Oopse missed the zinna here is the pic

zinna
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The sulphurs have not been around as much this year. Last year I had at least 4 flying around in my yard all the time and sometimes as many as 7, this year I have seen 2 all year! I don't know if something is getting the eggs and cats or if we have just had too weird of weather for them.

On the other hand the BST's have been multiplying like crazy. I have never had so many eggs, cats and butterflies. Same with the GST's. It has definitely been a good year for both of these species.

My 2 favorite nectar plants are the durantas and mexican sunflowers, definite butterfly magnets! Although I prefer the sapphire showers to golden dew drop (durantas), no thorns! And it doesn't hurt that the mexican sunflowers are cheap seeds, just have to have patience for them to grow and start to bloom. I started seeds every week for about 8 weeks so that the blooms would last late into the summer and so far it seems to have been a good idea. I then grouped plants that were planted 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks apart. Need to figure out how to post photos...

Mechelle

Mechelle

Angie, the nectar plants that you showed are all the very ones that my butterflies love best, except the duranta/golden dewdrop - for whatever reason, they completely ignored mine. The other one you showed that I don't have is zinnias, and I'm going to be planting some next year.
MissSherry

Ditto, Angie, except for the Mexican Flame Vine. Where does everyone get those? I think I need one! My Duranta is darker also, but very popular with the BFs.

I would have to add Lantana to the group. Yellow and Lavendar Lantana are the plants that seems to bring the stragglers to my yard, like Zebra Swallowtail and Zebra Longwing.

And, A. Incarnata attracts the GSFs, Queens, and Monarchs.

OkSandy

Hands down it's the butterfly bush, and lantana. I see more butterflies on those than any other of my flowers. I don't have mexican sunflowers, have not found them anywhere, but I have lots of lantana, and that seems to be good enough for them.

Aggie,

I loved the pictures of your top-ten butterfly nectar plants. I agree with your list and would add:

brazilian verbena(Verbena bonariensis)
bee balm(Monarda didyma)
thistle(Cirsium vulgare)
purple coneflowers( Echininacea sp.)
harlequin glory bower((Clerodendrum tricotomum)
cosmos,orange(Cosmos sulphureus) many of the smaller butterflies visit this

mike

I have the thistle and they skip right over it .The bee balm I planted in spring is still not blooming yet and my verbena and cosmos all dieded from this texas heat.

Does Mexican Flame Vine root readily? If so, I can root one for you, SandyOK! Linda has one, and it is root hardy in our zone 7. It may be in 6b, if you mulch it really well.

The duranta 'Sapphire Showers' attracted some butterflies last year, but nothing to the degree I was expecting. Regional differences, probably, once again. My best are Lavendar, zinnias, lantana, tropical milkweed, red pentas, Salvias, veronica (speedwell), marigolds, cleome, sunflowers, Firebush, and flax. But, I have found it varies from year to year, with the exception of the lavendar and tropical milkweed.

Has anyone ever grown firebush from seed (hamelia patens)?

Susan

I've never grown hamelia patens, but Mexican flame vine is extremely easy to root, Susan - sometimes I'll find rooted pieces where a branch has touched the ground!
MissSherry

Susan,
I haven't grown firebush from seed, but it does well from cuttings, and I can grow one for you. We can trade! I actually have a cutting right now that is about ready to transplant. I have a larger firebush that I plan to make cuttings off this fall for next spring.

OKSandy

I find mexican flame root the easyest of any plants I have I just cut mine back 2 weeks ago and I put the ends in straight water and wow look at the roots now not sure how to separate the now they all grew together in 2 weeks .
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To the zinnias, coneflower, and cosmos already mentioned add:

Coreopsis -- good general purpose attractor
Marigolds -- for skippers
Plumbago -- swallowtails and skippers
Sedum -- hairstreaks and late-season fritillaries

(Note that I'm well north of you, though!)

Jeff

Jeff, the firebush (hamelia patens) is an annual here in Oklahoma, but I grew it for the first time this summer and will have to make sure I have it in my garden from now on. The swallowtails LOVE it. As I mentioned, their probiscus is long enough to reach the nectar in the tubular red flowers. The hummers love it, too.

Sandy, I was wondering about growing from seed, because I don't have anyplace inside to overwinter it or a cutting for that matter. Space is a premium in my house since my daughter and granddaughter live with me. What I intended to be my plant room (south-facing, with patio doors and big windows with lots of winter sun) is now my daughter's room. I do have a small flourescent light over my sink with a shelve below the light. I could try to winter it in that, but I already have it, so I can just take a cutting myself.

