When defining your open space, use bold lines.
Planning and planting a new garden can be nerve-wracking, especially for those who feel that their plant knowledge is limited. However, it is not as daunting as it may seem, as design is a logical process and it is relatively easy to learn about the plants that will attract butterflies to your garden.
The objective of garden design is to connect the home with the garden to create a harmonious and exciting environment. Design principles are not meant to be restrictive but rather to offer a logical step-by-step process that draws all the essential elements together.
Open spaces: Garden design is as much about defining the open spaces – the lawn area, patio and pathways – as it is about opening up areas for planting. Once the open areas have been clearly defined, the space that remains is for planting.
The shape of the open area should be as simple as possible – the less fussy, the more striking it will be, as the eye appreciates simple geometric shapes.
Although geometric lines are often associated with formal gardens, many great gardens around the world that are constructed with straight lines and perfect circles nevertheless overflow with informal, heady displays of herbaceous plants.
In general, squares and rectangles work best in small spaces, while curved, flowing lines are better suited to large gardens. You will see examples of this in Chapter 5.
Planting spaces: If you have a medium to large garden, be generous with your planting areas and avoid narrow slivers of garden bed as this will restrict your plant selection.
Although large beds will not work in a small garden, it is still possible to allocate space to plants that will offer food for larvae or nectar for adult butterflies.
When defining your open space, use bold lines.
A balance between vertical and horizontal elements enhances the design.
It is important to choose vertical and horizontal elements for the garden that will balance one another. Horizontal elements include lawn or hard surfaces, any flat body of water, benches and low-growing plants; vertical elements include trees and other slender form plants, trellises, screens and garden ornaments. If there is an imbalance between these elements, this can usually be rectified with some careful planning
Everyone has their personal preference when it comes to colour. Some enjoy the muted tones of pink, mauve, violet and blue, while others may prefer a super-charged palette of bright yellow, orange, vermillion and red.
Surprisingly, colour choice isn’t generally important when planning a butterfly garden, as most butterflies show no colour preference. Swallowtails and some of the ‘browns’ are exceptions, being extremely fond of bright red flowers. Butterflies tend to be attracted more to the nectar of the plant than to the colour, and certain plants have nectar that is particularly appealing to them (these are indicated in the plant lists later in this chapter). The colour scheme can therefore be chosen to suit the taste of the gardener. Even white flowers can be very attractive to butterflies.
Single colour scheme gardens can create visual impact while still attracting butterflies and moths.
There is no end to the many textures in the plant kingdom and clever combinations make for an exciting garden.
A butterfly garden will undoubtedly tend towards a mix of striking form plants, interesting succulents and textured foliage plants. A smorgasbord of larval and nectar plants will ensure that butterflies stay in your garden, rather than just pass through.
The combination of fine grasses, aloes and feathery foliage creates interest in this garden.
Texture seldom features as readily as colour on the gardener’s plant-research spreadsheet and perhaps it should: naming the textures may help you visualise the plant – strappy leaves, furry leaves, paper-like flowers, bell-shaped flowers, and so on.
Several elements are key to attracting butterflies to your garden:
Rocks: Butterflies are cold-blooded and need to warm themselves in the morning in order to be able to fly. A brick or dry rock retaining wall or a single rock in the garden will provide them with a warm surface on which to settle; it must, of course, be in a position to catch the morning sun.
This Garden Inspector is toasting himself on both sides: the sun is warming his upper side and the rock he’s sitting on, his underparts.
Mud patch: Butterflies derive moisture and essential minerals from mud, so try to include a small mud patch in a semi-shaded area. This can be constructed quite simply by hollowing out an area of earth and lining it with a heavy-duty sheet of plastic. Replace the soil on the plastic, trim the edges or place some small river boulders around the circumference to hide the plastic. Remember to keep the soil damp in order to attract butterflies.
These Broad-bordered Grass Yellow males are drinking salt-laden mud where animals have trampled and urinated. A similar effect can be achieved in the garden by sprinkling bone meal over mud or wet sand.
This garden pond margin will attract butterflies, as they will drink from the wet mud.
Shelter: If you wish to have butterflies laying eggs in your garden, enabling their larvae to feed on your plants, it is important to build up layers of foliage that will shelter them from strong winds that could dislodge them from plants.
Cotyledons are good nectar plants and also provide larval food for some butterflies.
This garden’s structure provides shelter from the prevailing wind and creates various strata with diverse textures and surfaces that will suit a range of butterfly behaviour.
Strata variation: Butterflies operate at different levels, perching on treetops, skimming across the tips of grasses, and feeding off nectar plants right down to ground level. A good butterfly garden should contain a selection of trees, shrubs, perennials, low-growing annuals, ground covers and grasses.
