Student Article
Creating a Butterfly-Friendly Garden: Essential Caterpillar Food Plants
Caterpillar (noun): The baby form of a butterfly.
Munching (verb): Eating something, usually in a noisy way.
Butterflies are beautiful, and you can help them by planting food for their caterpillars. Some butterflies need special plants to lay their eggs and feed their babies.
Nettles: a caterpillar favorite
Nettles are great for butterflies like the peacock and small tortoiseshell. You can let them grow in a sunny spot, and soon you'll see caterpillars munching on their leaves.
Pretty flowers with a purpose
Plant pretty cuckoo flowers near a pond and you might attract orange-tip butterflies. You can also grow hops, ivy, and holly for other types of butterflies.
Let the grass grow
Let grass grow tall and avoid cutting them in fall so caterpillars can live safely. Make sure you don’t use bug sprays or fertilizers that could hurt the butterflies.
Small spaces, big help!
You don’t need a big garden to help butterflies. Even a small balcony or a window sill can be a place where butterflies find food.
© Kate Bradbury / Our Media
Caterpillar (noun): The baby form of a butterfly.
Munching (verb): Eating something, usually in a noisy way.