Tennessee Butterfly Garden, Making Wise Plant Choices for your space

When selecting plants that are attracted to butterflies there are several considerations to keep in mind.

• Soil Condition

Your local extension office has soil sample kits that you take home, take several soil samples, and place in the box they provide you.  They will test the soil and make recommendations to soil amendments you may want to consider.  We followed our own advise and took a soil to the Williamson County Extension office to have it tested.

• Plant size when mature

The Tennessee state Butterfly is the Zebra Swallowtail

It is also known as the Paw Paw Butterfly, because this butterfly LOVES the Paw Paw Tree

The Paw Paw Tree   (Asima trilba) will reach a width and height of 30'x30'  Because our space is small, we want to have a variety of plants instead of just one huge tree.  This is where planning, design, and knowledge of your ZONE is vital!

• Which "Plant Zone Hardiness"" is your garden going to be in?  The winter of 2014 was brutal across the US.  Knowing your plant hardiness will be a good investment in your garden's future!

• Sunlight required for your plants

• Watering to keep plants healthy

• Herbicide choices.  Many herbicides are harmful to our insects that are pollinators!  Please be careful not to use herbicides, as that is endangering our butterflies, and honeybees. Honey bees make especially good and efficient pollinators.