Butterfly Gardening 101 Red Admiral feeding on pentas

Butterfly Gardening 101 Red Admiral feeding on pentas at Mercer.

Butterfly Gardening 101 | 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 Basics | 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. Source: “Straight Talk About Butterfly Biology by Ann B. Swengel, 1995, www. naba. org

Butterfly Life Cycle

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

Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary

Monarch vs. Gulf Fritillary

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

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

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

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

Additional Tips | Sit back and enjoy the butterflies that come to your garden! Ø Go slow. Ø Go low. Ø Approach from behind. Ø Don’t cross the butterfly with your shadow. Ø 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.

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

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