Sign up for June 19 Butterfly & hummingbird workshop now! posted on: March 25 2010
One of the agreeable pursuits this season has been the observation of butterflies in the garden. Years of natural gardening now reward us with a wonderful array of colorful butterflies and moths living in our garden. I love to watch the butterfly bush and flowers near our windows while eating a meal or doing dishes, but best is to have them float about us while we eat breakfast or sip a late afternoon glass of wine on our deck. . We purposely plant butterfly bushes and other nectar plants near our doors, windows and garden fence so we could watch butterflies drink the sweet nectar. Many varieties partake of this butterfly delicacy. When they are ready to lay their eggs, they find a host plant that their larvae will eat. Right now my parsley, dill, fennel and Queen Anne’s lace are usually covered with small black caterpillar, the larvae of the Swallowtail butterflies. When they hatch from their eggs, they are small and black, as they eat they become large and striped and more and more green. After shedding their skin several times they will eventually become a pupa. This hardens and changes color. Inside the larvae begins changing to a butterfly. Sometimes you can see this happening through the cocoon. When the butterfly or moth emerges it is wet and needs some time to dry. It soon flies to nectar plants and then to host plants where it begins the cycle and lays eggs that hatch into larvae that eat their way to the pupa stage an it all begins again. By planting certain plants you can enjoy this life cycle right before your eyes. Right now they are looking for certain plants. The Monarchs need milkweed, the spicebush likes sassafras or spice bush and some fritillary like violets, others passion vine. The early spring mourning cloak eat willow and beautiful Luna moths lay eggs on birch, bayberry and hickories which explains why I see them in the light next ot our big old hickory tree. Many moths like broad leaf deciduous trees. There is nothing so exquisite as the grandeur of a moth like the Polyphemus or cecropia moths. As a child I had a 4-H butterfly and moth project and would watch the base of street lights and signs with night lights to wait to find one the these short lived moths that flew to the light its last night of egg laying and then died. This would promptly be added to the butterfly/moth collection board. Right now gardens are full of nectar plants. I noticed many yellow swallowtail butterflies at one time on the butterfly bushes yesterday. Some were on the sweet vitex shrub and Monarch’s were near butterfly weed, lavender, zinnia , phlox and many others. Bright orange Monarchs are butterflies that actually live longer than most but it is the last generation born in summer that travels to Mexico for the winter. They need milkweed and other food sources all along the way. With mowing and herbicide use along highways, milkweeds and nectar sources are declining. Fields and forest are giving way to development. So it is important to plant natural areas for butterflies. Many folks are planting their gardens with butterflies in mind. Plant flowers to provide nectar and also host plants for the larva to eat. Wild plants such as common milkweed for larva to eat are very important so allow a little patch of it to grow in an out of the way spot. All of the asclepias (milkweed ) are good, so grow some of each. All will reseed for yeasr if you allow them to do so. Without such oasis for butterflies their population would decline even more. We too encourage milkweed to grow uncut all along our creek and never pull it out in the gardens. Milkweed relatives such as the fiery orange asclepias we call butterfly weed and the tropical Mexican milkweed are planted in a bed back behind my vegetable garden.
A list of the best plants for Monarchs ( there are 100ís more) (1) Orange BUTTERFLY WEED (Asclepias tuberosa) A perennial host plant for monarch larvae and nectar source. SHOWY MILKWEED (Asclepias speciosa) Perennial Host plant for monarch & nectar plant for butterflies. COMMON MILKWEED (Asclepias syriaca) Perennial Host plant for monarch & nectar plant for butterflies. SWAMP MILKWEED (Asclepias incarnata subsp. pulchra) Perennial; Host plant for monarch & nectar plant for butterflies. TROPICAL MILKWEED (Asclepias curassavica) Tender Perennial Host plant for monarch & nectar plant PURPLE CONEFLOWER (Echinacea purpurea) Perennial Good butterfly nectar plant. TITHONIA TORCH, Mexican Sunflower annual Attracts butterflies. 3 inches tall) ZINNIA, Super Giant Mixed (Zinnia) Annual; Good nectar plant for butterflies.
–œ
Garden Articles Lorraine Kiefer has been a garden writer since 1972 and has hundreds of articles about plants, crafts, and traditions. Enjoy!
Weddings Let Triple Oaks Florist arrange perfect flowers for your perfect day.
Plant Guide Learn about the plants we commonly carry. Note: This isn't our inventory, just a guide.
Florist Valentine's Day, Brithdays, Weddings, Funerals, you name the occasion and we'll make the flowers.
