more butterfly gardens - notes
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
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© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2009
© Project SOUND
Butterfly Flights in
Your Yard
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
July 7 & 11, 2009
© Project SOUND
Our assignment: get rid of lawn & create butterfly habitat
© Project SOUND
First Question: What are our assets?
Well-draining loam soil – can plant most native plants
Already have some good ‘heritage plants’ Several small citrus trees Catalina Island Cherry
hedge/screen nearby Dense non-native screen
provides shelter, perches
Flexible watering system: grass area somewhat dry in summer
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© Project SOUND
Location is key for butterfly gardens
In a sunny protected area of your yard – we need to check the sun/shade patterns
Away from traffic - not a good choice for parking strips.
Out of heavy winds. Butterflies won't stay where they are being blown around. Dense screen is perfect for this.
© Project SOUND Winter sun & shade pattern – about 11:00 a.m.
© Project SOUND Summer sun & shade pattern – about 11:00 a.m.
© Project SOUND Water Zones – the challenge of ‘heritage plants’
Roses & existing screen
are Zone 3
Citrus –
Zone 2
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© Project SOUND
Zone 3 in winter/
Zone 2/3 summer Zone 2/3
© Project SOUND
What do we need for a Butterfly Garden?
Checkered Skipper
© Project SOUND
Two important first questions
What butterfly species do I want to attract? Are there particular
butterflies we really want to attract?
What butterflies occur commonly in my area?
Do I want to just attract adult butterflies, or do I want to create true butterfly habitat (provide everything the butterflies need to live in my yard)?
© Project SOUND
Participating in the annual July Butterfly Count is a
great way to learn about butterflies
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© Project SOUND
The ‘S. Bay Butterflies & Their Native
Food Sources’ list is another place to start
© Project SOUND
We’ll be e-mailing you some other
resources
Nectar Sources list
Larval Food Sources list
List of good butterfly resources Books focused on our
area
Internet resources
© Project SOUND
We decide we really want to attract the following
butterflies – and we want them to stay
Swallowtails
Monarchs
Ladies
Blue Butterflies
Skippers (several species already found in the garden)
© Project SOUND
First we need to understand the life
cycle of butterflies
http://basrelief.org/NewFiles/lifecyc.html
If we want to provide habitat, we’ll have to provide for all stages of the life cycle
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© Project SOUND
What butterflies need: keys to providing
butterfly habitat
Adult food: nectar plants, fruit, sap
Larval food plants: often quite specific
Water
Minerals and salt (mud)
Perching/sunning places; protection from wind
Hiding places for larvae (caterpillars) & pupae (cocoons)
© Project SOUND
Butterflies need sunlight. They are cold-blooded, so they use the sun to warm up their bodies. Pick a sunny spot for your garden and place a few flat stones around so the butterflies can rest while warming up.
© Project SOUND
Butterflies need shelter from wind and rain, and a place to rest at night. Planting your garden near shrubs and trees will give them the shelter they need.
© Project SOUND
Butterflies also need a source of water
Butterflies cannot drink from deep water sources such as a birdbath
Provide water as:
Damp or muddy areas of the garden – around the roses
A shallow dish filled with sand or gravel & refilled each morning – on a post or hung from a tree
A birdbath or fountain with gravel/rocks to provide shallow water
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Confusion about
‘butterfly plants’
Many ‘butterfly plants’ and ‘butterfly bushes’ are from other parts of the country:
May not grow so well here
May not be appropriate for our local butterflies
http://butterflybush.net/blog/
http://www.evelynsgardens.net/Gardens/Garden_Hummingbird_Butterfly.htm
http://www.soonerplantfarm.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=158 © Project SOUND
The delicate dance between food plants
and butterflies Co-evolution of plants and
insects ‘food’ is specially formulated for
our species – and for our climate
Some non-native ‘butterfly plants’ don’t provide all the requirements – native vs. non-native Milkweeds
Impact of non-native horticultural plants – all show and no nutrition
Impact of loss of habitat – our yards are important habitat
© Project SOUND
If you were a butterfly, what kind of plant
would you like?
Lots of little flowers filled with nectar
Sunflower family (Asteraceae)
Buckwheat genus (Eriogonum )
Milkweed genus (Asclepias )
Fiddleneck genus (Phacelia)
Pea family (Fabaceae)
Grasses
© Project SOUND
Caterpillars are born to eat….
