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Butterfly Gardeningby
Michelle Bacares Finally,
the gardening season is here! The plant department at Honest Weight
will be in
full swing this month, with an everchanging variety of plants. With so
many choices,
it’s sometimes hard to know what to select. I like to pick out plants
based on their
purpose, rather than just on their appearance. It fills me with a sense
of
wonder and amazement to think that most all of the plants around us a
part of a
bigger scheme that is beyond comprehension. My
gardening efforts started with growing culinary herbs, then medicinal
herbs and,
more recently, plants for wildlife. In this article, I’d like to talk
about
plants for butterflies. As you may be aware, the numbers of Monarch
butterflies
have taken a big drop in recent years — thought to be due to loss of
habitat,
pesticides and pollution. It’s amazing to think that these butterflies
travel thousands
of miles each year — to Attracting
butterflies to your garden is a relatively easy task. Here are some
basic principles: •
Plant for continuous blooms. Butterflies feed in our area from spring
through
fall. A succession of blooms will keep different species around the
whole
growing season. Removing dead flowers will keep many plants
re-blooming.
Annuals tend to have a longer bloom time than perennials and can help
to fill
the food gap during periods when blooming perennials are scarce. •
Feed the caterpillars. Butterfly gardening ideally involves planting
food
sources for both the butterflies and the larvae (caterpillars).
Caterpillars
tend to eat a less varied diet than the adults, so having the right
plant
available is crucial for their survival. •
Plant in sun. Butterflies tend to be more active, and therefore more
likely to
feed, in sunny locations. Here
are some favorite butterfly plants (common names in bold,
Latin names in italics): Perennials (plants
that come back year after year) •
Butterfly Weed (asclepias tuberosa) is
a member of the milkweed family. It is a native of the Albany Pine Bush
and
does well in sandy, dry soils. Its orange blooms provide a burst of
summer
color. •
Butterfly Bush (buddleia davidii) has
large spikes of gracefully drooping flowers. This plant blooms
throughout the
summer and is a butterfly magnet for many species. Butterfly Bush does
best if pruned
in late fall. •
Swamp Milkweed (asclepias incarnata) is a
native to the area and a preferred food source for the Monarch
butterfly caterpillar.
It has clusters of pink or sometimes white flowers. It spreads less
readily
than Common Milkweed. It does well in moist soil but will also grow in
good
garden soil. •
Blazing Star (liatris species) is
a prairie native with tall spikes of purple flowers. Liatris also makes
a great
addition to dried flower arrangements. •
Purple Coneflower (echinacea purpurea) is
a native to the prairies. It has large purple flowers that bloom
mid-summer. Besides
being a great nectar source for butterflies, their dried seed heads
serve as a
fall/winter food source for finches. •
Bee Balm (Monarda species) is
a tall, brightly colored member of the mint family. It is often red,
sometimes
pink, violet or white. I love its fragrant leaves. Bee Balm may also
attract
hummingbirds. The leaves can be prone to mildew; good air circulation
and avoiding
overwatering can help to prevent this problem. •
•
Joe Pye Weed and Boneset (eupatorium
species)
are tall perennials that tend to like damp soil. They are native
to the area. Their pink or white flowers can often be seen in moist
areas near
the side of the road. Annuals (plants
that die at the end of the season) •
Brazilian Verbena (verbena bonariensis) is
a self-sowing annual that blooms in late summer to fall. I like
Brazilian Verbena
for its tall, slender, wild-looking growth habit — which is somewhat
unusual for
annual. It would do well as part of a naturalistic planting. •
Cosmos is
a tall, bright, happy-looking flower that tolerates poor soil. It
comes in a wide variety of colors (white, orange, pink, magenta) and is
good as
a cut flower. •
Flowering Tobacco (nicotiana alata) is an
interesting plant. It’s a little sticky, a little smelly, but I love
its cute
lemonyellow flowers. It also comes in red or white. It does well in dry
soil —
be careful not to overwater. •
Zinnias (zinnia elegans) are
a lateblooming annual that provide color to the garden and nectar for
the
butterflies at a time when many other plants may be done blooming. Other
good butterfly plants include: •
Perennials: Lavender, Wild
Geranium, Goat’s Beard, Ironweed, Jerusalem Artichoke, Sunflowers (also
good
for birds), Phlox and Yarrow. •
Annuals: Marigold, Petunias,
Lantana (including lantana camara, lantana
montevidensis, and lantana hybrids) and
Heliotrope. Some
Local Butterflies and Their Larval Food Sources Butterfly
Name Caterpillar Food Monarch
–
Milkweed species, especially Swamp Milkweed Black
Swallowtail – Members of parsley
family (carrot, celery,
dill, parsley, Queen Ann’s lace) Sulphurs
–
Members of the pea family, including clovers Cabbage
White –
Nasturtiums, various mustards Viceroy
–
Trees in the willow family American
Lady –
Everlastings, wormwood, ironweed, burdock Fritillaries
–
Various species of violets Hairstreaks
–
Oak, hickory and other trees |
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