Attracting butterflies to your garden

An Australian Painted Lady butterfly (orange and black) perched on a plant with small purple flowers

Butterflies are a beautiful visitor to any garden. They will travel far in search of nectar-producing plants for food and host plants to lay their eggs on.

Don’t be too concerned about the resulting caterpillars as they are not destructive. Native caterpillars only eat 1-2 leaves each and won’t harm your garden.

Habitat tips

  • Plant a wide range of host plants, especially native grasses, for different butterflies to lay their eggs 
  • Plant lots of flat open, nectar-producing flowers particularly purple, cream and yellow coloured flowers
  • Plant lots of different species of flowering plants to provide nectar across the year
  • Include a flat rock or paving for butterflies to bask in the morning sun

Threats

  • Insecticides
  • Lack of habitat
  • Lack of flowering plants
  • Lack of native grass host plants

Watch our butterfly gardening video below to learn more.

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