PLANTABUTTERFLYGARDEN!ByCharlesBartlett,GVSTVolunteer
Plantyourbutterflygardenandhelpsaveabutterflyspecies!Abutterflygardencanbeawonderfulpartofyourlandscapeandwillmakeameaningfuldifferencebycreatinghabitatforourimperiledbutterflyfriends.Gardeningforbutterfliesissomethinganyonewholovesgrowingplantsandflowerscando.Agardenthatisgoodforbutterfliesalsoisgoodforotherpollinatorssuchasbeesandhummingbirdswhooftensharethesamenectarplantsandhabitat.THEFOURBASICELEMENTSOFABUTTERFLYGARDEN
Butterflygardeningiseasyand,likeanyhorticulturalendeavorthatcreateshabitat,dependsonprovidingfourbasicelements.Flowersandfood:Plantamixofflowersthatbloomfromthestartofspringthroughfall,andfoodplantsforcaterpillars.Shelter:Leavebarepatchesofground,havesmallbrushpiles(inunusedcornersoftheyard),andleavetheherbaceousplantsstandingoverthewintertoprotectoverwinteringeggsandcaterpillarpupaewaitingtoemerge.
Water:Amudpuddleisidealforbutterfliesprovidingthemwithasourceofwaterandsalt.Asafe,pesticide-freeenvironment:Don’tusechemicalinsecticides(especiallysystemicones),usecautionwhenapplyingorganicpesticides,anduseherbicidesonlyforaweedemergency.
Monarchbutterfly
ALITTLEBUTTERFLYBIOLOGYButterfliesandmothshavethreestagesintheirlifecyclesbeforebecomingtheflyingadultinsectswerecognize.Themotherbutterflylayseggsonpreferredfoodplants.
• Theeggshatchintocaterpillarsthatfeedontheirfoodplants.Thesecaterpillarsgrowtotheirfullsizebeforegoingdormantasachrysalis(butterfly)oracocoon(moth),inpreparationforadulthood.
• Thencaterpillarsgothroughmetamorphosisandemergeasflyingadults.
• Theadultsimmediatelymate,layeggs,feed,anddieleavingbehindthenextgeneration.
WHAT’SSOSPECIALABOUTMONARCHBUTTERFLIES?Monarchbutterflies(danausplexippus)populatemostoftheUSandsouthernCanada.TheyexistwestoftheRockyMountains,butinsmallernumbers.SightingsofMonarchsoccurinalmosteverystate.
Amonarch’slifeisintrinsicallywovenwiththemilkweedplant,aoncecommonnativeperennialplant.Itslifebeginswhenafemalelaysaneggontheundersideoftheleaforotherpartofamilkweedplant.Inthreetofivedays,averytiny,hungrycaterpillaremergesandbeginsfeastingonthemilkweedplant.
Asthecaterpillargrowstofullsize,itgoesthroughfivemolts(stagesoflife)thatareeacha
largesteptobecomingabutterfly.Eachtimethecaterpillarliterallyshedsitsskinandreformsalargerone.Atthefinalmolt,inabout10-14days,thecaterpillarisabeautifulyellow-green-blackstripedcolorabout1¾incheslong.Nowthecaterpillarwandersfromthemilkweedplantandfindsjusttherightspot.Itspinsapadofsilk,andattachesitself,hangingupsidedown.Aftermanyhours,itsskinwillsplittorevealitstranslucentgreenchrysalisthatisitshomeforthenext11-15daysasittakesitsfinalformasamonarchbutterfly.Onceemerging,andafterdryingitsbeautifulorangewings,ittakesflighttofindnectar,itsnewfood.Themonarchbutterflywilllivefromtwotosixweeks,duringwhichtimeitwillmate,andbeginthecycleagain.Thiscyclemayhappenfromfourtofivetimespersummer,fourtofivegenerations,andonthefinalgenerationofthesummer,calledtheSuperGeneration,somethingreallyamazinghappens.Thesebutterflies,withmoredenselyscaledandslightlylargerwings,willlivefromseventoeightmonths.
Monarchcaterpillar
Tigerswallowtail,thelargestbutterflyinNorthAmerica
WHATTOPLANT?Oftenthefloweringplantsthatfeedtheadultmothsandbutterfliesaredifferentfromtheplantsonwhichtheircaterpillarsfeed.Forabutterflygarden,thegardenermustplantbothtypesofplants.Mostflowersthatattractmothsandbutterflieswillfeedawiderangeofspecies.Whenitcomestofeedingtheircaterpillars,butterfliesandmothscaneitherhaveaneedforveryspecificfoodplants,orhaveatasteforawiderrangeofhostplants.Thisdependsonthespeciesofeachmothandbutterflyastheywillhavedifferentrequirements.
• Toattractandfeedadultbutterflies,weneedagardenthatsuppliesmanymonthsofnectar-richflowersforawiderangeofbutterflies.
• Flowershapesthatattractbutterfliesaregenerallyeitherflat-toppedflowerspikeswithlotsoftinyflowers,orcone-typeflowers.
