Butterfly Gardening 101 Red Admiral feeding on pentas at Mercer.

 Butterfly Basics  Butterflies Found in Texas - Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary  Planting a Butterfly Garden - The Basics (use NABA brochure) - Nectar Plants - Host Plants - Additional Tips  Resources - Books - Websites - Local resources Butterfly Gardening 101

 Butterflies go through 4 stages: egg  caterpillar  chrysalis  imago (adult)  Butterfly species vary in seasonal timing and length of life cycle  Adult butterflies are usually active only during the growing season when the day is sunny or warm.  Butterflies annual cycle typically includes a period of diapause (inactivity) during very cold or very dry weather. Butterfly Basics Source: “Straight Talk About Butterfly Biology by Ann B. Swengel, 1995,

Butterfly Life Cycle

 Swallowtail (Black, Giant, Spicebush, etc.)  Sulphur (Cloudless, Little, Cabbage, Sleepy, Orange, Large)  Monarch  Queen  Gulf fritillary  Red Admiral  Viceroy  Painted Lady  Buckeye  Skipper Gulf Coast Species

Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary

Goal: Improve your yard so more butterflies are attracted to live there!  Sunshine – Butterflies need to be warm to be active.  Plants  Combine nectar and host plants to provide the best habitat.  Allow native “weeds” to grow if possible. Planting a Butterfly Garden Source: “Basics of Butterfly Gardening by Ann B. Swengel, 1995,

 Moisture – Puddle edges and moist dirt are popular because they also provide nutritious minerals leeched from soil.  Cover  Let a corner of your garden grow “wild”.  Provides cover for caterpillars, chrysalides.  Provides cover for butterflies at night and in winter.  Pest Control  Avoid insecticides if at all possible!  Be tolerant of pests.  Look into “integrated pest management”. Planting a Butterfly Garden

 Cosmos  Marigold  Zinnias  Pentas  Verbena  Butterfly Bush  Indigo  Lantana  Mountain Laurel  Aster  Senna  Black-eyed Susans  Passionflower vine  Mexican false heather  Firecracker plant Nectar Plants  Indian Blankets  Buckwheat  Gayfeather  Milkweed  Coreopsis  Goldenrod  Lupine  Purple Coneflower  Sage / Salvia  Sunflower  Sweet clover  Yarrow  Morning Glory  Trumpet vine  Honeysuckle

 Dill  Parsley  Anise  Fennel  Rue  Citrus  Milkweed  Snapdragon  Nettle, false nettle  Passionflower vine  Shrimp plant  Aster  Hollyhock  Thistle Host Plants  Willow  Cottonwood  Sweet bay, Red bay  Spicebush  Sassafras  Senna  Canna  Sunflower  Mislletoe  Hammerwort  Purslane  Flax  Partridge pea  Pipe vine

 Sit back and enjoy the butterflies that come to your garden!  Go slow.  Go low.  Approach from behind.  Don’t cross the butterfly with your shadow.  Avoid sudden movements.  Visit local parks and arboretums and observe what plants the butterflies are attracted to to get an idea of what to plant in your own garden. Additional Tips

 Books  Butterflies of Houston and Southeast Texas by John & Gloria Tveten  The Butterfly Gardener’s Guide a Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guide  Beginner’s Guide to Butterflies by Donald & Lillian Stokes  Websites  North American Butterfly Assoc:  Monarch Watch:  Local resources  Cockrell Butterfly Center  Mercer Arboretum Resources

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