Attracting Butterflies to Your Wimberley Garden: Butterfly Gardening Resources for the Central Texas Hill Country

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BUTTERFLY
GARDENING

in
Wimberley and the
Central Texas
Hill Country

Information, Links and Resources

Wimberley is centered in migrating paths for the fabulous Monarch butterflies as well as the Central Flyway for migrating birds. The diminishing natural diversity of plants native to the Central Texas Hill Country invites a wide variety of insect life, some exotic, all fascinating.

Butterflies are among the most attractive of these visitors, and both gardeners and non-gardeners alike can attract these lovely creatures to yards and fields. All it takes is a little knowledge and forethought to create an area where nature provides the entertainment.

Below are suggested resources for beginners and experienced gardeners for the delightful art of Butterfly Gardening.

» Attracting Butterflies to the Garden	Explore the steps involved in planning a butterfly garden. Lots of photos of butterflies at various stages of life. Colorado State University.
» Butterflies and Larval Food Plants	Nice chart by the University of California.
» Butterfly Plant List	A 32-page list of butterfly plants and the species they attract. (PDF document, 216k)
» The Butterfly Garden	A forum for the discussion of plants that both attract and provide habitat for butterflies.
» The Butterfly Gardeners Association	Moved by the visible decline of butterfly populations worldwide, members plant butterfly gardens and promote education and action to help regenerate these gorgeous creatures.
» Butterfly Gardening and Conservation	This site has information and pictures about butterflies and butterfly gardening.
» Butterfly Gardening in Containers	Short article for those of us who like to garden in deer-protected containers, from the Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
» Caterpillar Host Plant Database	A massive database provided by the London Natural History Museum. This site is an extremely useful resource, but requires patience in searching. Most easily used if you have the scientific names of your query handy.
» Gardening for Butterflies	Nice introduction to butterfly gardening, includes butterfly and larval food plant lists.
» Butterfly Gardening	Brief introduction to butterfly gardening.
» How to Create Your Own Butterfly Garden	The Smithsonian Institute's take on the subject. Nice resources.
» How to Make Butterfly Gardens	Recommended for the useful photographs and thorough exploration of butterfly nectar preferences and larval food plants.
» Larval Food Plants	Huge index sorted by plant type from a Norwegian site...but don't worry, it's all in English!
» MonarchWatch Host Plants » MonarchWatch Nectar Sources	Chart of butterfly caterpillars and their preferred host plants. Chart of nectar sources to attract butterflies to your garden.
» Natural Gardener in Austin	Tour this butterfly garden online, and check it out for real in South Austin, handy for Hill Country gardeners.