Try growing: plants to attract butterflies

There are many websites, books and other resources on attracting butterflies to your garden. Common recommendations include providing sunny spots and exposed rocks for basking, protection from strong winds, growing a range of flowering plants to provide nectar all year round, and putting out a saucer full of muddy water for them to drink. Above all, plant the native species that are their larval host plants.

We've put in heaps of local natives. So far the biggest draw-card at our place seems to be the feral tomato crop, just perfect for resting on after a busy day flapping about:

Just landed - is it a caped crusader? Image by Emma Rooksby.

Close-up: it's an orchard swallowtail! Image by Emma Rooksby.

According to Michael Braby's Complete field guide to butterflies of Australia, orchard swallowtails' larval food plants include several Illawarra locals:

• Waxflower (Philotheca myoporoides)
• Zieria species (Z. smithii and the endangered Z. granulata grow round here)
• the Scrub Wilga tree (Geijera salicifolia)

They also enjoy citrus species, which means there is food for them in many domestic gardens. My field guide describes orchard swallowtails as 'common and widespread' so there's a good chance you'll attract them if you put in the right plants and make sure your garden is butterfly-friendly.

Other butterflies rely on different plant species, so do a bit of research and put in a range of plant species to attract a range of butterflies.

Good resources include:

• Backyard Buddies butterfly page
• Backyard Buddies guide to building a butterfly box
• Wildlife Protection Association's guide to attracting butterflies to your garden

 On another note, recent rains have brought back the wierd fungi, now identified as Phallus rubicundus courtesy of Gaye's Australian fungi blog:

Return of the Phallus rubicundus.