Still, I'd be happy to root you a Mexican Flame vine if you'd like to try it. Have you ever grown it? I had not, but my neighbor across the street grew his in a pot and took it inside over winter. As I said, Linda has had good luck with root hardiness on hers, so I'm hoping it will be root hardy in my yard, too. It may be root hardy for you as well, but we're right on the northern hardiness zone for it. You could root a cutting from the cutting (how'd ya like that?) just to be sure you'd have some next year. If yours comes back, you'd have two plants (or more) by then.

I still don't have a butterfly bush, and that's about all I want for next year, with the regular annuals I grow like zinnias, salvias (which reseed), and some lantana and pentas. If I have anything you want, Sandy, let me know.

Angie, the MFV has lots of roots on it. I couldn't believe them when I first got mine. Thanks for showing an image of yours. My stems are not purple, though. Do we have the same plant?????

I am letting my Passiflora ceurulea fruit so I can try to grow some from seed. Has anyone done this? I am assuming you wait until the fruit is rotten? Or not? I have 2 fruit right now. I've been letting the GFs eat my other flower buds after the flower dies back, because they love them so much, and they seem to grow faster eating the flower buds than eating the leaves IMHO.

I have had flowers from time to time on the P. 'Incense', but never fruit, so I won't rely on that the produce any.

One butterfly I haven't seen much of at all this year, is the Painted Lady. Maybe I'll see more in the fall. I planted a licorice and Dusty Miller for them, but so far, nada. I've never had them on the hollyhocks or malva, so am not looking to it as a host plant for them. Have you ever had them lay eggs up north, Sandy?

I've had so many butterflies this year, I just cannot complain at all because I feel like I've been so lucky this year.

Susan

The Red Admirals have been all over the purple coneflowers & lantana, and the hummingbird moths, swallowtails and monarchs love the Pink Delight and the white buddleias. I've hardly seen any activity on any of my purple buddleias this year. I'm actually thinking about getting rid of two of my awful looking purples and replacing it with another Pink Delight; it's just gorgeous.

Susan,

I'd love to get a start from the Mexican Flame Vine. I will try to start a couple of butterfly bushes for you. I'm not for sure, but think that they will start if I lay a branch down and put soil over it. I have whites, reds, yellows, pinks, deep purple, blue, and multi-color. I don't have any that the BFs don't use for nectar, but the favs are the yellow, white, and pink. I am also going to start some of the Mexican Firebush so I'll just start extra. I have a good place to keep the starts over the winter. I am in OKC every third Saturday to visit my mom at the retirement home where she lives. So maybe one of those Saturdays we can meet and make some exchanges.

As to Painted Ladies, I have had one that I found on snapdragon! Yes, you read that right. I'm not for sure what the host plant was, but I found the chrysalis on snapdragon. I have several PLs hanging around right now, including a very large and beautiful one. They love the lantana and scarlet Scabiosa, from which I'm saving seed. I have pussy toes, malva, etc., but no action on those plants.

Currently the big action is going to the Monarchs, which are showing up more and more lately. I gathered 20+ eggs today, and 4 more cats. I am "rolling" the eggs off the leaves like one of the sites said to do. I have 4 chrysalides. And I discovered more PVS eggs today. The serpentaria roots (6) I planted last week are putting on leaves rather quickly, so maybe that will be a second source soon.

I would like very much to get a start of A Clematitis and get it planted. I lost the one I got from Linda in the spring.

So, I think my biggest wishes right now are the A Clematitis start, and a Mexican Flame Vine Start.

I sowed more parsley, fennel, and cilantro. I'm going to see if the BSTs eat the cilantro this fall! I'll probably have plants to share then.

Also, I could bring you a couple of small Spicebush cats for your spicebush. I continue to get more, though I have yet to see a Spicebush BF around. I'd love to trade for a couple of GF cats. My beautiful GF was out on the zinnias today as usual all by its lonesome.

Guess that's it!

OKSandy

Im not sure why some mexican flame vines are more purple than others might be less sun the ones I rooted were in the shade the others are in full morning sun but they were all from same vine I cut them back when they get crazy .I to havent seen many painted ladys this year and I have been disappointed in my zebra malvas they did great in spring but dont take the texas heat well they look bad .

Mexican Flame Vine is a wonder! Mine are also very 'purple-y' stemmed and it is super easy to grow. I don't even do anything special-just shove a broken stem into the soil. ;P

Lantana just doesn't seem to draw the butterflies around my yard so I gave mine all away. I do have one at school and the cut- and armyworms love it.

I think the MFV's seeds also seem to be spreading because we're finding 'baby' Mexican Flame Vines sprouting up in spots all over the place!