Bayscape Blog 7/11/11

The Butterfly Bonus

by

Judy DeFiglio

Last week I shared with you, my joy at watching a family of hummingbirds visit my Monarda all day long. Today, I want to keep the (garden) party going and add the bonus of butterflies. As I walked around the garden yesterday pulling some weeds and seeing if anything new was blooming, I was delighted by so many different butterflies gliding around my garden. What a sight! The flowers were gorgeous, so plentiful this year, but the extra splashes of color from the butterflies just added the crowning touch. What did I do to create this masterpiece of nature? I just planted the native plants that butterflies need and love.

Back in the blog of 9/27/10, Butterflies in Your Garden, I described what a butterfly needs to make your garden its home. This blog I want to focus on the flowers that you can grow to attract the butterflies. These plants are mostly for sunny spots because butterflies need the sun to be able to fly. Grow a variety of plants that bloom at different times and you will provide food for the different butterfly and their larvae throughout the season.

Spring blooming Bluestar(Amsonia tabernaemontana), has pretty, light blue star shaped flowers on 3 foot tall stems. It is an early nectar source for several butterflies. The foliage has good yellow fall color.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) tops the list if you want to attract monarch butterflies. This bright orange flowered plant loves it hot and dry. It grows 12 to 30 inches tall and thrives in our sandy soil. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnate) is another milkweed that attracts monarchs. It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and as the name implies, likes a wetter site. The flowers are pink.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) grows 2 to 3 feet tall with large, dark pink flowers and provides nectar for a wide variety of butterflies (pictured above). It blooms all summer long. Another summer bloomer that looks good with coneflower in your garden and attracts many different butterflies is blazing star (Liastris spicata). The 3 to 4 foot tall spikes of pinkish-purple flowers add a great accent to your landscape design.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) are the workhorse of any summer garden. The long lasting, bright yellow flowers are drought tolerant. Butterflies love them and so do I.

If you have the space, Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum) will bring monarchs and swallowtails to your garden. This great plant with pinky, fuzzy flowers can grow up to 8 feet tall and like moist soil.

Asters (Asrer novae-angliae) are a great choice to attract butterflies later in the season. They can grow up to five feet tall, and the violet flowers look great in a fall garden. Another late bloomer that butterflies love is goldenrod (Solidago). The abundant, golden yellow flowers add a burst of color when most everything else in your garden has given up (and no they don’t cause hayfever).

Try some of these native plants in your garden. Not only will you get beautiful flowers, but also the added bonus of butterflies. Isn’t it wonderful that doing something so good for the birds, bees, butterflies and Barnegat Bay can bring such beauty and joy to ourselves too.