley for black swallow tails and fennel for East black swallow tails, Hilton notes.

2. Add the native plants.

And since you try to attract native Butterflies, you will want to have native plants to which they are used to it.

"Indigenous plants provide a source of food and shelter for local butterflies, and they also help support local ecosystems," said Hilton. "Select a range of flowers that flourish throughout the growth season in order to extend the positive effect of this planting method."

He also recommends keeping part of your wild garden because butterflies are attracted to natural habitats. "This can be a wild section of your courtyard or a naturalized area with wild flowers and native herbs."

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3. Plant red, pink, purple and white flowers.

"Butterflies do not see the same thing as humans do. They see the world on the ultraviolet light spectrum," said Witz. "For this reason, the butterflies see the most brightly red, pink and white, and they are attracted to these flowers." AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

Certain flowers rich in nectar in these shades that Witz recommend are Coreopsis, Salvia, Lantana, Coneflowers, Zinnias and Butterfly Buissons.

4. Plant cabbage or kale.

In addition to host plants, you will want to make sure that your garden includes larval food sources.

"These are plants on which the caterpillars feed as they grow," said Hilton. "By providing these plants, you can make sure that there will be enough food for the caterpillars to develop and develop in butterflies."

He says that the caterpillars love plants in the Brassica family, such as cabbage and kale.

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5. Provide sheltered water and habitats.

"Butterflies need shelter and protection against predators and hard weather conditions," notes Hilton. He says that you can create a habitat adapted to butterflies by making small areas sheltered composed of natural materials such as plants and rocks.

And although butterflies get most of their nectar water, puddles or decomposing fruits, as Witz notes, adding a small dish of fresh water or a bath of Birds will help attract them to your backyard.

6. Avoid pesticides.

Unsurprisingly, pesticides are harmful to butterflies, as well as other beneficial insects such as bees and ladybugs, explains Hilton.

"If you should apply insect control, try natural pest control methods such as picking pests, the use of insecticide soaps or the introduction of beneficial insects such as ladybugs and prayer mantes", suggest -Al.