By Linda McDonnell, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2013
In honor of pollinator month, we’re re-visiting a popular post from our archives on butterflies. Enjoy!
Butterflies are prized for their striking appearance and graceful flight paths. A butterfly sighting in my garden is always a stop-and-appreciate-nature moment. Perhaps more importantly, butterflies are valuable pollinators and an important element in the food chain.
Here are five ways to make your garden a butterfly haven.
Host Plants
Most butterflies require specific host plants for caterpillar development. Perhaps the most well-known butterfly/host plant partnership is the monarch and milkweed (It’s worth noting that Colorado is on the edge of the monarch migratory corridor, so a sighting is less common here than in other parts of the country but still possible of course).
Two common butterflies in our state are the black swallowtail, whose caterpillar develops on parsley, dill, and related plants, and the painted lady which seeks thistles, hollyhocks, and sunflowers. Colorado State University has a list of our state’s butterflies and their caterpillar host plants here.
Food Sources
Mature butterflies seek sugary nectar for energy and nutrition and pollinate plants by moving nectar from one plant to another. An ideal environment has a season-long sequence of nectar-producing blooms. Examples include spring-blooming lilacs; mid-summer asters and bee balm; and late-summer blooming native shrubs such as rabbitbrush. The honeydew secretion from aphids, long-blooming annuals such as marigolds and cosmos, and weeds like dandelions and some thistles round out the nectar buffet.
Avoid double-petaled flowers which make it difficult for the insects to reach the nectar source. This article offers more suggestions for plant selection.
Water Source or Mud-Puddle
A shallow dish with water or a mixture of garden soil and water will attract butterflies. A rock or other flat landing pad in the dish encourages drinking. Male butterflies are very attracted to the nutrients in a mud-water cocktail which aid in reproduction. The kids in your life will love mud puddles too, just for different reasons!
Sunny Open Areas and Wind Protection
Swaths of sunny plants are ideal for foraging while densely planted trees and shrubs provide shelter from harsh winds. An ideal butterfly habitat provides both.
Insecticide-free Plants
Insecticides can be lethal to butterflies in all stages of development. Eliminating or reducing the use of insecticides will increase the populations of both butterflies and other beneficial insects such as lady beetles and green lacewigs. If insecticides are used, apply when the air is still, pollinators are not present, and following all application instructions.
Resources and References
Colorado State University Fact Sheet 5.504 “Attracting Butterflies to the Garden”
The Denver area has two great sources for in-person butterfly education: The Butterfly Pavilion and the Butterfly House at the Chatfield Farms location of the Denver Botanic Gardens. Both make for fun, educational outings.
For more butterfly and pollinator information take a look at the great entries that pop up on our site when searching for pollinators.
Denver Gardeners 
thanks for linking to the CSU Extension fact sheet.
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