All about butterflies

Butterflies are beautiful, fascinating, and underappreciated garden residents. A flash of orange from the wings of a Monarch butterfly fluttering between plants is an iconic and timeless sight. These tiny insects also undertake one of the most incredible journeys in the animal kingdom: every year, they fly up to 3,000 miles on their annual migration. This process takes 4 butterfly life cycles: the ones who start the journey are the great-grandparents of the ones who finish it. 

Of course, butterflies also play an important role in the ecosystem. They are pollinators, transferring pollen from plant to plant and allowing those plants to reproduce. Butterfly caterpillars also provide an important food source for baby birds: more than 90% of a chick's diet consists of caterpillars.

Unfortunately, butterfly populations across North America are collapsing due to habitat loss and insecticide use. Planting a pollinator garden is one small, easy step you can take to help reverse this trend.