• Foodplansforcaterpillarsvary,butwidelyfed-uponplantsincludeoak,willow,cherry,poplar,apple,dandelions,clover,anddill.
• ForwidespreadmigratingspeciesofbutterfliesliketheMonarch,variousspeciesofmilkweed(Asclepiasspecies)providebothlarvalfoodandnectarforadults.
SAWS-RECOMMENDEDSPECIALBUTTERFLYPLANTS
1. PrideofBarbados.Heat-loving,drought-resistantshrubto6’fall.LongbloomingseasonApriltoDecember.Butterflyfavorite.Deerresistant.
2. Thryallis.Drought-resistant,deer-resistant,spectacularyellowflowersformanymonths.Sunorpartshade,8’tall.
3. DwarfFirebush.Lovessummerheat,standsdryconditions,ahummingbirdfavorite.
4. BlackfootDaisy.Loveshot,dry,well-drainedlocations.Tendstobeevergreen,1’tall,long-bloomingseason.
5. AlmondVerbena.Butterflymagnet,sweet,whiteflowerclusters,goodfragrance,toleratesdryconditionswell,everygreen,6’-8’tall,verylongbloomingseasonMarchtoDecember.
6. Fall-BloomingAster.Low-growingevergreenplants,beautiful,lavenderflowers.Verydrought-resistant,noinsectordiseaseproblems.Goodnectarsourceformanybutterflies,deer-resistantwithveryaromaticfoliage.Upto24”tall,theonlyAstervarietyforTexasandtheSouthwest.Willliveformanyyearsinthegarden.
7. BlueMistFlower.Abutterflyfavorite,bloomsMarchtoDecember.Toleratesallsoiltypes,willslowlyspreadinthegarden,prefersfullsunlocations,droughtresistant.Amust-haveforeverybutterflygarden.
8. Frogfruit.Low,evergreenspreadinggroundcover,prefersfullsunlocations.Smallwhiteflowersareanexcellentnectarsourceformanybutterflies.Leavesarethehostplantforseveraltypesofbutterflies.
PrideofBarbados
Fall-BloomingAster
9. Goldenrod.Afallbutterflymagnet,evergreenfoliage,diesdowntothegroundinwinter,witharosetteofgreenfoliage,hugeclustersofgoldenflowersinthefall.Loveswetordryconditions,willslowlyspreadinthegarden,likesallsoiltypes.Cutbackby½inJulytokeepplantshorter,withmoreflowers.BloomsSeptembertoDecember,deer-resistant,amust-haveforthebutterflygarden.Pollendoesnotcauseallergies.
10. Damianita.Lovesheatanddryconditions,deerresistant,verylongbloomingseasonwithtinyyellowflowers,1foottall.
11. CowpenDaisy.Long-bloomingyellowcompositewithbeautifuldaisy-likeflowers,drought-resistant,butterflynectarsource,4feettall,beautifulblue-greenfoliage.
12. Milkweeds.Manylong-lastingvarieties,deep-rootedplantstoleratedryconditionswell,larvaefoodhostsformonarchs,agreatnectarsourceformanybutterflies,3-4’tall.Willnaturalizeinthegarden.
13. Salvia.Manyvarieties,excellentnectarsourceformanytypesofbutterflies,tendtobeevergreeninthewintermonths,verylongbloomingseasonMarchtoDecember,toleratesdryconditionswell.
14. RedYucca.Greatnectarsourceforhummingbirds,evergreenplant,verydrought-resistant,longbloomingseasonJunetoDecember,bothpinkandyellowflowering
forms.15. Rosemary.Evergreen,greatestbloomperiodincoolseasonsandwinter,goodnectar
sourceformanybutterflies,fragrantfoliage.16. Turk’sCap.Evergreenshrub,goodnectarforceforhummingbirds,drought-tolerant,
edibleredfruit,verylongbloomingseason.17. DwarfBarbadosCherry.Selectdwarfformofplant,edibleredfruit,extremely
droughttolerant,beautifulpinkflowersoveraverylongbloomingseasonfromApriltoDecember.
18. FlameAcanthus.Favoritenectarsourceforbutterfliesandhummingbirds,mayloseleavesinaseverewinter,toleratesverydryconditionswell,amust-haveplantforthebutterflygarden.
19. YauponHolly.Beautifulevergreenshrub,maleandfemaleplants,choosefruitingtypesuchas“PrideofHouston”forexcellentfruitsetandcolorfulberriesinthefallandwinter,showywhiteflowersinthespring,drought-tolerant,anexcellentspecimenplantorhedge.
20. RedbudTree.Earlyspringbloom,drought-resistant,bothpinkandwhitebloomingtypes,excellentearlynectarsourceinthespring.
21. TexasPersimmon.Maleandfemaletrees,edibleblackfruitinlatesummer,drought-resistant,evergreensmalltree/bush,verydeer-resistant.
22. AnacachoOrchidTree.Longbloomingseason,toleratesdrought,whiteflowers,distinctiveleaves,evergreenwithsomewinterprotection.Atrulybeautifulsmallfloweringtreeforeverygardensiteandsoiltype.
Tropicalmilkweed
YauponHolly
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