How to Create a Butterfly Garden above 7,500′

Leslee T. Alexander, Mountain Master Gardener, Gilpin County, October 2006

Alpine environments above 7,500′ provide a great opportunity to attract butterflies to the garden. A backyard filled with native plants reflects the natural beauty found in most mountain communities. Sites designed for wildlife are attractive and easy to maintain, freeing time to enjoy the blooms and the butterflies.

The design of a butterfly garden is quite simple. A garden with windbreaks, nectar laden flowers, leafy plants and puddles of water draws butterflies in and then continues to satisfy their needs throughout the entire life cycle. Butterflies depend on plants for shelter and food their entire lives, from their nascent stage as an egg to the crawling caterpillar larvae, and then onto the chrysalis or pupa, which in turn metamorphoses into the final stage as the adult butterfly.

The chosen site may have some facets of a wildlife garden already, or it may be an empty space, barren backfill from recent construction (although the soil will probably have to be amended). Look around: take note of the sunny areas. Sun encourages flowers to bloom, and sun-warmed rocks are havens for butterflies, which warm their wings before flying. Determine where water naturally pools. Butterflies like to gather in salty pools. Offer shelter from the sun, wind and rain with decaying logs or even better yet, erect a butterfly house.

Grow organically. Do not use pesticides. The idea is attract the butterflies and encourage them to lay eggs. Caterpillars eat the plants and will die if they eat pesticides. Most caterpillars are specific about the plants they feed on, and female butterflies will only lay their eggs on the caterpillar food plant.

Before planting, amend the soil with two inches of compost, till it in six inches. The plants should be mulched, and it is good to fertilize in the fall and the spring.

There are plants that work great at elevation, and plants that attract butterflies. The goal is to find which combination of these plants works best. Use plants and shrubs that bloom at different times of the season. Arrange the plants in groups; large clusters of flowers are easier for the butterflies to locate. Arrange the plants by color and height. Allow space for annuals, biennials and perennials. Keep track of the garden to determine which plants draw butterflies.

Table 1 is a List of Suggested Butterfly Garden Plants for the Mountains above 7,500′. It is a list of annuals, shrubs and perennials that not only attract butterflies but are also recommended by Mountain Master Gardeners (MMG) as plants that do well in gardens 7,500′ and above. If the table suggests to site a plant in a hot location, your best bet is to place it near a south facing wall of your house. The reflected heat and protection from north winds will help the plant to thrive.

For tips on gardening at elevation, check out some of the other Mountain Master Gardener articles: Making the Most out of Mountain Soils, Mountain Microclimates and Why Go Native. Mountain living demands a new approach to gardening. Our landscapes are rocky. Water is scarce. The season is short. Nonetheless, the beauty of aspen leaves fluttering above boldly-colored wildflowers entices and encourages gardeners and butterflies back each year. We have all had our days trying to keep the critters out, so consider nurturing a space to draw them in.

Table 1. List of Suggested Butterfly Garden Plants for the Mountains Sources: The Butterfly Pavilion and Colorado Master Gardeners

TYPE KEY: N – Nectar H – Host (caterpillar friendly) B – Both

Annuals

*start indoors or buy flats.

**these herbs may not winter-over and would need to be re-planted each year.

Perennials

Shrubs