The plant kingdom is extensive and can prove to be a veritable maze for the novice gardener. As a starting point for your garden, we have grouped together some of the better-known butterfly plants according to their size and form. There are many more than the selection shown, and we hope that, as your interest in butterfly gardening grows, you will discover them for yourself.
In any region there are generalist butterflies that occur throughout, as well as specialist butterflies that are found only in specific areas or biomes. Some biomes have more species of butterfly and moth than others, but even if you reside in a biome with fewer species, it is worth planning and planting your garden to attract as many as possible; and by attracting insects, you will also attract insectivorous birds. You can obtain a list of butterflies for your area from the local branch of the Lepidopterists’ Society.
The listed plants (pp.140–153) are predominantly either larval host plants (H) or nectar plants (N) for adults, and there’s also a good mix of those that attract both stages, labelled (H/N).
An asterisk* denotes exotic species.
Trees are the backbone of any garden. They provide shade, nectar, fruit and seed for a host of insects and other wildlife, as well as leaf litter to protect the soil. Trees also provide perches and nesting sites for birds.
Butterflies are attracted to both the flowers (nectar for adults) and foliage (larval food) of a variety of species. Trees also provide vantage points on which the males of territorial species, such as Natal Bar (Cigaritis natalensis), can perch and survey their domain. Such species often prefer trees with shiny leaves or leaves with white undersides. Some butterflies are happy with isolated trees, whereas others such as Satyr Charaxes (Charaxes ethalion ethalion) prefer a forest canopy.
Many of the top garden butterflies’ caterpillars feed on tree foliage. One of the best-known is the Garden Acraea (Acraea horta), whose caterpillars regularly defoliate the Wild Peach (Kiggelaria africana). Its close relative does the same to the African Dog-rose (Xylotheca kraussiana). Common Fig-tree Blue (Myrina silenus ficedula) occurs where figs grow, and swallowtails’ larvae feed on the White Ironwood (Vepris lanceolata) and Cape Chestnut (Calodendrum capense) as well as other species in the family Rutaceae, which includes Citrus cultivars and Curry-leaf tree (Murraya koenigii*).
Natal Flat-crown (Albizia adianthifolia) planted alone makes a good specimen tree, but also adds character when it forms part of a multi-species canopy. Umzimbeet (Millettia grandis) has lovely foliage, and its showy flowers provide lots of nectar for butterflies. In addition, it is a host plant for some specialist butterfly species. Weeping Wattle (Peltophorum africanum) is a good nectar plant for Highveld and bushveld gardens. It has attractive feathery leaves, carries copious yellow blossoms and grows to form a handsome spreading tree.
Umdoni (Syzygium cordatum) is a great tree to plant near water in warmer areas, although it also thrives in a general forest area. A handsome tree, its shiny leaves are host to a number of specialist moths and butterflies, and the flowers are generally a magnet to insects. Mahoganies (Trichilia spp.) are stately trees that give a park-like feel to large gardens, or provide a dense screen of privacy-enhancing foliage. Their sweet-scented blossoms are surprisingly tolerant of cold. They have been planted in many South African towns a long way from their subtropical home range. Their shiny foliage is popular with canopy-perching butterflies such as Sapphires.
The showy tubular red flowers of the Wild Pomegranate (Burchellia bubalina) are particularly loved by Swallowtail butterflies. Another plant popular with Swallowtails is Natal Flame Bush (Alberta magna), a rare plant of the Afro-temperate forests in the mist belt, which is becoming available from nurserymen. Pompon-tree (Dais cotinifolia) is found naturally on forest margins, where its pretty pink pom-pom flowers attract butterflies – again, Swallowtail butterflies love this plant.
Dune Soap-berry (Deinbollia oblongifolia) is a vital nectar plant for coastal and lowveld gardens. It flowers in late summer and autumn when butterflies and day-flying moths are at peak numbers. The flowers are followed by copious berries, which are relished by birds as well as by several species of butterfly (the Playboys), whose larvae feed on the stones of the berries.
Umbrella Thorn (Vachellia tortilis) is perhaps the most iconic African veld tree. It tolerates a range of conditions, including extreme aridity, so is a good tree for dry area gardens; but it can also be grown in the moister conditions of the east coastal belt, and, when full-grown, throws an attractive dappled shade. The flowers are nectar-rich, and several species of Blue butterflies’ larvae use it as host plant. When allowed to grow in the open these trees have the well-known ‘African flat-topped tree’ shape.
The genus Dombeya has some of the most beautiful medium-sized trees. Silver Dombeya (Dombeya pulchra) is host to several moth species and its flowers are a good nectar source. It likes cool conditions with fairly high rainfall. Other members of the genus are frost and drought resistant.