It takes a huge amount of energy (food) to grow & metamorphose into a butterfly
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Decide what your gardening philosophy is
Remember that providing larval food is more important (for survival of a species) than providing nectar plants
© Project SOUND
If you were a caterpillar what would you
like to eat?
Readily accessible
Succulent
Easy to digest
Non-toxic
Not too protected: hairs, secretions, etc.
Larval (caterpillar) food plants are often very
specific – you need to plant the larval food plants
for the species you want to attract
© Project SOUND
You become fascinated with the Fatal Metalmark Butterfly - Calephelis nemesis
Habitat: brushy or weedy areas along roadsides, washes, ditches, and streams
Adult food – any nectar plant
Larval food – very specific
Mule Fat – Baccharis salicifolia
? Virgin’s Bower – native Clematis species
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1637
© Project SOUND
First, draw a base map
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Then add the large plants
© Project SOUND
Mule Fat – Baccharis salicifolia
© Project SOUND
Mule Fat – Baccharis salicifolia
Western Hemisphere Ca to S. America, Texas Much of CA: Northwestern
California, Cascade Range Foothills, Sierra Nevada Foothills, Great Central Valley, Tehachapi Mountain Area, Central Western California, Southwestern California, Desert
Canyon bottoms, moist streamsides, irrigation ditches, often forming thickets
Common name: Mule Fat; Mulefat; Mule-fat; Mule’s Fat; Water-Willy; Sticky Baccharis
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,781,789
© Project SOUND
Mule Fat – a large bush sunflower!
Size:
8-10 ft tall
8-10 ft wide
Growth form: Shrubby; many stems
Evergreen to drought deciduous
Can be pruned and shaped to fit needs
Foliage: Shiny green leaves, becoming
darker with age
Characteristic scent
Food for Fatal Metalmark larva
Roots: Netlike – very good for erosion
control
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© Project SOUND
Mule Fat’s “Willow-like” Leaves
An example of “convergent evolution”
Leaf shape helps protect riparian plants from water damage
http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/plants/shrubs_sewi.htm
© Project SOUND
Flowers are definitely
Sunflower
Blooms: Long bloom season
Year-round, but most heavy bloom periods spring and fall in western L.A. Co.
Flowers: Separate male & female plants
Nectar attracts many insects, including butterflies
Seeds: Small seeds with fluffy
‘parachute’
Vegetative reproduction: common and easy
© Project SOUND
Mule Fat flowers are clearly sunflowers – even
without the ray flowers
Willow “catkin” for comparison
© Project SOUND
Mule Fat provides important
resources to the community
Habitat considerations
Butterfly and bee nectar plant
Browse for deer and elk
Shelter/nest site for birds, small mammals and reptiles
Human uses
Young shoots – famine food
Stem - charcoal (gun power and fire starting)
Stems – arrow shafts, paint brushes and building material (sturdy but bend)
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/whites/white21.html
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Mule Fat is Adaptable Soils:
Texture: any
pH: any local
Light:
Full sun to light shade
Water: Winter: flooding to fairly dry
Summer: Fine with Zone 1-3 once
established (after first summer)
Will grow faster with more water
Fertilizer: adaptable; fine with an organic mulch, light fertilizer
Can be pruned – even radically – to shape or renew
© Project SOUND
Mule Fat: one of our
best habitat plants
Hedges & screens
Trained as a small tree
Espaliered along a wall
Always good habitat for insects, birds
http://www.flickr.com/photo
s/pcoin/99549969/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73431753@N00/278039992
© Project SOUND
Inspiration from the pros:
butterfly gardens
Provide easy access
Provide places to sit and enjoy the butterflies & other wildlife
The garden can be either formal or informal in style
The garden should look pretty – at least much of the year
http://backtonatives.blogspot.com/2008/03/bird-of-prey-talk-hike.html
http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/48550aea-257e-4adf-83e6-d2548e740dea.jpg © Project SOUND
When you replace a lawn, access becomes an issue
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© Project SOUND
Additional inspiration
Mass plantings – pretty & affective
Provide some grass areas
? Signage (if you wanted your garden to serve an educational role)
‘functional art’ – butterfly water source
http://www.uky.edu/Arboretum/membership.html
http://www.yerbabuenagardens.com/features/gardens.html
http://a2zhomeschool.com/homeschoolmouse/category/events/
© Project SOUND
How to attract more Skippers
Sandhill Skipper
Wandering Skipper
http://www.bixby.org/parkside/multimedia/butterflies/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9428166@N03/2687279040/
Several native species of Skippers we might attract – see the list
Need all the normal amenities: Water Perching places Etc.
