When a warm spell suddenly falls upon the garden after a long stretch of rain, I am always thrilled to see a fresh butterfly blow through. Usually it is a red admiral or painted lady, maybe even a mourning cloak. And this makes me grateful that some bok choy and lacinato kale plants were left to flower in the vegetable garden. Newly hatched butterflies and other pollinators love them.

Allowing vegetables and herbs to bolt is a wonderful way to feed butterflies. Butterflies like all kinds of nectar flowers, cultivated and native. But mostly, they like weeds. I’m sure the early butterflies that visit my garden have originated from the horse pasture beyond the wire fence. Grassy areas surrounding my house feature weeds like dandelion, English daisy, plantain and clover.

It is well-known that certain weeds are needed for butterflies to deposit eggs. It is understandable that you do not want weeds in the more cultivated parts of your garden. But, most of us can spare a little habitat in a sunny corner somewhere in the yard.

Dandelion, self-heal, English daisy and plantain are just a few of the many weeds that California buckeye, painted lady and red admiral prefer. A favorite nectar of the Western swallowtail is the dreaded Himalayan blackberry.

Favorite larval weeds for caterpillars include plantain, stinging nettle, thistle and mallow-type weeds. Yarrow is a favorite host plant for the painted lady butterfly.

Leaf litter, loose branches and twigs scattered about help wild butterflies thrive. Of course, one does not need to grow weeds exclusively to lure butterflies to the garden. Popular flowers with both butterflies and gardeners include lavender, coneflower, aster, lantana, Buddleia (sterile varieties) daisy, nepeta, bidders and zinnia, to name a few. And, it is always a good thing to let a few vegetables go to flower.

Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.