Natal Lavender (Heteropyxis natalensis) is a powerful nectar tree. It is found across KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as far as the lower altitude areas of Gauteng. Like Natal Lavender and Dune Soap-berry, Forest Elder (Nuxia floribunda) is a top butterfly attractant. Brides-bushes (Pavetta spp.) are valuable small trees, which may be planted alone or at the forest edge. Hawkmoths and larger butterflies find them irresistible.
Recommended trees
Large (can be grown as a specimen tree or grouped in a forest setting)
Medium (can be used as specimen trees in small gardens, or to create arenas or divide up areas in large ones)
Small
Trees suited to forest margins (partial sun/shade)
Eastern Scarlet food plant Paperbark Thorn (Vachellia siebieriana)
Umbrella Thorn (Vachellia tortilis) flowers
Umzimbeet (Millettia grandis) nectar plant tree
Peach Moth host plant Dune Soap-berry (Deinbollia oblongifolia) flowers
Wild Pomegranate (Burchellia bubalina)
Weeping Wattle (Peltophorum africanum) flowers
Natal Lavender (Heteropyxis natalensis) flowers
Dune Soap-berry (Deinbollia oblongifolia) flowers
Silver Dombeya (Dombeya pulchra) flowers
Forest Elder (Nuxia floribunda)
Silver Dombeya (Dombeya pulchra) plant
Lowveld Tree Vernonia (Gymnanthemum coloratum) with butterfly activity
Natal Flame Bush (Alberta magna)
Pompon-tree (Dais cotinifolia)
Weeping Bride’s-bush (Pavetta lanceolata)
Shrubs retain much of their basal growth, which is ideal when you want to create visual depth in the garden and also privacy for your home. Some shrubs grow tall – up to 4m – and can be pruned to form lovely ‘small’ trees if some of the basal growth is removed when the plant is still young, to allow for movement around the plant and the inclusion of other plants.
Lowveld Tree Vernonia (Gymnanthemum coloratum) is a powerful butterfly attractant. Its masses of late summer blossom can be like a popular bar in the coastal and lowveld areas.
A Chinese exotic Buddleja davidii is well-known as ‘Butterfly Bush’ in Europe and the US. It is grown here as well, but the indigenous Weeping Sage (Buddleja auriculata) is just as effective a butterfly magnet. It has the advantage of being sufficiently frost resistant to grow in Highveld gardens. White Climbing Sage (Buddleja dysophylla) is, like all in the genus, a hardy shrub. It tends to scramble unless planted alone and provides a welcome source of winter nectar as its flowering period is June to August.
Fever Tea (Lippia javanica) is a member of the Verbena family, and its resemblance to the invasive Verbena species is clear. It is a valuable garden herb, having beautifully scented leaves, and nectar-rich flowers. This shrub is extremely popular with butterflies and moths, and is another easy plant to grow in cold or arid areas. Smooth Tinderwood (Clerodendrum glabrum) is a must in all summer-rainfall butterfly gardens. When flowering, it rivals the highly invasive Cherry Pie (Lantana camara), which must be eradicated. Birds love the berries, and two species of butterfly, as well as several moths, use it as a larval host plant.
Broad-leafed Rattle-pod (Crotalaria pallida) belongs to a genus of handsome ‘pea-flower’ plants, that gives a display of showy flowers in summer to autumn. They are host plants for several Blue butterflies, and many moths. Puzzle Bush (Ehretia rigida) is a large shrub or multi-stemmed small tree, usually growing to 4m (but can reach 9m). It is frost and drought resistant and can be pruned into a shape. Butterflies such as Eastern Scarlets love it, and the orangered berries attract birds. Wild Dagga (Leonotis leonorus) is a tall nonwoody plant that can grow to 2m and is a good vertical element for herbaceous borders. The orange flowers are a magnet for sunbirds, as well as for many butterflies. There is also a white form.
September-bush (Polygala myrtifolia) is a good nectar plant as well as being host to the attractive and common garden butterfly, Pea Blue. Purple Broom (Polygala virgata) has slender, weeping stems and inflorescences that add delicacy to a herbaceous border.
Karoo Gold (Rhigozum obovatum) is perhaps the showiest plant native to the Nama karoo biome. Its acid-yellow flowers light up the grey veld in spring after the first rains, and attract many insects to their nectar. Pink Plume (Syncolostemon densiflorus) grows in most areas except those with really hard frosts. It is a good nectar plant for herbaceous borders. Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis) can be used as a stand-alone shrub, a scrambler over forest edges, or it can be trimmed into a hedge. It is a popular nectar plant, and is used by some Blues as a larval host plant.
Subshrubs are those species whose height is restricted to no more than 1m. These plants are great for adding some volume and interest to your flower beds and many of them such as Lavender (Lavandula* spp.) and the Ribbon Bush (Hypoestes aristata) attract a number of butterflies. White Ribbon Bush (H. forskaolii) has white to cream flowers and is just as useful. Everlasting (Helichrysum petiolare) is another great plant to bring butterflies to a garden.