Adult (nectar) sources: Milkweeds Clovers Plants in Sunflower family (Yarrow;
Asters; many others) Buckwheats
Larval food sources: Native and non-native grasses – no
wonder we already have Skippers
© Project SOUND
Let’s add a little grass for Skippers…
© Project SOUND
Saltgrass – Distichlis spicata
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© Project SOUND
Widely distributed – western North America
Found through much of CA in
Coastal salt marshes
Moist alkaline areas
Vernal alkaline areas © Project SOUND
Saltgrass
Stiff perennial grass with numerous long stems
Warm-season grass
Sod-forming – spreads by rhizomes
May grow flat or more erect (4-16 inches tall)
Looks somewhat like Bermuda Grass
© Project SOUND
Pretty left to grow – or can be mowed
© Project SOUND
Benefits of Saltgrass
Can withstand harsh conditions – salt/alkali soils, seasonal flooding, seasonal drought
Good habitat for birds (seeds and cover) and butterflies (Skippers)
Good for controlling wind or water erosion
Highly resistant to trampling –even for playing fields, golf courses
Looks like Bermuda Grass – and can be treated like it
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© Project SOUND
Keys to a successful Saltgrass lawn
Lawns usually started from plugs or cut sections of rhizomes
Best done in winter
Bury rhizomes 1-2 inches
Keep ground moist until established
Needs full sun
Needs winter moisture; can water in summer to keep green
Mow infrequently
Needs no/little added fertilizer
© Project SOUND
Saltgrass at end of dry season – no water
© Project SOUND
Now let’s add a little color…
Flowering perennials and sub-shrubs make sense in a small garden
Choose wisely:
Some plants provide both adult and larval food
Some plants are showier than others
Some plants are better suited to our local conditions
© Project SOUND
Sticky Monkeyflowers – like a little shade
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© Project SOUND
Sticky (Bush) Monkey Flower -Mimulus/Diplacus aurantiacus
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Mimulus-aurantiacus/ © Project SOUND
Sticky (Bush) Monkey Flower -Mimulus/Diplacus aurantiacus
Much debate about what genus it should belong to
Much debate about how many species – may just be a few with much variability
Much of western & southern CA to Baja
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7177,7386,7390
© Project SOUND
Sticky Monkeyflower in the wild
rocky hillsides
cliffs
canyon slopes
disturbed areas
borders of coastal sage scrub, chaparral, open forest
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/monkeyb2.htm
Dry, open areas with poor soils
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/diplacus-aurantiacus © Project SOUND
Growth habit and other characteristics
Size: 2-4 ft tall and wide
Narrow glossy sticky dark green leaves
Summer-deciduous in hot climates/gardens
Attractive mounding to sprawling shape
Lives to 10 years – slightly less in gardens, particularly if given summer water
Young leaves can be eaten (a bit bitter, tho’) and were used as an antiseptic for cuts, rope burns, etc.
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© Project SOUND
Many uses for Sticky Monkeyflower in
the garden
On hillsides or banks
In rock gardens
In garden beds with other native plants that thrive on a dry period
In large pots or planters
As an accent plant – showy flowers
In a “hummingbird” or “butterfly garden”
© Project SOUND
Succeeding with Sticky Monkeyflower
Does best in sandy or rocky soils – soil needs to be well-drained; too much water, particularly in winter leads to fungal disease, short life
Full sun to part-shade (best for most gardens)
Give plants a dormant period at the end of summer – no water; can give some summer water before that
Prune back each fall to 18 inches or so; or prune back to ground every third year. Can also prune after spring bloom to encourage fall blooms
Propagate new plants from cuttings to replace old plants
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/miau.htm
© Project SOUND
Fantastic flower colors
Blooms: year-round in S. Bay; most profuse in summer
Flowers: Clusters of small tubular flowers
with the usual monkey face appearance.
Flower color range is salmon to brick-red to crimson.
