"Butterflies can be attracted to your garden by providing suitable flowers from which they can obtain nectar. Most butterflies can utilize a wide variety of flowers, including those of many cultivated varieties, as nectar sources. However, a more critical need is for the plants which provide food for the larval (caterpillar) stages, and most species will accept only one or a few species of plants at this stage...Although the caterpillars will feed on the leaves of these plants, the damage is usually minor and only temporary."
So all those articles and books about attracting butterflies to your garden? I think they cleverly forget to mention that you will also probably be attracting caterpillars to eat your garden. Which is good. Yes?
This reminds me of a childhood event of terror involving caterpillars falling from the sky....more on this later.
Posted by briggs at November 22, 2002 6:04 PM