Garden Flutters, based in San Luis Obispo, California, provides healthy Painted Lady butterflies for release for commemorative events. Butterfly releases are an attractive and memorable addition to occasions including weddings, anniversaries, graduations, birthdays, christenings, and memorials. Garden Flutters' owners have lived in San Luis Obispo County for well over a decade and have backgrounds in breeding butterflies for the educational market. Garden Flutters is a way to share the beauty and magic of butterflies with the community.
THE PAINTED LADY
Painted
Lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui) can be found throughout North America,
especially in the warm months of summer. They frequent grassy meadows and flower
gardens drinking the nectar of flowers such as dandelions, daisies, zinnias
and asters. Painted Ladies have orange and black markings, similar to the Monarch.
This species lives about two to three weeks as an adult butterfly, depending
on environmental conditions. After their release, butterflies will often linger
in the area for days or weeks, especially if nectar plants are present. They
lay eggs on plants that are suitable food for caterpillars, including mallow,
thistle, and hollyhock. Caterpillars do not feed on agricultural crops and therefore
do not negatively impact local farming. Butterflies perform the important function
of pollination as they visit flowers in search of nectar and their elegance
is a welcome sight in the garden.
