At Least Three Good Reasons to Plant Butterfly Plants

Our little community, the Ecological Living Foundation, Spain,
live on a 50 acres mountain farm, 950m at the pine covered
slopes,500m at the river boardering its lowest border.Between are
olive, almond and fruit trees.The vegetables are near the house,
horses graze and wild herbs are knee high.We have dozens of species
of wild flowers. no till, organic and permaculture methods help to
maintain harmony with nature. We have identified over 40 different
butterfly species in this wonderfully unique habitate untouch by
pesticides for over 60 years. We intend to publish the beautiful
photographs of each of the butterflies and a picture of exactly
where they live, in a little book. The butterflies are the first of
the species of flora and fauna we will identify and monitor over
the next 10 yrs.With expert advice we intend to encourage,protect
and maintain this magic diversity despite the ravages of climate
change and local development.If you would like a free copy of our
butterfly book please email me with your details on
ecoliving@mail.com. Copies should be available by this December.
Look forward to hearing from you Yan Wilkendorf.

I would like to be able to participate in this worthy
project,however my Monarchs do not migrate. I have a small farm
(finca) on the Eastern Slope of the Andes in Colombia. I have
devoted this land to promote butterflies and birds. I live with
nature not by subjugating it.

I've been blessed with many Monarch butterflies in my life over
the years. My husband and I currently lease 70 undeveloped forested
acres in "LLBean land" near Freeport, Maine. We have lots of
milkweed (I'm not sure of the variety) and wildflowers in our 4
acre field and all along our driveway. We see as many as a hundred
or so at once. I was lucky enough to be able to coax a Monarch onto
my hand while it was drying it's wings after a rainshower last
year. While staying at Esalen on Big Sur a few years back, hundreds
of thousands Monarchs blanketed the trees and bushes on the
grounds. It was quite the breathtaking scene to be greeted with
upon arrival!

I am in Zone 11.So talk about challenging gardening!Extreme sub
tropic sun; Wind/salt spray too.1 foot above sea leve,so not much
dirt. I have found the Red/Orange Swamp milkweed(Asclepias
tuberosa) , and showy Golden Milkweed (Asclepias Speciosa), to
prosper and and reseed itself sufficiently. But the most
outstanding Milkweed for the south is the African Milkweed/ Giant
Milkweed Tree Crown Flower (Calotropis Gigantea).The Monarch's
we're dripping off of all of these, here last Sept. Can't wait to
see them again.I have 2 milkweed butterflies that are local; The
"Queen" & "the "Viceroy".I also plant "host" plants for our
local butterflies (Cloudless Yellow Sulphur's/Orange Barred
Sulphurs) too. Cassia's/Senna are great for this area.As well as
re-incorporating "native" plants&trees.Glad to see that others
are thinking about my favorite butterly, "The Monarch" Ebay is a
wonderful source for these seeds;and info for planting in "your
zone".Happy Butterfly Gardening to all!

I love these articles but it would be nice to see the zones each
plant will tolerate listed in the plant description - it is very
time consuming to look up each and every plant that is in the
"Butterfly kit" just to determine if I can plant it in my
zone...Colorado, especially Northern Colorado (zone 3 or 4), is not
very "plant-friendly" and it is often difficult to find bird and
butterfly plants that will tolerate more than one growing
season.

We are an Organic Oasis of 16.5acres in the midst of big farmers
who farm with chemicals and no till planting practices. We have
several paddocks of mixed pasture plants and only spread composted
manures on them. The mixtures contain plants that are food plants
for numerous butterflyies and other beneficial insects. We live in
an old Burr Oak Grove with a creek flowing below the yard and
through the woods. We have lots of birds and have numerous beds of
mixed herbs and flowers that also attract butterflies. We have a
300ft row of comfrey in the 2acre bottom field and have planted it
at the base of each fruit tree. It is covered with bumblebees and
butterflies this time of year when the pink blooms are open. We
have had adequate rainfall for the firt time in several years this
spring and despite a damaging week at Easter of killing freezes
things look remarkably well recovered and abundant. There will be
no tree fruit and berries will be limited but overall things are
looking wonderful.In the fall the Monarchs usually make our small
place one of their stopovers due to the water and fall blooming
asters and other composite flowers. They rest in the large Burr Oak
trees overnight and continue on their way.