Bush-violets (Barleria spp.) are hardy small shrubs that form a dense mat of stems, and flower vigorously all summer and into winter. Pansy butterfly larvae use these shrubs as food. Balloon Cottonbushes like Gomphocarpus fruticosus are host plants for the African Monarch butterfly, and add a graceful vertical element to herbaceous borders. They are short-lived and should be replaced regularly, or pruned back radically to encourage new growth.
Everlasting (Helichrysum petiolare) has beautiful silver leaves. The long-lived flowers are a good nectar source. Pink Mallow (Hibiscus pedunculatus) is a non-woody perennial that grows up to 2m tall and has delicate pink blooms that attract forest butterflies. It is best planted in mixed borders. Pink Mallow prefers warm, moist areas but can be grown in sheltered, sunny spots in Highveld gardens.
Another good group of plants is the Spurflowers (Plectranthus spp.). Zulu Spur-flower (Plectranthus zuluensis) is a great plant for difficult shady areas in summer-rainfall areas. It works well when mass planted with other forest-floor plants like Clivia and Crocosmia. Stoep Jacaranda (Plectranthus saccatus) is well named; it can be planted in containers or used to create a knee-high layer of vegetation in shady areas. Dark-blue Spur-flower (Plectranthus hereroensis) is a large semi-perennial herb that can tolerate semi-drought and is therefore a good choice for inland gardens. Like other Plectranthus species, its leaves are used by Commodore larvae.
Salvia sages are also very good butterfly plants. Scrappy African Sage (Salvia radula) is a wild Sage species from South Africa’s arid grasslands and the Karoo. It is the host plant of several Blue butterflies, and its leaves have the typical Sage fragrance.
There are many species of indigenous shrubs and subshrubs that enjoy partial to full shade, so you will never be stuck for choice.
Many shrubs have longer flowering periods than trees, which provides a prolonged nectar source for butterflies and other insects. This mid-range stratum is crucial for butterfly appreciation, because the insects are more likely to be at eye level when feeding on the nectar of these plants.
Of course the Lepidoptera do not consist only of what we traditionally call ‘butterflies’. Many moths are day-flying and are just as dependent on flower nectar as are their nocturnal relatives. Plants with strongly scented flowers, often white in colour, are usually pollinated by moths at night.
Zulu Spurflower (Plectranthus zuluensis)
Recommended shrubs and subshrubs
Shrubs (1m and taller)
Subshrubs (300–800mm)
Ribbon Bush (Hypoestes aristata)
Pink Mallow (Hibiscus pedunculatus) display
Scrappy African Sage (Salvia radula), host plant of Harpendyreus notobia
Smooth Tinderwood (Clerodendrum glabrum)
Eastern Scarlet male nectaring on Ehretia rigida
Karoo Gold (Rhigozum obovatum)
Balloon Cottonbush (Gomphocarpus fruticosus)
Bush Violet (Barleria obtusa)
Fever Tea (Lippia javanica) leaves and flowers
Broad-leafed Rattle-pod (Crotolaria pallida) flower
Wild Dagga (Leonotis leonurus)
Pod of Balloon Cottonbush (Gomphocarpus fruticosus)
Purple Broom (Polygala virgata)
Pink Mallow (Hibiscus pedunculatus)
Groundcovers will protect your soil from the ravages of both wind and sun and will also cover or ‘carpet’ the bare patches of soil that make a garden look incomplete. Groundcovers are extremely important for butterflies and moths, providing nectar as well as larval food for many species.
Some sun-loving groundcovers – especially in the succulent family – have vibrantly coloured flowers that will attract bees and butterflies with their delicious nectar, while those that grow in the shade have smaller flowers in paler shades.
Fairy Crassula (Crassula multicava) is an easy plant to grow and quickly covers bare areas. It is a good nectar plant as well as a host plant for Black-eyes. Kalanchoe decumbens, which lacks a common name, makes a great show in any flower bed. Butterflies love the nectar, and Black-eye larvae use it as a host plant.
In shaded areas, ground covers contribute to what is termed the ‘understorey’ (a mix of low-growing plants in a forest or woodland). The understorey provides a safe haven in which butterflies, moths and other small insects can shelter, move around and feed.
Many shade-loving butterflies lay their eggs on groundcovers, especially Phaulopsis imbricata, Dwarf Forest Grass (Pseudechinolaena polystachya) and Basket-grass (Oplismenus hirtellus), often found under the canopy of large trees. Yellow Justicia (Justicia flava) is a great flowering plant for shady areas in South Africa’s more arid zones. It is drought tolerant, dying back and returning when the rains return. Butterflies, especially Whites and Tips, love it – and it is a host plant for Pansy butterflies.
