Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to make sure that this publication by University of Florida was made easily available to everyone. It is hands down one of the most useful resources in helping you plan a butterfly garden. Not only does it give you the basics needed for planning, but it also helps you know the types of plants needed. Such as plants for food, plants for cover, and plants that host caterpillars. Then it goes a step further and lists all the butterflies BY SPECIES and then lists their host plants.

So, if you wanted to target a specific butterfly species, you can go to this PDF, search the butterfly you want, and find the corresponding host plant. Be sure to check the zone, to make sure that the butterfly you are trying to attract is active in your area. Central Florida is mostly zone 3 with some areas potentially dipping into zone 4.

As if that wasn't already enough, the table even shows the active times of year for each butterfly. It also lists brief descriptions of their native habitats, and will list adult food sources which frequently just say "flower nectar". Got it. I have no problem with the adult food sources!

So download this pdf on your computer, phone, tablet, and print a copy. I like keeping it digital so I can use the "find in page" feature helping me quickly find the butterfly species I am searching for. Thanks UF! But Go Vols!