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Herbs for Butterflies
by Jim and Dotti Becker
Herbs are the plants that we use in our everyday lives. Pick up any book about herbs and you will find chapters extolling their virtues in cooking, teas, medicines, cosmetics, and dyes. If these aren't enough reasons to grow herbs, the descriptions of their wonderful scented foliage and flowers will certainly persuade anyone to add some to the garden. However, one of the greatest pleasures gained by growing herbs is not mentioned in most books: They are outstanding plants for attracting butterflies and other pollinating insects.
What could be more delightful than sitting on a sun-warmed bench and watching two swallowtails flutter skyward in a ritual dance, skippers darting from lavender to lavender, or a boldly striped Monarch caterpillar munching on butterfly weed? Herb gardening for butterflies is certainly "for use and for delight." All of the things that lure butterflies—nectar-bearing flowers, food for caterpillars, and sheltering trees or large shrubs—are easily found among the herbs. Thoughtfully arranged, these elements will keep butterflies in your garden throughout the growing season.
To attract butterflies, plant masses of different herbs to provide food and host plants for the entire growing season. Above, a Tiger Swallowtail sips nectar on lavender, a favorite herb.
It's important to keep three essentials in mind when you place herbs in your garden: diversity, mass, and constancy. Be sure to include a variety of flower colors, corolla lengths, and flower shapes to attract a wide range of butterfly species. Use masses of flowers; single plants simply won't do. Finally, keep a constant supply of flowers throughout the seasons, from early spring to late autumn. You may be surprised to see some butterflies out in all but the coldest months of the year. In our Oregon garden the first butterfly sighting is usually an early-March Mourning Cloak, and there are often skippers on the wing late into October.
Favorite Butterfly Herbs
Butterflies are very particular about their flowers. You have surely noticed that some flowers are just aflutter with butterflies and bees, while others are snubbed completely.
One of our favorite butterfly herbs is lavender. In our garden, the English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia cultivars) bloom from late June until mid-July, the lavandins (Lavandula x intermedia cultivars) from early July until mid-August, and spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) from late August until nearly November. This mix provides flowers throughout the summer and autumn. All three types are very attractive to a wide range of butterflies, including Monarchs, whites, skippers, and swallowtails. Spike lavender is especially important because of its long blooming period. It is an autumn oasis for late-flying skippers, American Ladies, Common Buckeyes, and bumblebees. As other flowers fade, the concentration of insects converging on it reaches frantic proportions. This is also a preferred plant for other animals; dark-eyed juncos are fond of the seeds, which ripen in late autumn.
Two other midsummer bloomers that maintain a flurry of insects are oregano (Origanum vulgare) and woolly applemint (Mentha x villosa). Both of these herbs create awe-inspiring clumps of color and motion, and the pleasant humming of tiny wings. The oregano can either be the white-flowered and green-bracted culinary type (Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum) or the purple-bracted species known as wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare). The latter is the preferred flower of the beautiful Ctenucha moth, whose larvae feed on grasses. This slow-fluttering daytime flier has a flaming body of orange and blue, and its charcoal-colored wings are adorned with delicate crescent moons on the undersides. The woolly applemint holds our garden record for hosting the largest number of insects and the greatest diversity of insect species. Often seen together are small butterflies like hairstreaks and skippers, bumblebees, honeybees, and Ctenucha moths, as well as thread-waisted and sand wasps.
Some herbs, such as sages (Salvia), may generally be more attractive to hummingbirds, but there are also varieties that draw butterflies. For example, garden sage (Salvia officinalis) and the red-flowering pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) attract swallowtails and sulphurs.
A number of Native American herbs have showy flowers and are great nectar sources for butterflies. You may already have some of them in your garden, like butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), and bee balm (Monarda didyma). Look, too, for their less common relatives. Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) and mint-leafed bergamot (Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia) have more delicately colored flowers and some mildew resistance. Yellow coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) and pale coneflower (Echinacea pallida) do well in dry sites. The mountain mints (Pycnanthemum), favored by many small butterfly species, and the joe-pye weeds (Eupatorium), favorites of the Monarch, also deserve more recognition as attractive, easy-to-grow perennials. Don't forget to add some native goldenrods (Solidago). They add a splash of yellow to the waning autumn garden and are valuable for their late-season nectar.
During inclement weather, butterflies may hide under the large leaves of elecampane, Inula helenium.
Humble dandelion also deserves a mention here. Butterflies that spend the winter as adults, such as tortoiseshells, depend on this early-blooming herb for their first spring meal. You probably won't need to plant dandelions. Just be a bit happier when you see them pop up around your lawn and garden.
If you provide a steady supply of nectar-bearing flowers, the lingering butterflies may even mate in your garden. There are many herbs that are hosts for caterpillars: dill (Anethum graveolens) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum) for Black Swallowtails; hops (Humulus lupulus) for anglewings and Red Admirals; borage (Borago officinalis) for Painted Ladies; sweet violet (Viola odorata) for fritillaries.
You can also include herbal trees, such as balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), host for White Admirals and Western Tiger Swallowtails; or large shrubs like nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) and witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) for Spring Azures. Even herbal groundcovers can host caterpillars: wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) for Baltimores; wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) for Gray Hairstreaks.
The love of sunshine is something that herbs and butterflies have in common. Think about adding a sun-drenched brick or stone pathway that sets off herbs and provides countless niches for creeping thyme (Thymus praecox var. arcticus or Thymus serpyllum), chamomile, and other low growers. Butterflies, which are ectothermic, use the sunny stones as basking spots. Let the path meander, and make it wide enough for the lanky stems of lavender to droop over the edge.
How much backyard gardening actually supports butterfly populations is unclear; however, every effort helps. Your herb garden can become a valuable tool for teaching children and adults about the joys of observing these colorful insects.
Jim and Dotti Becker operate Goodwin Creek Gardens in Williams, Oregon, specializing in herbs, fragrant plants, and everlasting flowers. They have co-authored An Everlasting Garden and Scented Geraniums.
Photos: Jim Becker, David Cavagnaro