Vygies or Ice Plants (Delosperma spp.) are of great value to cold-climate gardens especially because they are frost and drought tolerant and are loved by butterflies and moths.
Silver Carpet (Dymondia margaretae) is a hardy ground cover which, like the closely related Gazania, is host plant for the Painted Lady butterfly.
Recommended groundcovers
Succulent groundcovers
Non-succulent groundcovers
Ornamental and forest grasses
Shade-loving/forest margin
Silver Carpet (Dymondia margaretae)
Kalanchoe decumbens
Kalanchoe decumbens in flowerbed
Whorled Spurflower (Plectranthus verticillatus)
Dwarf Forest Grass (Pseudechinolaena polystachya) with Speckled Spurflower (Plectranthus ciliatus)
Fairy Crassula (Crassula multicava)
Blue Pansy host plant Justicia flava
Dwarf Forest Grass (Pseudechinolaena polystachya)
Perennials will give you years of pleasure with their bright, showy flowers and lush foliage. They are an inexpensive option when starting a new garden as you can begin with a small number of specimens that will gradually multiply to the point where you can lift and divide the plants.
Perennials such as Agapanthus, Clivia and Tulbaghia spp. are just a few examples that can be used effectively to create a wonderful, eye-catching mass planting that will help to protect the soil and also add a sense of continuity to your design. Lily of the Nile, as Agapanthus is commonly called, forms a mass of delicate spherical flower heads. Large butterflies such as Swallowtails and the Table Mountain Beauty love these flowers. Bush Lilies (Clivia spp.) do best in shade.
As with other groups of plants, some perennials are nectar plants only whereas others provide food for adults and larvae. They include some of the very best nectar plants, such as Cape Scabious and Red-hot Pokers, so loved by the swallowtails and Table Mountain Beauty.
Abutilons are attractive plants with showy flowers. They are host plants for Skipper butterflies and their nectar is sought after by many insects. Wild Pentas (Conostomium natalense) grows commonly in cool high-altitude forests; it is a hardy nectar plant favoured by many butterflies, especially Swallowtails.
Pelargonium cucullatum, the Tree Pelargonium, is native to the sandy and rocky slopes of the Cape coast, and is one of the best indigenous flowers to plant in that area. It is the nectar plant for many Fynbos butterflies, and provides food for larvae of Geranium Bronze butterflies.
Barberton Daisies (Gerbera jamesonii) are not generally regarded as top-class nectar plants, but their red colour makes them popular with some butterfly species. They also add a splash of colour to semi-shade areas.
Mandarin Poker (Kniphofia triangularis) is one example of South Africa’s many indigenous Red-hot Pokers. The example shown here has attracted a Table Mountain Beauty. This is not a butterfly that frequents urban gardens, but it may be found in properties along the Drakensberg chain and, of course, near Cape Town’s Table Mountain.
Species of Scabious, such as Cape Scabious (Scabiosa africana) are among the best nectar flowers; a massed display of them can swarm with butterflies and day-flying moths.
A couple of exotics are worth mentioning. Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta urticifolia) is popular in butterfly ‘flight houses’, and can send butterflies into a frenzy. Care needs to be taken with this attractive exotic as it has the potential to become invasive. Everlasting Flower (Limonium perezii) (also known by its old scientific name of Statice) is another exotic perennial nectar plant.
Cape Scabious (Scabiosa africana) nectar flower
Mandarin Poker (Kniphofia triangularis) with Table Mountain Beauty
Popular perennials
Wild Pentas (Conostomium natalense)
Barberton Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus praecox)
Cape Scabious (Scabiosa africana) nectar flower
Quilted-leaf Vernonia (Vernonia hirsuta)
Bush Lily (Clivia miniata) in its ideal woodland setting
Bristly Snakeroot (Persicaria serrulata)
Everlasting Flower (Limonium perezii)
Gardening with annuals can be expensive because they complete their life cycle after flowering (except for hybrid species that can now last for a few seasons), and you need many to create a splash of colour.
However, some annuals such as Primula* (exotic), Nemesia and Dimorphotheca (indigenous) will seed themselves, ensuring repeat flowers in subsequent seasons.
Some annuals are larval food plants but most of them are purely nectar sources. Whether these are planted en masse as bedding plants, or concentrated in containers in a smaller garden, their flower bursts are a powerful butterfly attractant. In moist, forested areas, Mauve Impatiens (Impatiens hochstetteri) is enjoyed by Swallowtails and Hawk Moths. Small-fruit Bur (Triumfetta rhomboidea) has attractive yellow flowers and is the food plant for Yellow-banded Acraea and its relatives.
Fishbone Dwarf Cassia (Chamaecrista mimosoides) has attractive flowers and is the larval food plant for Grass Yellow butterflies.
