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Page 1: PLANT A BUTTERFLY GARDEN - texasbutterflyranch...• To attract and feed adult butterflies, we need a garden that supplies many months of nectar-rich flowers for a wide range of butterflies

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

Page 2: PLANT A BUTTERFLY GARDEN - texasbutterflyranch...• To attract and feed adult butterflies, we need a garden that supplies many months of nectar-rich flowers for a wide range of butterflies

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

Page 3: PLANT A BUTTERFLY GARDEN - texasbutterflyranch...• To attract and feed adult butterflies, we need a garden that supplies many months of nectar-rich flowers for a wide range of butterflies

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

Page 4: PLANT A BUTTERFLY GARDEN - texasbutterflyranch...• To attract and feed adult butterflies, we need a garden that supplies many months of nectar-rich flowers for a wide range of butterflies

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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