Butterflies will visit any garden, however small, if they can feed from suitable nectar plants.

A well thought out garden can attract up to 18 species of butterfly.

If you manage your patch to create breeding habitat you may see even more...

How to attract butterflies

Butterflies like warmth so choose sunny, sheltered spots when planting nectar plants.

Choose different plants to attract a wider variety of species. Place the same types of plant together in blocks.

Try to provide flowers right through the butterfly season. Spring flowers are vital for butterflies coming out of hibernation and Autumn flowers help butterflies build up their reserves for winter.

Prolong flowering by deadheading flowers, mulching with organic compost, and watering well to keep the plants healthy. Plants that are well-watered will produce far more nectar for hungry butterflies.

Don't use insecticides and pesticides. They kill butterflies and many pollinating insects as well as ladybirds, ground beetles and spiders.

Don't buy peat compost. Peat bogs are home to many special animals and plants, including the Large Heath butterfly, which is declining across Europe. There are now good alternatives available from garden centres.

The best plants for summer nectar

Buddleia (The butterfly bush)

Very easy to grow in almost any soil. Different varieties will flower in pink, red, purple, and white. Usually in bloom through July and August. These shrubs need pruning well in Spring as they can grow 5' to 8' from the ground in a single season.

Verbena Bonariensis

Stems up to a metre tall support heads of lavender flowers from August to October. Easy to grow from seed, plant March-April in well-drained soil. Can provide useful height at the back of a border. Only half hardy so can be a short lived perennial.

Lavender

Flowers are lilac-blue in color and grow on spikes through the summer. Plants can be used for edging beds or grown to form an attractive, low-growing hedge. It will thrive in a sunny, sheltered position in well-drained soil. Lavender should be planted in April or May and pruned back to encourage bushy growth.

Perennial Wallflower (Bowles Mauve)

Produces a profusion of sweet-scented purple flowers from April all through the summer. Wallflowers make great bedding plants and will grow well in full sun or light shade. Plant in well drained soil.

Marjoram (Oregano)

A perennial herb, growing from 20 to 80 cm tall. White, pink or purple flowers grow on spikes from June to September. A good edging plant and useful ground cover, requiring little maintenance. The smaller varieties also do well in rock and alpine gardens.

Download a list of the 100 best butterfly plants in order of attraction.

Be inspired by these planting plans for your flower beds:

Small garden 2m by 3m

Medium garden 3m by 5m

Large garden 5m by 10m

You can still provide for butterflies with a window box or patio pots. Many nectar plants are ideal for container planting.

If you have a larger plot, why not go low maintenance and create a wild flower meadow?

Watch a film about butterfly gardening, recorded at the home of Butterfly Conservation life member, Tony Hoare.

Caterpillar food plants

You can grow plants to encourage butterflies to breed in your garden, rather than simply to visit.

A female butterfly will lay her eggs on the foodplant for her caterpillar. Each species has different requirements.

Download a list of the best caterpillar food plants and find out what tickles the tastebuds of each species.

Gardening for Moths

There are likely to be over a hundred species of moth in an ordinary urban back garden.

Like butterflies, moths need to refuel with nectar. Find out more about which plants are best for moths.

Some moth caterpillars will eat the leaves of a fairly wide range of plants, but most are restricted to a few types of plant or even just one plant species. Discover more about moth caterpillar foodplants.

More information

Download our leaflet: Gardening for Butterflies

Visit Jenny Steele's wildlife gardening website

Read Jan Miller-Klein's Gardening for Butterflies, Bees and other beneficial insects.

Find out about the 'Bring Back the Butterflies' community project