Useful annuals
Impatiens hochstetteri and Laportea peduncularis
Mauve Impatiens (Impatiens hochstetteri) flowers
Bulbs and corms add an element of surprise when they surface from their seasonal dormancy and pop their new leaves out of the soil.
People often shy away from bulbs, as many are deciduous and disappear completely at the end of their flowering season. However, if you interplant your bulbs with delicate groundcovers that will not smother them completely, then your garden will not look bare and uninteresting when they’re dormant.
Like any nectar-producing plant, bulbs attract butterflies but few species are used as larval food. An exception – one of the few Lepidoptera that can be regarded as an utter menace – is the bulb-eating Amaryllis Moth, which lays masses of eggs on the leaves of most bulbous plants. Its larvae do tremendous damage, as they strip the leaves and burrow destructively into the actual bulb. The larvae are capable of destroying a garden full of carefully cultivated bulbs, as well as perennials such as Agapanthus and Clivia. However, it is essential to avoid the temptation to haul out the poison spray, as this will indiscriminately kill all insects in the area. Rather remove any egg masses or larvae, and drown them.
Blue Squill (Mervilla natalensis) is a great attractant for grassland butterflies. Broad-leaved Bulbine (Bulbine natalensis) is one example of a large group of useful nectar plants, many of which are tolerant of very cold or arid conditions; they form an important part of the flora of Namaqualand and the Highveld.
Falling Stars (Crocosmia aurea) – known as Monbretia overseas – attracts forest species. It is a good nectar plant that grows well in semi-shady places, but can also stand full sun. The flowers attract Swallowtails.
Recommended indigenous bulbs and corms
Falling Stars (Crocosmia aurea)
Broad-leaved Bulbine (Bulbine natalensis)
Falling Stars (Crocosmia aurea)
Pineapple Lily (Eucomis pallidiflora)
A ‘form’ plant is one that has a very definite shape that will add interest to your planting, either as a focal point or an element that, like a sculpture, will slow the eye as it takes in the landscape. Some examples are Strelitzias, Cycads, Palms, and Aloes, as well as certain grasses.
Several form plants, including the exotic Cycas revoluta and some indigenous species of Encephalartos, attract specialized moths such as Dimorphic Tiger and Leopard Magpie. These plants also attract several other species, some of which are very rare or endangered.
Encephalartos ferox is a handsome indigenous cycad that makes a great accent plant. Like all its relatives, it is susceptible to the attentions of Cycad Moths (p.116), whose larvae attack the leaves – particularly the fresh growth that cycad lovers prize. The damage these caterpillars cause is not permanent and the chance of the same plant being targeted more than once is slight.
The Large-leaved Dragon-tree (Dracaena aletriformis) is used as larval food by the large crepuscular butterfly, Artitropa erinnys erinnys, the Bush Night-fighter. The Wild Date-palm (Phoenix reclinata) is used by another evening flier, Palm-tree Night-fighter (Zophopetes dysmephila). This butterfly has used its food plant’s popularity as a public space accent plant to penetrate new areas of South Africa – as far away from its Lowveld home as the Western Cape. Bird of Paradise Flower (Strelitzia reginae) is a good accent plant, especially when planted with contrasting blue flowers. As with its relative Wild Banana (Strelitzia nicolai), it is host plant to the Strelitzia Night-fighter (Moltena fiara).
Aloes are neither nectar nor larval food plants but they can function as perching places for displaying butterflies. Aloe arborescens provides a dense stand of vegetation with red-orange or yellow flower spikes in winter. Aloe ferox is one of the best aloes to use as a feature plant with its majestic height, and is often used as a perching place by male butterflies.
Striking form plants
Krantz Aloe (Aloe arborescens)
Maputaland Cycad (Encephalartos ferox)
Bitter Aloe (Aloe ferox)
Bird of Paradise Flower (Strelitzia reginae)
It is wonderful to have a few plants that will either climb a structure or scramble gently into the canopy of a tree. A word of caution: avoid climbers such as ivy or the gorgeous ruby-red Virginia Creeper, which is almost impossible to remove from structures. Tickey Creeper (Ficus pumila) is loved by the Common Fig-tree Blue (Myrina silenus ficedula) but this plant is not suitable for walls that may require repainting or that are important structural walls, so use this plant wisely.
A climber is loosely classified as a plant that will climb structures or other plants using a sucker or twine to anchor itself. A scrambler, on the other hand, tends to grow through taller plants by resting on the host plant as it moves through the canopy to get to the light, and it does not affix itself to the plant. However, once the scrambler reaches the sunlight, it may become the dominant species and crowd out or even smother the support plant, so bear this in mind when choosing scramblers for your garden.
