Home gardeners can play an active role in supporting our butterfly populations. Their choice of plants will decide how successful they are with their endeavours as nectar and larval host plants will make the difference when it comes to attracting butterflies. 

While all gardeners love butterflies, many have a complicated relationship with invertebrates visiting their garden and chewing the leaves of their beloved plants. Let's sort through what is happening here, and clarify whether there is a need for action. 

We all have our food preferences. For butterflies the situation is a little more complicated. Their survival depends on choosing the right larval host plants. We can do a lot to help them achieve that in our gardens and by participating in the rehabilitation of public green spaces.