Good nectar source: Hummingbird pollinated; but also
attracts bees, butterflies (esp. Checkerspots & Buckeyes)
Seeds: many small, in dry capsule
Easy to grow from seed
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
You can also grow Shrubby
Monkeyflowers from tip cuttings © Project SOUND
Buckwheats like sun – and are great habitat plants
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© Project SOUND
California Buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum
© Project SOUND
California Buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum
Southwestern U.S.
to Utah, Arizona, nw Mexico
s Sierra Nevada, Central Western California, Southwestern California, East of Sierra Nevada, Desert
Common. Dry slopes, washes, canyons in scrub < 2300 m.
fasciculatum : derived from a Latin word meaning "bundles" and describing the way the leaves are attached to the leaf stem in little bunches or 'fascicles'
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/Syllab
us2/factsheet.cfm?ID=639
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5936,5994,6045
var. fasciculatum
var. foliolosum
© Project SOUND
Characteristics of California Buckwheat
Size: similar to Dune Buckwheat
2-5 ft tall
3-5 ft wide
Growth form: low mounded semi-evergreen
shrub
Many-branched
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html
Foliage: Leave alternate, but densely clustered
at nodes, evergreen, narrow lanceolate (nearly needle-like)
http://www.birdmom.net/wildflowerspink.html
© Project SOUND
Dune Buckwheat – E. parvifolium CA Buckwheat – E. fasciculatum
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html
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CA Buckwheat:
showy for months Great for summer color: May-
Nov. possible
As an alternative to the non-native Rosemary
In perennial beds
On parking strips & bordering paths and driveways
For erosion control
Larval foodsource for Morman
Metalmark, Bramble Hairstreak,
Common Hairstreak, Avalon Hairstreak
Shrubby Buckwheats can even be
sheared to shape for a more formal
look
© Project SOUND
CA Buckwheat cultivars make good
groundcovers ‘Dana Point’ - brighter green leaf, more
mounding than species 'Bruce Dickinson' – good for
groundcover; stays close to the ground, spreads nicely, and holds good form throughout the year.
‘Dana Point’
‘Bruce Dickinson’
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/erfabd.htm
© Project SOUND
CA Buckwheat cultivars make good
groundcovers
‘Theodore Payne' – low groundcover (1 ft high; 1-3 ft spread)
'Warriner Lytle' - A sprawling low growing California buckwheat; can grow to 2 feet tall but is often more prostrate, hugging the ground like a mat
‘Theodore Payne’
‘Warriner Lytle’
http://www.theodorepayne.org/gallery/pages/E/Eriogonum_fasciculatum_Th
eodorePayne.htm
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3070
‘Warriner Lytle’ © Project SOUND
Cultivars & species: choose carefully..
Buckwheats produce hybrids readily; plant only locally obtained plants if you live near natural stands
‘Warriner Lytle’
http://www.letsgoseeit.com/index/county/la/claremont/loc01/cultivar/cultivar.htm
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© Project SOUND
CA Buckwheat looks its best in full sun Occasional summer water to keep it looking good – but
very drought tolerant © Project SOUND
Managing shrubby
buckwheats
Most are low maintenance
By fall, the flowers turn a reddish-brown Easily deadheaded, if desired
Or (better) retained for the change of color and for bird habitat.
Cut back in late fall to mid-winter to encourage herbaceous growth over woody look Leave several inches of woody
growth
Cutting it back to 6” in late fall keeps the woody growth to a minimum and the plant looking its best the year round.
When the shrub is becoming too leggy, it needs to be replaced.
© Project SOUND
http://lobojosden.blogspot.com/2007/12/butterfly-garden.html
http://www.dunedingov.com/home.aspx?page=departments/library/library
Make sure you can enjoy your butterfly
garden
Comfortable seating, strategically placed
Plan your planting based on your most likely views
© Project SOUND
Many butterflies use CA native
Milkweeds
Tiger swallowtail
Acmon Blue
Monarch
http://www.gardeningwithnatives.com/articles/su
mmerplants.html
http://www.laspilitas.com/butterfl_files/Acmon_blue
_on_narrow-leaf_milkweed.jpg
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-
california/plants/asclepias-fascicularis
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© Project SOUND
Place milkweeds in a slightly shadier area
grass
Buckwheats
© Project SOUND
The Milkweed family (Asclepidaceae)
Very large family - ~ 2,000 species
Includes perennial herbs, vines, shrubs
The common name "milkweed" refers to the milky, white sap produced when the stem is broken.
Many are poisonous if eaten by humans/animals
The term "weed" refers to the fact that milkweed grows in poor soil
The principal genus in California is Asclepias, of which there are 11 species.
