For years, I grew flowers for one reason. They were pretty! Years later, I went to a presentation at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks on butterfly gardening. I learned that butterflies prefer certain flowers to lay their eggs on and need other flowers for food.

I decided to revamp my garden using native plants and other specific plants to bring in the swallowtail and monarch butterflies. Over the years, I have gradually added more butterfly-friendly plants and registered my garden as a certified monarch waystation. It brings me great satisfaction to see so many butterflies visit my garden. Nature is so amazing and I enjoy raising these caterpillars to butterflies. I hope you will consider adding some of these plants to your garden, too. READ MORE…