With spring fully in bloom, butterflies will be popping up everywhere soon. While picking the right plants is a great start, there are additional ways to attract these fluttery pollinators to your yard.

• Keep your plants insecticide free: Insecticides are a threat to butterflies in every stage. A great start is ensuring none of your plants have insecticides that will harm butterflies that end up in your yard.

• Establish a water source: Butterflies need a drink of water here and there; a water source is very important when attracting them. A shallow dish of water with a flat rock is ideal. You could also consider adding a mud puddle to supply minerals and salts.

• Butterfly food: There are a lot of plants native to the Pikes Peak region that butterflies love. You don’t have to have the perfect flower garden to bring them in, just some of their favorites.

The following ornamental plants are great nectar sources for butterflies and will add to your enjoyment of your garden:

1. Rudbeckia hirta (black eyed Susan) — These plants are short lived but reseed easily. They tolerate the cold and wind quite well and are the perfect midseason blooming food source.

2. Penstemon sp. (Beardtongue) — There are various Penstemons native to our region. A beautiful bloom that thrives in our area with little water.

3. Monarda sp. (Bee Balm) — M. fistulosa can be a little finicky, but they are a great option for nutrient-rich soils that have a bit more moisture.

4. Lupinus argenteus (Silver Lupine) — This native grows well in poor soils and has no problem with crazy Colorado weather.

5. Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) — G. aristata is a native. Start seed indoors for flowers first year or buy plants. Easy and long blooming.

6. Erysimum capitatum (Wallflower) — Wallflower is very fragrant and typically reseeds itself so you don’t have to.

7. Achillea lanulosa (Yarrow) — For those who want to bring in butterflies without wasting water, Achillea lanulosa is the perfect choice. It is easy to establish and loves lots of sun.

Here is a list of host plants for butterflies for El Paso County

• Larval food: Including plants that butterflies will lay eggs on will encourage them to hang around in your garden and will ensure future generations. While attracting caterpillars to your garden might seem like a bad idea, they rarely do much damage to established plants.

Caterpillar host plants include:

• Asceplia sp. — Two species are native to Colorado, showy milkweed (A. speciosa) and butterfly weed (A. tuberosa), and are hosts to Monarch butterflies.

• Willows and cottonwoods are hosts to many caterpillars, including swallowtails.

• Gambel oak, also known as scrub oak, is a host plant to the Colorado hairstreak and other caterpillars.

It’s not too late to make your dream of watching butterflies from your porch a reality.

Submit gardening questions to [email protected] or call 719-520-7684. The in-person help desk is open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 17 N. Spruce St. Find us on Facebook at Colorado Master Gardeners – El Paso County.