skip to main content

Butterfly Garden

seeking Georgia butterfly planting advice!

12 years ago

Hello - a family member is moving to Atlanta area - SW of city - and has an opportunity to plant whatever plants and trees he wants in a large lot facing SE - lots of sun during the day. He is very eco-friendly and a butterfly enthusiast. Any advice on what attracts the most butterflies - including papilio? Flowers, shrubs, and trees... soil is mostly clay... THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

MissSherry
12 years ago
I don't live in north Georgia, so I don't know the exact plants and trees that grow in the area, but I can make some educated guesses.
Wild black cherry/Prunus serotina grows all over the eastern United States, and it's host for both tiger swallowtails and red-spotted purples. It grows rapidly. There are several big moths that use this tree, and birds love the fruits. In my opinion, it's the best all-round wildlife tree you can plant.
Spicebush and/or sassafras host spicebush swallowtails, which also occur in that area, and birds will fight over the fruits on the female sassafras trees, so I imagine they also love spicebush fruits. Sassafras (and undoubtedly spicebush) also host several of the beautiful, big moths.
Willows grow in wet spots, and if your family member's property has a sunny, damp spot, a willow would host viceroys, red-spotted purples, and quite a few moths.
Hops tree/wafer ash/Ptelea trifoliata is an understory type tree/bush that hosts both giant swallowtails and tiger swallowtails.
If your relative wants to plant a garden, rue is a good start hosting both black and giant swallowtails. Milkweed, either the local type or Asclepias curassavica would host monarchs in the garden.
For nectar, he or she could plant butterfly bush in or out of the garden, coneflowers, Mexican sunflowers/Tithonia, lantana (specifically Mrs. Huff, since it will survive north Georgia winters) and many others.

For a more detailed list of butterfly plants, link to the FAQ section on this forum. Your relative can check with various sources to see if a given plant is native to or will thrive in the Atlanta area.

A good butterfly field guide, like Butterflies of North America by Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman would show which butterflies occur there.

The best way to start would be for your relative to see a butterfly in the Atlanta area, ID it with the field guide, find out what the host plants are, and then consider planting that.

Good luck!

