I live in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. It is located in the Mojave desert. How do I foster the growth of butterflies in my area without inhibiting their natural instincts? I am not a fan of hummingbird feeders because they are rarely kept full and birds come to depend on them.
Start with a small garden area. Maybe 8’ x 5’ in space. Think of what Butterflies you would would like to attract. Find the native plants to your area. Then you would want to plant both Nectar plants (Adult Butterfly food), and host plants (baby butterfly food, aka caterpillars). I promise you, plant it & they will come.
Here’s a Black Swallowtail feeding on Mock Bishops Weed. I believe in your are, y’all have Anise Swallowtails. We don’t have those here in Texas.