If managed correctly, a light scrambler like Traveller’s Joy (Clematis brachiata) or Thunbergia alata will effectively create a ‘petticoat’ around the trunk of the tree or structure against which it is growing, providing the perfect nesting habitat for small birds. Climbers can also act as a ‘step ladder’ to assist wildlife to move from one property to another.
Many important nectar and food plants are found in this category. When a climber forms a vertical carpet of flowers along a forest edge, it can offer unrivalled viewing opportunities. Leadwort (Plumbago auriculata) is a superb nectar source and attracts Zebra Blues (Leptotes spp.). Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis) is particularly impressive when planted together with Leadwort. The flowers’ colours are complementary and both are very popular with butterflies.
The pretty Cat’s Whiskers (Clerodendrum glabrum) has few equals as a nectar plant, and is a good substitue for the exotic and highly invasive Lantana camara. Its foliage is used by the lovely Natal Bar (Cigaritis natalensis).
Caper-bushes (Capparis spp.) attract Belenois and Dixeia Whites – the butterflies to the flowers, and the caterpillars to the leaves. Wild Caper-bush (Capparis tomentosa) is a scrambler that may form an unruly bush if grown alone. Butterflies are attracted to the fragrant flowers. And the Climbing Urera (Urera trinervis), in a lowveld or coastal garden, attracts the Dusky Acraea (Telchinia esebria) with its gregarious caterpillars.
Moth-fruit (Acridocarpus natalitius) is a good plant to grow in moist, warm areas. It becomes either a scrambling shrub or a climber that can reach right up into the canopy. This species is also the host plant of several species of Policeman butterfly.
Cape-ivy (Delairea odorata) is a vigorous climber that has masses of yellow blossoms in late summer. Under the right conditions it can swarm with butterflies. And Canary Creeper (Senecio tamoides) is a popular garden plant that creates masses of yellow flowers and scrambles up trees to a considerable height. There are several similar species, such as Kamba Creeper (Senecio brachypodus), which has smaller flowers. All are powerful butterfly attractors.
Caustic Vine (Sarcostemma viminale) is not the easiest plant to find in nurseries. However, if you have a garden in a hot, dry area it is one of the best nectar plants. It forms a massive ball of twined stems and can run right up into the tree canopy. Butterflies, particularly Acraeas and Whites, love it.
Soap Creeper (Helinus integrifolius) is also not often found in nurseries but is well worth looking for and growing from seed if necessary. The small flowers of this semi-hardy creeper attract large numbers of butterflies.
Moth-fruit (Acridocarpus natalitius)
Recommended scramblers, creepers and climbers
Leadwort (Plumbago auriculata) and Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)
Canary Creeper (Senecio tamoides)
Moth-fruit (Acridocarpus natalitius) flowers and fruit
Cape-ivy (Delairea odorata)
Soap Creeper (Helinus integrifolius) nectar plant creeper
Wild Caper-bush (Capparis tomentosa) flower
Caustic Creeper (Sarcostemma viminale)
Trailing Vernonia (Distephanus angulifolius (Vernonia angulifolia))
Herbs are a must in any garden, not only for culinary purposes but also for attracting insects. Most herbs are undemanding in their needs, making them a fragrant, ideal inclusion in a waterwise garden. Some herbs can be classified as subshrubs (Rosemary and Lavender), others are perennials and regenerate each season (Comfrey, Borage, Holy/Sacred Basil and Fennel), and yet others are annuals and will either reseed themselves or will need to be planted out again as seedlings (Sweet Basil and Coriander). Sacred Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is an exotic herb from India. It is not invasive and is wonderful to grow; when planted en masse it can attract hundreds of butterflies, day-flying moths and bees.
Butterfly species that eat our own food plants can seem a bit of a pest. The iconic pest species Large or Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae) is found in the Cape where its caterpillars feed on Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) and a range of cabbage varieties and related crops. The closely related, indigenous Common Meadow White (Pontia helice) feeds on Pepper Cresses and Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea). The adult butterflies are attractive insects and seem to be less of a nuisance than they are in Europe.
Popular herbs
Phyllis Green
French Lavender (Lavandula dentata)
Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea) flowers
No garden should be without some form of ornamental grass. Clumps can grow from heights of 300mm to over 1m. Ornamental grasses add structure and movement to a planting scheme, and their seed heads are a veritable pantry for seed-eating birds.
Some butterflies’ larvae use grasses as food. Many of the ‘wild’, true grassland butterflies have been bred on common cultivated grasses, because the females lay eggs readily in captivity, and their real wild food plants are still unknown. However, woodland and forest species found in gardens – such as Common Bush Brown (Bicyclus safitza safitza), Twilight Brown (Melanitis leda), Hottentot Skipper (Gegenes niso) and Long-horned Swift (Borbo fatuellus) – feed readily on indigenous ornamental grasses and are easily attracted to gardens by them.