© Project SOUND
Narrow-leaf Milkweed - Asclepias fascicularis
http://www.insectnet.com/photos/flora1/milkweed1.htm
© Project SOUND
Showy Milkweed – Asclepias speciosa
© 2004 George W. Hartwell
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© Project SOUND
Milkweeds
Milkweeds are found in many areas of CA
In the South Bay, Narrow-leaf Milkweed found only in S. Channel Islands
Sites are typically
Winter wet/summer dry
Sunny to light shade
Barren soil (bare areas in chaparral/Oak woodlands; streambeds; alluvial areas)
Narrow-leaf Milkweed
Showy Milkweed
© Project SOUND
Milkweed family has unusual flowers
and seeds
The petals of the 5-parted
flowers are reflexed and the
anthers unite to the stigma in
the form of a crown with 5
hood-like appendages.
The numerous seeds bear tufts
of silky hairs at their tips for
efficient wind dispersal.
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/pictures/a100.jpg
© Project SOUND
Milkweed pods and seeds
http://www.keiriosity.com/asclepiadaceae/asclepias_f
ascicularis02.jpg http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/PLANTS2/A
sclepiadaceae/Asclepias_fascicularis.htm
How do you think these seeds are dispersed?
seeds
© Project SOUND
Consider Using Milkweeds
For butterfly gardens: nectar source for many species; larval food for Monarchs
For showy white-pink flowers in summer
Along paths and walkways
In mid-beds – would look nice with brighter pinks and purple flowers
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© Project SOUND
Tricks to gardening with Milkweeds
Easy to grow
Plant (seeds) in place if possible
Does best in well-drained soil – but can tolerate clay if not over-watered
Full to part sun
Average water needs – keep somewhat dry. Can tolerate winter flooding
Cut back to ground in winter (native Californians burned it to encourage healthy growth) © Project SOUND
Let’s add some other flowering plants for interest
grass
Buckwheats Perennials & annuals
© Project SOUND
Common Sandaster - Corethrogyne filaginifolia vars. californica and filaginifolia
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/californiaaster.html
© Project SOUND
common and widespread plant in coastal sage scrub, southern oak woodlands and grasslands, and on dry, brushy chaparral slopes
Taxonomy is confusing:
Many still use the old name for the species: Lessingia filaginifolia
Highly variable species; now lumped them all together under variant filaginifolia - variants need further research
var. californica – adapted to slightly wetter, ocean-influenced habitats
var. filaginifolia – adapted to slightly drier habitats
Common Sandaster - Corethrogyne filaginifolia vars. californica and filaginifolia
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Lessingia+filaginifolia+var.+filaginifolia
var. filaginifolia
var. californica
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© Project SOUND
Common Sandaster varies greatly depending on the amount of water it gets
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/californiaaster.html
© Project SOUND
Common Sandaster is typical of plants in
the sunflower family (Asteraceae)
Compound floral heads
Ray flowers (outer)
Brightly colored (usually yellow (bee pollinated) or blue-purple
Serve to direct the pollinator to the nectar
Disk flowers (central)
Small; often yellow or dark-colored
Make nectar to attract pollinators
Form the seeds
© Project SOUND
Growing native perennial sunflowers is
usually easy
Choose a sunny location: most need full or near-full sun
Plant seed in place in fall Prepare soil; lightly rake seed
in use fresh, locally-collected
seed if possible
Insure adequate winter/spring rain
Withhold water after flowering to promote seed production
Many will self-seed; or collect and store the seed in a cool dry place
http://www.coestatepark.com/lessingia_filaginifolia_coe.htm
© Project SOUND
Many Sunflower species
are “two-in-one plants
Sand Asters are good nectar producers:
Good food plant for native bees and other pollinators
Provide nectar for many butterflies from Skippers to Swallowtails
They are also good butterfly larval plants
Gabb’s Checkerspot – endangered Moths
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/pictures/a1142.jpg
http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/zeeb/butterflies/nocut.html
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© Project SOUND
Don’t like this look?
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/PLANTS2/Asteraceae/C
orethrogyne%20filaginifolia%20v.htm
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/astercu3.htm
Then how about this?
© Project SOUND
‘Silver Carpet’ Sandaster
(var. californica)
A Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Introduction
From coastal bluffs exposed to ocean spray in Monterey County
Attractive foliage Silver-white; looks nice all year
long blends well with other plants
Pretty flowers – late summer summer blossoms provide
welcome cool color in a season when warmer-toned natives prevail.
© Project SOUND
‘Silver Carpet’
Sandaster
Low-growing – makes a nice low groundcover
spilling down a slope or over a low wall.