Sherry
bandjzmom
12 years ago
Hey speyeria!
I live in North Georgia, but I used to live SW of Atlanta in Newnan, GA. misssherry is a very smart cookie and always gives good advice. I can tell you that there are a lot of deer down there, and they will eat most everything that you plant in the yard. Would be good to know if this is a wooded lot. Lantana grew very well for me there, and the deer left it alone. The natural soil is like concrete, and I often had to use a pick axe in order to plant something substantial. There is LOTS of Crape Myrtle growing down there, but it doesn't seem to attract butterflies at all. There is a nice natives nursery down there in Fayetteville, GA. Maybe he could contact someone there, and they could give him some good ideas. They are very friendly, and would be happy to speak with him. Hope that helps a bit.~~Angie
http://www.nearlynativenursery.com/
Related Discussions
Georgia and gardening newbie
Q
Comments (12)
two thoughts ... first.. learn how to deal with the soil you have ... and how to amend that soil ... but it would be better off if you learned how to plant in native soil ... because.. what it sounds like you did.. was dig a kettle of a hole.. that probably doesnt drain.. and then filled this non draining hole with water retaining products ... you created a bog ... but you didnt plant bog plants ... looks like i am repeating junco ... second.. i wonder if you are trying to bring in old favorites from your prior location .. when other plants might be more forgiving in GA ... in other words... did you move from far away ... in other words.. plant selection might make it all easier .... one easy solution.. might be to join a local garden club ... make some new friends.. who usually give away plants ... but also.. peeps who have to deal with this stuff .... you can search the globe on the WWW .. but i will bet .. one hours with some 80 year old grey top .. and you will learn more than we can ever surmise ... good luck ken ps: when i moved out to the country ... i used to pass this one glorious place ... i would see this couple of late 70 year olds out there all the time .. ... and one day i just sucked it up.. and stopped .. OMG ... they were so happy to have someone to talk to about the garden... that i left with a trunkful of plants.. and more garden wisdom then i ever thought possible ... and they forced me to sit down a have a bowl of ice cream ... i thought i was transported back to the 1950s.. lol ... they said beaver was out back back with eddy haskel.. lol ...
...See More
Seeking seeds (plants) for dry shade
Q
Comments (8)
Thank you Martha for your suggestions and for your exceptionally generous offer! I'm more than happy to send postage. I'd be especially pleased if you can find things on my list that would fit into your garden :) If you're having success with False Aster in dry shade, that is awesome! The Hardy Ageratum and Prairie Onion also look exactly right for for my project. I have some Penstemon digitalis under this tree and have noted the same thing you described in your post (though when I first planted my baby seedlings there - maybe four or five years ago - I was sure they were doomed). Here's a photo of the west corner of the former lawn. We're working our way around the front and back yards. The area under the tree in the background is where I'm trying to focus this upcoming season. We started nearly everything in our yard from seed, and many of those seeds came from wonderful trades that originated here. http://habhero.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/bohanan-300x222.jpg Below is a link to the main Habitat Hero gardens page that shows some of the beautiful things people are doing to incorporate habitat into their spaces: http://habhero.org/category/habitat-hero-gardens/ My husband is antsy to get the grocery shopping done, but I'll message you as soon as we finish up. Thank you again! Michelle
...See More
Amateur seeking advice, in general and on birds in particular.
Q
Comments (12)
in my opinion, our best permanent garden-pest eating bird is the carolina wren. you won't find them or robins at the seed feeders very often as they eat worms and insects, supplemented with some plant material such as berries. the wrens are such neat birds and can be found here all year. they love to nest near homes with shrubby/brushy areas(or at least my home and i even have a cat, albeit an old one who can't hear and has poor vision :-)). the parents carry the fecal sacs excreted by the young birds away from the nest so you won't find mounds of bird poop on your porch or patio. they love planted hanging baskets as nest sites. a winter water source and something like the mealworms mentioned will keep them near your home. i see them going through the leaf mulch all winter here in east central alabama looking for insects/grubs and you are in an even warmer zone. and you can have a squirrel -proof bird feeder. i have mine on a very tall shepherd's hook in an open area (no shrubs or small trees within about 8'). if your feeder hangs 6' or more from the ground, they can't jump to it. mine also has a baffle below it to discourage climbing but i still have to grease the pole to keep them from trying. they eventually give up. the axle grease lasts for a few weeks until it needs to be reapplied. if this still does not work for you, buy safflower seeds instead of sunflower. it is more expensive but squirrels won't eat it and birds will. i read that it tastes bitter to the squirrels.
...See More
Seeking "Fence Climber" plant for hillside home
Q
Comments (2)
Maybe bougainvillea? I love them, I've never noticed a strong scent. They love LOTS of sun. I had a single plant that thrived in the hot desert of El Paso. Mine was in a pot but in Florida I remember seeing them climb up trellises and on fences. They do have beautiful bright color while in bloom but are still attractive when it's just the leaves.
...See More

Related Stories

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Help Monarchs and Other Butterflies by Planting Common Milkweed

By Pollination Press LLC

Summer-blooming Asclepias syriaca is an important larval host plant for the monarch butterfly and attracts a number of pollinating insects

FLOWERS 15 Native Flowers That Attract Butterflies

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

By picking plants from this list that are right for your location, you’ll get colorful blooms and support pretty pollinators

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Be a Butterfly Savior — Garden for the Monarchs

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keep hope, beauty and kindness alive in the landscape by providing a refuge for these threatened enchanters

FALL GARDENING What Monarch Butterflies Taught Me About Garden Design

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Thinking like a butterfly leads to fresh perspectives in the garden and in life

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Eurybia Macrophylla Fills a Void

By Pollination Press LLC

Plant bigleaf aster in late fall for late-summer color in the shade garden

NATIVE PLANTS Plant These Fall-Flowering Natives in Early Summer for Pollinator Love

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

These 3 groups of plants will support masses of beneficial insects come autumn

GARDENING GUIDES 9 Clay-Busting Native Flowers for Summer Sun

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

These plants survive and even thrive in tough clay soil east of the Rocky Mountains

GROUND COVERS Native Alternatives to English Ivy, Japanese Pachysandra and Periwinkle

By Curtis Adams

These shade-loving ground covers are good for the environment and say something about where you are

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Actaea Racemosa

By Ellen Sousa/Turkey Hill Brook Farm

Elegant flowers top black cohosh in summer woodland gardens

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Asclepias Sullivantii

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Celebrate the pollinator community that flocks to this rare prairie native’s nectar and leaves

Sponsored

Rodriguez Construction Company

1 Review

Industry Leading Home Builders in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

?what to do with this little guy?

3