How to Create a Butterfly Garden above 7,500′

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.

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

Table 1: Annuals

TYPE KEY: N – Nectar H – Host (caterpillar friendly) B – Both
*start indoors or buy flats.
**these herbs may not winter-over and would need to be re-planted each year.

Botanical Name	Common Name	Type	Color	Comments
Lobularia maritima	Alyssum	Nectar & Host	White	Fragrant
Cosmos bipinnatus	Cosmos	Nectar	Various pink	Put in hot location
Gomphrena globosa	Globe Amaranth*	Nectar	Varies	Put in hot location
Heliotropium arborescens	Heliotrope*	Nectar	Purple or white	Grow in a pot and bring indoors for winter
Lantana spp.	Lantana	Nectar	Multi	Put in hot location
Tagetes spp	Marigold*	Nectar	Usually yellow	Flowers edible
Nasturtium spp	Nasturtium	Nectar	Varies	Put in hot, well drained area with relatively poor soil
Borago officinalis	Starflower, Borage*	Nectar	Blue/pink	Flowers edible
Salvia spp.	Salvia*	Nectar	Blue, pink, red	Also good to attract hummingbirds
Helianthus annuus	Sunflower	Nectar	Yellow	Seeds feed songbirds
Verbena spp.	Verbena*	Nectar	Varies	Put in hot location
Viola spp	Violet,pansy	Nectar	Varies	Blooms all summer
Zinnia spp	Zinnia	Nectar	Varies	Buy as a plant

Table 2: Perennials

Botanical Name	Common Name	Type	Color	Comments
Achillea lanulosa	Yarrow	Nectar	Various	Native. Dry locations. Fern-like foliage. Easy to grow. Full sun. Long blooming. A. millefolium also can work well, but can be aggressive.- various colors.
Allium spp	Chive, Wild onion	Nectar	Pink	A. cernuum and A. geyeri are native. Good in rock gardens.
Anaphalis margaritacea	Pearly everlasting	Nectar	White	Native. Good dried flower.
Aster spp.	Asters	Nectar	Various	Many natives
Cirsium spp.	Native thistles	Nectar	White to pink	Native thistles such as C. centaurae and C. undulatum provide nectar for butterflies and seeds for birds.
Coreopsis spp.	Tickseed	Nectar	Yellow, pink	Long blooming, xeric, tolerant of poor soils. Needs heat to bloom.
Dianthus barbatus*	Sweet William	Nectar	Pink, red, white	Forms low, colorful mats at higher elevations. Biennial.
Dianthus plumarius	Cottage Pink	Nectar	Pink, red, white	Blue-green foliage forms dense grass-like mats. Lovely, long blooming and fragrant.
Echinacea purpurea	Purple Coneflower	Nectar	Purple	In areas with early fall frost, these might not bloom. Plant in a warm microclimate.
Eriogonum umbellatum	Sulphur flower	Nectar & Host	Yellow	Good ground cover
Erigeron spp.	Fleabane or daisy	Nectar	Usually blues	Native
Erysimum capitatum	Wallflower	Nectar	Orange-yellow	Native. Biennial. Fragrant. Reseeds readily.
Gaillardia spp	Blanket Flower	Nectar	Yellow-red	G. aristata is a native. Start seed indoors for flowers first year or buy plant. Easy. Long blooming.
Lavandula**	Lavender	Nectar	Purple	Non-native. Lavender needs heat – plant against south wall. ‘Munstead’ seems to be the most hardy.
Linum lewisii	Blue Flax	Host	Blue	Native. Erect, branchy plant, some bush-like. Avoid European L. perenne, – too much potential to escape into natural areas.
Lupinus argenteus	Silver Lupine	Nectar & Host	Blue	Native. Very hardy. Grows on poor soils.
Lychnis chalcedonia	Maltese Cross	Nectar	Scarlet, pink, white	Striking when in bloom. Blooms mid-August above 9,000 feet. Also attracts hummingbirds.
Mentha spp.	Mint	Nectar	Green	M. arvensis is native, others work well. Can be aggressive – contain with a buried pot.
Mertensia lanceolata	Bluebells	Nectar	Blue	Early blooming, is smaller and requires less water than its cousin, M. ciliata. Hard to find.
Monarda spp.	Bee Balm	Nectar	Red, pink, purplish	M. fistulosa is native. Others also do well. Loved by hummingbirds. Prefers full sun to part shade, enriched soil and moisture.
Nepeta spp.	Catmint	Nectar	Blue-purple	Long blooming, xeric, tolerates poor soils.
Penstemon spp.	Beardtongue	Nectar	Red and blue	Natives: P. linaroides, P. pinifolius, P. procumbens, P. strictus, P. virens, P virgatus, loved by hummingbirds as well.
Phlox paniculata	Perennial Phlox	Nectar	Pink, white, purple	Flowers mid- to late summer above 9,000 feet. Needs enriched soil.
Phlox subulata	Creeping Phlox	Nectar	Pink, white, purple	Great rock garden plant. Likes full sun. Protect from winter winds.
Rudbeckia hirta	Black-Eyed Susan	Nectar	Yellow with black center	The native plant is very hardy. Late blooming. Can be short lived, even act as a biennial but reseeds readily. Some cultivars are hardy as well.
Salvia	Sage	Nectar	Various	Salvia nemorosa is one of hardiest.
Scabiosa	Pincushion Flower	Nectar	Blue or white	Long blooming flowers, very tough and xeric.
Sedum acre	Goldmoss Stonecrop	Nectar	Yellow	Forms bright green, low mat of fleshy foliage. Use in rocky areas
Sedum spurium	Two-row Stonecrop	Nectar	Pink	Variety “Dragon’s Blood.” Has rose-pink flowers. A good rock-Garden plant. Can overgrow bounds.
Solidago spp.	Goldenrod	Nectar	Yellow	Doesn’t cause allergies, as many people think
Thymus**	Thyme	Nectar	Pink, white	Mat forming plants.
Veronica	Speedwell	Nectar	Blue, white, pink	Often a creeping groundcover. Most species do very well, but check for hardiness zones.
Viguiera multiflora	Showy goldeneye, sunspots	Nectar	Yellow	Many small flowers – grows in poor soil, full sun

Table 3: Shrubs

Botanical Name	Common Name	Type	Color	Comments
Ceanothus spp.	Mountain lilac	Nectar	White	Small bush
Chrysothamnus nauseousus	Rabbitbrush	Nectar	Yellow	Flowers late in fall
Mahonia repens	Oregon grape	Nectar	Yellow	Great groundcover – blue berries attract birds
Sorbus scopulina	Ash	Nectar & Host	White	Orange berries provide food for songbirds
Prunus virginiana	Chokecherry	Nectar & Host	White	Black berries provide food for songbirds
Rosa woodsii	Mountain Rose	Nectar	Pink	Red rose hips provide late-winter food for birds
Rubus ideaus	Raspberry	Nectar	White	Needs regular moisture to produce raspberries
Salix spp.	Willow	Nectar		Needs moisture