Even in native grasses
Fast-growing (3-5 ft/yr) but not invasive
More tolerant of average garden watering regimens
Hardy
Readily available
http://www.wildscaping.com/plants/plantphotos/SilvCarp_ws_400dm.jpg
Nectar plant only – but a good one! © Project SOUND
Other good generalist perennials to add
Achillea – Yarrow
Eriophyllum – Wallflowers
Sidalcea – Checkermallow
Vetches & Lotus
Lupines
Add other perennials, annuals & grasses depending on butterfly species
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© Project SOUND
S. CA Ladies – how to attract them
West Coast Lady Painted Lady American Lady
© Project SOUND
Food fit for a Lady…… Adult food – many native (and non-native) flowering plants
Larval food
Sunflower family Thistles – Cirsium species
[Painted Lady] Others
Everlastings - Pseudognaphalium (Gnaphalium) [American Lady]
Borage Family Amsinckia Cryptantha
Nettle Family - Urtica species
Bedstraws – Galium species
Mallow Family [Painted & West Coast Ladies] Lavatera Malacothamnus Sidalcea
Cirsium occidentale
Sidalcea
© Project SOUND
Finally, add some low species at the front…
grass
Buckwheats Perennials & annuals
© Project SOUND
Some possible low species
Evergreen Carex species – sedges
Seasonal Smaller grasses
Clovers (Trifolium)
Checkerbloom
Annual wildflowers
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© Project SOUND
Bull clover/ Sour Clover – Trifolium fucatum
© 2004 Carol W. Witham
© Project SOUND
Bull clover – Trifolium fucatum
West coast of N. America from OR to Baja
In CA either:
Foothills of Sierras and other ranges
Coastally-influenced areas < 3000 ft. elevation
Locally abundant. Moist, open grassland, ditches, marshes, roadsides, sometimes saline or serpentine soils
fucatum: painted, dyed
© 2005 George W. Hartwell
© Project SOUND
Bull Clover is a fairly typical native annual clover
Size:
< 1 ft tall
1-3 ft wide; slightly spreading
Growth form: Mounded; low-lying
Typical for clovers
Foliage: Leaves typical ‘clover-leaf’ – often
white-patterned
Stems robust, hollow
Roots: Have symbiotic relationship with
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Leave roots in soil to improve soil fertility
© Project SOUND
Flowers are among the prettier clover flowers
Blooms: Usually Apr-June in S. CA ; after
weather warms up
Long bloom period with supplemental water
Flowers: Typical for clover; small pea-type
flowers in a ball-like head
Cream-colored tinged with pink/mauve
Edible
Seeds: Small
Edible fresh
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© Project SOUND
Clovers – not hard to grow once you know the trick
Soils: Texture: any well-drained
pH: any, including alkali
Even takes salty soils
Light: full sun to part-shade; good under deciduous trees
Water: Winter: needs moist soils
Summer: needs regular water until flowering ceases – then cut back
Fertilizer: not needed, but probably won’t hurt
Other: to start seeds give them a hot-water treatment © 2007 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND
Foothill Clover – Trifolium ciliolatum
http://www.kenbowles.net/sdwildflowers/FamilyIndexes/FabaceaeClover/FabaceaeCloverKey.htm
© Project SOUND
Pin-point Clover – Trifolium gracilentum
© 2006 Doreen L. Smith
© Project SOUND
Rancheria Clover – Trifolium albopurpureum
http://www.timetotrack.com/jay/clovera.htm
1/7/2013
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© Project SOUND
Now we’ve got a plan for what we’ll plant next fall
grass
Buckwheats Perennials & annuals
Low Low
© Project SOUND
What butterflies might visit our garden?
Swallowtails: Anise, Western Tiger, Giant Cabbage White Orange Sulphur Gray Hairstreak Blues: Acmon, Marine, Western Pygmy Fatal Metalmark Mourning Cloak Ladies: American, West Coast Common Buckeye Red Admiral Monarch Funereal Duskywing Skippers: Western Checkered, Sandhill, Fiery, Umber + others
And some of these species might raise their families!
© Project SOUND
Suggestions for creating a butterfly-
friendly garden
Include important nectar and larval food plants; when possible from local sources
Mass/group plants
Include plants that bloom at different times
Consider including some good non-native food plants
Use safe methods of insect control – no pesticides
Encourage others in your neighborhood to plant butterfly-friendly plants
Research & experiment
© Project SOUND
Visit local butterfly
gardens
Doheny State Beach
http://www.visitusa.com/california/photos/orangecounty-beaches/dohenystatebeach.htm
Shipley Nature Center
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-butterflies18nov18-pg,0,4856731.photogallery?index=12