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Butterflies pollinate flowers and other plants, so they help your garden grow as they migrate south.
If you live along the I-35 corridor south of Austin, Texas, you have likely noticed the many clouds of American snout-nosed butterflies flying towards the Rio Grande Valley. Weeks of intermittent rain following a long drought led to a boom in their population, and now they’re making their way south, seeking areas with abundant hackberry plants — their food of choice. As the butterflies make their way south, gardeners can rejoice.
How do butterflies help a garden grow?
While bees wear the crown in the pollinating world, butterflies do their fair share of pollination. A butterfly’s body isn’t designed to carry pollen like a bees’ body is, but the near-constant fluttering from flower to flower does the job over time. Their keen eyesight allows them to hone in on their food by following ultraviolet colors.
Why is pollination important?
Pollination is necessary for the majority of plants to reproduce. Whether that pollination occurs due to hardworking bees, a windy day or the help of a butterfly migration, our agricultural system relies on pollination to help produce fruits and vegetables.
If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, try planting flowers, such as daisies and bluebonnets, that provide both food and somewhere for them to lay their eggs.
More butterflies will pollinate soon
A similar migration will soon take place on a larger scale when Monarch butterflies make their annual trip to central Mexico for the winter. As you admire the kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering by your car window in five o’clock traffic, you can smile knowing that those hungry little beauties will also be helping to pollinate your garden as they travel south.