Butterflyalley, I really should get a caterpillar book someday. It would be so much handier than to keep looking things up on the net. I'm not so sure I want to keep the vetch for one butterfly, especially since there is so much crown vetch around, i.e. along the highways for ground cover. That's probably another reason for the decline of butterflies. Between road crews mowing places they never mowed before and with all the crown vetch along the highways crowding out probably just about anything in its path, I imagine that the butterflies have lost a lot of their habitat on the sides of roads. I hope you find some cats on your Louisiana Vetch. If you do, let us know. I always love to hear about everybody's finds. When I find a cat, it's like discovering buried treasure. Yes, it sounds like the birds there are helping to spread the seeds around. I like to plant for both the birds and the butterflies, although now I'll definitely have more planted for the butterflies. I guess you must have a lot of food there for our feathered/furred/winged friends if your place is certified. Well, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who's obsessive about the butterflies. I would about cry too when the spraying goes on. Sometimes I wonder if people don't know what all that stuff kills or if they don't even care. Count me among the ones who don't like mosquito spraying. If people would just go back to pre-chemicals, we'd be much better off. It's a lot of nonsense, all this spraying and powdering of things! Then the birds eating the insects that have been poisoned end up being poisoned themselves, so they are no longer around to eat the insects that the people are trying to get rid of. The whole things is just so stupid! If only the higher ups would quit with the spraying and work to rebuild our bird and bat populations. Of course, then I guess more butterflies would get eaten. I don't know if there's an answer to this dilemma. That's a good idea you have with keeping the "wildlings" in pots buried in certain places. Yes, I can imagine how some can invade other areas that you want for other plants.

The ruffed grouse love it here in mid-Michigan!

I'm surprised you lost the crown vetch. In my area, this is a pretty invasive plant and pretty tough to kill. Then again, I, too have tried to get a bank of them going, and they seem to grow everywhere BUT where I want them to. That being said, these are a pretty tough plant with roots that really run and will take over an area fairly quickly. I think the key to your problem is the acidic soil. The hill area you describe is pretty big..otherwise I'd suggest trying some rhododendrons and azaleas. The wind might be pretty tough on them though. How about pachysandra as a ground cover??? I intensely dislike this plant, since it IS an incredibly prolific groundcover that will virtually choke out anything else in it's path. So, if you want it, know that you will also not grow anything else there. It MAY well be what you're looking for. It is truly an indestructible plant - actually a nice looking, non-blooming, green groundcover that puts out lateral roots like there's no tomorrow. Hope this suggestion helps. You could probably do it yourself..just get a good number of plants, space them out, and it probably won't take that long until they take root and take off. Best, Keith

Definitely a bane. Here's a list of native plants for NM, some specifically state that they are good for erosion control. http://www.plantnative.org/rpl-az.htm Also, you might want to contact NM State Forestry Division for some advice and/or assistance. Here is a link that might be useful: NM State Forestry Division