How to attract butterflies to your garden

Butterflies are a sight to behold when they visit our gardens, often paying a fleeting, fluttering visit! But, if you’d like them to stay a little bit longer or visit in the first place, here’s how you can attract butterflies to your garden.

Sow / plant their favourite food

Butterflies adore nectar-rich wildflowers, so by planting these in your garden, you can hope to attract a few to feast! We’ve made a list of some of their favourite flowers, such as Birdsfoot Trefoil, Purple Coneflower and more, that can all be found in our Hi Butterfly wildflower mix.

It’s important to provide a diverse range of flora that blooms throughout the year to catch butterflies emerging at different times. The Butterfly Conservation Trust have a comprehensive list of plants and wildflowers that flower at different times. With this in mind, having a food source for caterpillars will also encourage them to stick around as adult butterflies! Aside from this, you may wish to research the kind of butterflies that are local to your area and planting some of their favourite food plants.

… in their favourite spots!

Once you’ve decided to sow or grow some food for butterflies, it’s important to pick the right spot. Just like us, butterflies are fond of a little sunbathing, so plant your seeds in a sunny spot. They also need room to spread their wings, so ensure it is not in a cramped or closed area.

Leave out ripe fruit

Ripe or rotten fruit is a firm favourite of butterflies for a much-needed sugar high. Apples, pears and berries will go down a treat but make sure they are ripe, as butterflies cannot consume hard fruit. Leave these out on a dish in their favourite sunny open area and watch them fill up and flutter off!