Building a butterfly garden

Teaching Pre K-8, Feb 2003 by Jones, Bonnie

Butterflies and more butterflies - your kids can look at them and learn from them, with just a little horticultural work on your part

Several years ago, I received a small grant to build Ia butterfly garden. After I attended workshops and conducted my own research, our third grade teachers and students designed and constructed a 480square-foot butterfly garden.

Over the years, it has taken time and effort to care for the garden, but it's been worth it. Teachers often comment on how they enjoy seeing the garden as they pass by with their students. But it's more than that - I use the garden as a teaching tool. We measure. We plant annuals and maintain perennials. We conduct experiments. We read and write about the garden. I've found the garden as effective with the fifth and sixth graders I now teach as with the third graders who first planted the garden.

What is a butterfly garden? Butterfly gardens are designed to attract butterflies and support them throughout their life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The plants can be categorized as nectar plants, which sustain adult butterflies, and host plants, which are the food for the larvae. These categories sometimes cross over; for instance, some plants provide nectar as well as food for larvae. There are thousands of individual butterfly species and many have specific needs.

The original goal of our garden was to enhance math and science learning. However, the benefits have been so much greater. Just designing the garden required research, writing, planning and measurement. Maintaining the garden has led to every area of learning - language arts and social studies, as well as math and science. Our butterfly garden is a working ecosystem right outside the classroom door; an ecosystem complete with producers, consumers, predators and prey.

Through the years, my students have used the handson garden to study butterfly biology, plant biology and ecosystems. These subjects require research through reading books, magazines, newspaper articles and items on the Internet. Reading and research have led to the writing of expository papers, stories and poetry

I've enjoyed learning along with my students. We've designed and conducted several experiments involving math and science. The garden even lends itself to social studies skills in areas such as populations, conservation and human interaction with the environment.

How do I start? You can start large or small or anywhere in between. Below are some tips and guidelines to get you started, followed by some excellent resources for more detailed information.

Soil: Healthy soil is the first concern. Start with a bed of enriched soil in a well-drained, sunny location.

Plants: The best plants to use are plants that are either native or naturalized to your region. They are adapted to the region's climate and maintaining your garden will be easier. Nurseries can recommend appropriate plants.

Here are some of the more common host and nectar plants that are found in butterfly gardens, along with the butterfly species (in italics) the plants support:

Host plants: Milkweed Monarch; Parsley. Eastern Black Swallowtail; Passionflower Vine, Gulf Fritillary; Canna, Brazilian Skipper. Note: All of these host plants are perennials, except parsley, which is an annual.

Nectar plants: Lantana, Butterfly Bush, Mexican Flame Vine, Alyssum.

Note: All of these plants are perennials, except alyssum, which is an annual. Also, all of the listed nectar plants support many butterfly species.

Wherever you live, it's always wise to consult local experts when you are unsure about a plant. Take note that host plants are specific to certain butterfly larvae, while adult butterflies are much less finicky eaters.

To start your garden, follow the directions on the seed packets or the tags that come with the purchased plants. Many books are available for more information on gardening and butterflies. Also, there are many lepidopterist societies with websites that are willing to help.

Tips and guidelines. Enjoy the benefits, both educational and spiritual, of your beautiful butterfly garden. Like anything worth doing, you'll probably encounter a few problems here and there. The following, however, will help you keep the problems to a minimum.

* Tell students not to pick up caterpillars without your supervision. Many caterpillars can eat only certain plants and won't survive on grass or leaves from just any plant. Also, fuzzy caterpillars can cause skin irritation, much like poison ivy.

* Teachers with kindergarten students (or younger) must explain that butterfly food isn't for humans. Many plants, such as milkweed and lantana, are toxic to humans.

* It's a good idea to have perennials as staples, but use annuals, too, so that each year's students can participate in planting.

* Butterflies can be safely handled by allowing them to crawl onto one's hand or by gently holding them with where the forewings and hindwings overlap. For handling caterpillars, try holding a round paintbrush near the front legs and gently rolling it so that the caterpillar rolls onto the brush. Larvae are most safely handled by cutting the stem they're on and carrying the entire stem.