In the Cape, the Cape Autumn Widow (Dira clytus) is not fussy and its caterpillars feed happily on the invasive Kikuyu Grass (Pennisetum clandestinum). In the wild they will use the tough, wiry Merxmuellera species such as Mountain Wire-grass (Merxmuellera disticha), which is an attractive grass and would make a good accent plant for a fynbos garden.
Ngongoni (Aristida junciformis) is a lovely indigenous grass. It is neither a nectar nor host plant, but it provides shelter and a habitat for some useful grassland herbs and perennials.
Useful ornamental grasses
Ngongoni Grass (Aristida junciformis)
While having a lush, green lawn is not everybody’s cup of tea, it certainly does complete a garden and offers an open space in which both humans and their pets can move, play and interact.
The importance of a lawn, especially in smaller properties or housing estates where there might be a predominance of hard surfaces, is that it acts as a sponge to absorb large quantities of water from sudden downpours that often cause devastating washaways.
Butterflies are not specifically lawn dwellers, but lawns help to create an arena-like clearing in the garden, which allows individuals to see one another and stimulates mating or territorial behaviour. So a lawn, or grassy clearing, is an aid to butterfly watching. Many of the small weeds that pop up in lawns are actually good butterfly plants. Caterpillars of the tiny African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna) use these weeds, so gardeners should think twice before eradicating them.
Lawns
Coast Buffalo Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)
African Grass Blue host plant (Oxalis corniculata) flowers
Succulents can withstand dry conditions and a wide variety of these plants is available, making them increasingly popular with gardeners. There is a succulent to meet every condition, and the foliage, flowers and flowering periods are so varied that it is possible to have year-round colour and interest in your garden.
Succulents are great attractors of insects, which in turn attract small reptiles, such as skinks and agama lizards, that eat insects. In arid conditions, flowering succulents are often the only available nectar source.
Coral Senecio (Kleinia fulgens)
Cow’s Horn (Euphorbia grandicornis)
The benefits of filling your garden with a range of succulents are obvious – plants with low water requirements, providing year-round colour and attracting a plethora of insects that, in turn, will attract birds and small reptiles.
Succulents include a wide range of growth forms, such as groundcovers and form plants. Some succulents, such as Cotyledon and Kalanchoe spp., are food plants for some of the easiest garden butterflies, the Black-eyes (Leptomyrina gorgias and L. henningi).
Crassulas are great plants for borders in full sun; butterflies love the nectar. These succulents come in lots of different sizes, from the tiny Crassula spathulata, to its slightly taller cousin, the Fairy Crassula (Crassula multicava), to the shrub-sized Kerky-bush (Crassula ovata). Coral Senecio (Kleinia fulgens) is one of the very best low-growing nectar plants. It puts on a glorious show, and butterflies cannot resist its flowers. Giant Stapelia (Stapelia gigantea) and its relatives are well known for their ‘rotting meat’ smell, and are pollinated by flies, not butterflies. These spectacular succulents are host plants for African Monarch butterflies.
At the other end of the size spectrum is Cow’s Horn (Euphorbia grandicornis), which is, perhaps surprisingly, a very good nectar plant, as are all the ‘Naboom’ type Euphorbias. Cow’s Horn has the advantage of not growing too tall, so you can easily see the butterflies gorging on its nectar. It is also a handsome accent plant for your succulent garden.
Popular succulents
Mandy Freeman
Crassula alba with Mocker Swallowtail
Kleinia fulgens in border
Giant Stapelia (Stapelia gigantea)
Kerky-bush (Crassula ovata) flowers
Orchids fall into two categories: those that grow with their roots in a medium (terrestrial) and those that utilize the stem of a larger plant, usually a tree, as an anchor (epiphytic). They are ornamental, and there are generally a number of species in flower each season.
Many species of orchid are highly perfumed, especially in the evening. They attract insects to the garden and are pollinated more by bees and nocturnal moths than by butterflies, with one notable exception. The famous Red Disa (Disa uniflora) has just one pollinator – the Table Mountain Beauty (Aeropetes tulbaghia). However, all orchids are likely to be used as larval food by the lovely Orchid Hawk moth (Theretra orpheus).
Recommended orchids
Exotic orchids
Indigenous orchids
Steve Johnson
Table Mountain Beauty (Aeropetes tulbaghia) is the sole pollinator of the Red Disa orchid (Disa uniflora).
Eulophia speciosa
The case study garden a year after planting. A path towards the lawn leads the eye into another path to the forest area. To the left is Golden Daisy (Euryops pectinatus subsp. pectinatus), to the right, Soap Aloe (Aloe maculata) and Common Bristle Grass (Setera sphacelata var. sphacelata). There are various host and nectar plants in the backdrop of trees, shrubs and creepers.