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Butterfly Garden

New to Butterflies and Gardening!

14 years ago

Hi There! You'll have to forgive my ignorance on just about everything related to my subject...I am brand new to gardening and to butterflies, but I'm so excited I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing!

About a week ago, I visited the botanical gardens here and decided I had to have a butterfly garden. I went out that day and bought a passion vine, 2 pentas (yellow and purple), 2 milkweeds and a butterfly bush. I'm making it a container garden for now because we're hoping to move soon. Well, just as soon as I got them out there the butteflies appeared. I have 6 caterpillars on my passion vine (I think I've figured out they are Gulf Fritillary butterfly because they are orange with black spikes). About 2 days ago I notice a TON...like over 15 little white little eggs on my Milkweeds and one has already turned to a caterpillar. I'm so EXCITED!

So, I guess I probably have a million questions, but what I'm hoping for is something that can help me be sure I'm taking care of my plants correctly...watering, pruning (especially how to I have no idea what I'm doing), amount of sun, feeding, etc so my butterflies will thrive. From what I understand all of the plants I got like full sun, but I'm noticing at the end of every day that my milkweeds and butterfly bush look a bit wilted. I feel like I'm watering them everyday and I worry that that is too much, but it seems to perk them right up. I haven't done much with my passion vine other than add a new trelis and help it along there and the pentas seem to be taking care of themselves.

So, this is a ton of information and probably too much, but I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction about caring for my plants (and butterflies) as my online research has left me frustrated! Thank you so much to anyone who can push me in the right direction!

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Comments (3)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
Only you can determine if your plants are getting enough water or not. The frequency depends upon the size of the container in relationship to the plants, the kind of container, the porosity of the potting medium, temperature, humidity, and more.

It's entirely feasible that you need to drench some of the containers every single day, maybe even more! But only if the right mix of factors fit your situation. Best to feel around with your fingers at the end of the day to see how much moisture is still available to the plants. A bit on the dry side? Water thoroughly.

Having to water often is far better than having to be cautious about overwatering, if you know what I mean. A nice, porous potting medium makes all the difference.

Plants can become wilty because of too much moisture in the medium, too. Or because they are over-potted (too big container for the plant means stagnant conditions). This can cause root rot at the worst, or the inability of the root system to keep growing at best. Again, feel around in the container at the end of the day. If the soil feels cold and wet, then there's your problem.

Good luck on your move! I hope that I've been able to help with the watering situation, but if not....let me know.
mboston_gw
14 years ago
We have been so dry here in Florida that it has been necessary to water daily. Try to water the soil rather than the leaves of the plants. The cats will eat your host plants so be prepared to buy more. Don't be surprised is you lose some of your cats cause the wasps do like to take them.
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Welcome, Pat! Many people say that this forum is the best place to get information! :) The FAQ section should help you a lot also. I looked on your member page to try and find out where you are, but it only said United States. I assume that, since you're in Zone 6, you're probably in Pennsylvannia or Virginia or that general area - if so, then The Butterflies of West Virginia and their Caterpillars by Thomas J. Allen would be specific for you area. The Life Cycles of Butterflies by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards is an outstanding book for beginners! The pictures are some of the best I've ever seen, and the text is simple and easy to understand - I'd recommend this one highly! Also, Judy posts on this forum sometime. There are many websites including Judy's - maybe she'll see this thread and give you the URL for it. MissSherry
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Hi, Fern! Let me first say, welcome to the forum! I reiterate everything CalSherry states, PLUS you must garden organically - meaning no pesticides, no chemicals. They will adversely affect the butterflies, their eggs, their caterpillars, etc. Actually, since I started butterfly gardening without using pesticides (a lot of people use BT for caterpillars w/o knowing what they are actually killing), I have more beneficial insects in my garden. It's a symbiotic relationship of various insects. Read our FAQs, which will answer a LOT of your questions about good nectar and host plants (including what butterflies they will host). I'm pretty new as well, and I've been growing milkweed (for the Monarch caterpillars), Rue (for both the Giant Swallowtail and Black Swallowtail), sennas fka cassias for the sulphurs, and many others. I have heard mixed reviews about Butterfly Bush in Florida. I believe someone mentioned that the yellow flowering species/cultivars did the best (B. weyeriana). I found the attached thread at the Florida Gardening Forum discussing alternatives to the BB in Florida in the event you're interested. Again, welcome to the forum! Susan Here is a link that might be useful: Buddleia in Florida
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Where I live in the Denver metro area, butterflies are infrequent visitors (probably too much pesticide use) whereas moths are more plentiful. However, lately, I'm seeing occasional butterflies. They don't stay long enough for me to identify the particular species. I think I'll visit BONAP and see what I might expect in this area. So far, I have various annuals and an increasing number of perennials growing -- agastaches, gauras, penstemons, salvias, showy milkweed, etc. I'll try to post a better list later. The milkweed is the only one I'm aware of as being a host plant, so we're mostly talking nectar plants so far. I just want to attract and feed more butterflies. I noticed one the other day basking briefly in my rock garden (full sun). I plan to add a puddle I can maintain (it's been damp this spring and summer, but usually is very dry here). Thanks so much for your note K.
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Hi Tom, Congrats on seeing your first Giant Swallowtail of the spring. They are so graceful in flight and one I love to watch in the garden. I've seen no butterflies here yet but with the warmer days and nights of our early spring, I suspect they'll be arriving soon. Most everything is budding. I think I can see the beginnings of a sprout of spider milkweed beginning to poke through the soil (in ground). The biggest surprise of this mild winter and early spring is outside tropical milkweed that actually lived through the winter. Well, the roots anyway! I have a big pot planted with Rue sitting on the deck and when the Monarch cats had eaten cuttings of tropical mw down to bare stalks, I'd stick the stalks around the rim of this pot to root. The tops died with the first frost last fall. But surprise, the roots didn't die and they're now pushing up new growth. This is a first for me, to have roots of this mw survive a winter. Sure hope the Monarchs still in their winter home in Mexico come through the late storm OK. Mary
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karen829
14 years ago
Have you considered taking a few of the Monarch eggs inside so you can observe the stages up-close?? It is a wonderful experience. Many of the eggs and caterpillars outside are eaten by predators, so you will be "saving" some Monarchs and you're in for a treat.

You will have to provide fresh milkweed for the caterpillars.

Here is a link that might be useful: Raising Monarchs

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