Ramping Up For Next Year

10 years ago

I'm really worried about the Monarchs, but I'm getting ready for next year and focusing a bit more on other butterflies. I bought a Hop Tree for the Giant Swallowtails, a Spice Bush for the SpiceBush Swallowtails, and I'm planting multiple containers of parsley and rue for the Black Swallowtails. I've seen quite a few Red Admirals in my yard the past two springs, so I think I must have stinging nettles or false nettles in the woods out back. I'm collecting seeds from my nectar plants as they become available. Boy are they just like the watched pot that won't boil.

I am working on the Monarchs as well. I have a mixed patch of Lily of the Valley and milkweed, and I'm working on killing of the LOV and expanding the milkweed. I may put some parsley in that bed, too. It's shady, so maybe the parsley won't go to seed as quickly and there will be more foliage available for the BSTs. Annual dill might work similarly.

I'm ecstatic about the success of my Liatris ligulastylis. I wintersowed seeds 18 months ago, and now it is blooming. Before this stuff bloomed, I had only seen one Monarch all summer. Now I see one almost every day, and always nectaring on that liatris. These might be the Monarchs I released a few weeks ago, but you'd think they would have found somewhere more interesting to go by now. Any way, I'm eagerly awaiting seeds from these plants so I can expand my collection.

What is anyone else planning for next year? I grew 4 Asclepias currasavica and I hope to overwinter cuttings, if not the entire plant. They haven't gotten very large. Then again, I'm far enough north that the Monarchs don't get here until the Swamp Milkweed is well up. So having large plants early is not so important.

Hope to hear what everyone is up to. I need more ideas, especially for attracting butterflies to shade. Happy gardening!

Martha

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Comments (11)

hawaiiponder34
10 years ago
oh my gosh, that's a lot of work, Martha, how I wish I have a lot of time and energy like you :D, me? I just started raising monarch butterflies, just bought host plants ( calotropis gigantea. I also bought some asclepias currasavica, and asclepias tuberosa online, and they seems to be doing pretty well on a steady 80-88 degrees weather we have here. I am also started planting nectar plants like zinnias, cornflowers, BES, and lantanas. I already have other host plant for gulf frits ( passioflora foetida), and lime tree for the Chinese swallow tail. still learning about other butterflies here in my area. other than planting more flowers, nectar sources, working full time and being a mom of a 3 year old, that's pretty much it for now:-).
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Leafhead
10 years ago
I'm also concerned about the Monarch, so I plan on harvesting Milkweed seed from home, work and the Research Park/Science Drive area restored prairies and distributing the seed around the country. I don't know where I'll be this time next year (it all depends on this winter) but I plan on planting more Liatris and Milkweed for the Monarchs if I choose to stay here in WI. I plan on starting Rue seed as a perennial host plant for the BST.
Martha, Stinging Nettles and White Snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosa) do quite well in shade. Also, you can try Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) for the Monarch, although it seems to attract more rabbits here in my garden. (hopefully you have a gun and a bigger dog LOL).
Another thing to consider is a butterfly feeder replete c overripe bananas and mangoes.
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docmom_gw
Original Author
10 years ago
Leafhead,
I actually picked up some white snakeroot at a recent native plant sale. My sister just commented that it's a popular nectar source and reseeds generously. I hope to use it to fill in spots as I eradicate the invasives I have on my property. I also stopped by my girlfriend's place, and her Liatris is a week or so ahead of mine, so her seeds were ripe. I grabbed a handful and I'll plant those as soon as I'm done with the work that pays the bills. I'm planting Rue from seed as well, and more Virginia Creeper, which is a common host for lots of the big nocturnal moths.

Gotta go.

Martha
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Leafhead
10 years ago
Intriguing. Which large moths come to Virginia Creeper? I have a bit of that in the back...
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Liz
10 years ago
Ditto me on the Virginia creeper. I'm letting it fill in as groundcover in soe of my woods. I love it--it is so beautiful. Beautifully shaped leaves, gorgeous scarlet in early fall, showy fruit, great for the birds. Watch it with the white snakeroot, though. It's volunteered all over my woodsy beds, and reseeds like crazy. It's beautiful in flower, though.
Liz
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KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
10 years ago
More than a few of sphinx moths use Virginia Creeper. Pandorus sphinx is one I'd love to have since the cats come in different colors.

I have a lot of Virginia Creeper but it is all at ground level. My plan is to cut one of my dead ash trees at around 15' and then have a Virginia Creeper take over the dead tree.
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MissSherry
10 years ago
I've got so many butterfly plants, I'm just trying to take care of what I have, for the most part. I do have two seedling wild black cherry trees I dug up this past spring growing in pots, to plant out this winter, maybe, or maybe grow in pots for another year. I've got some new, late-blooming salvias that I'm hoping butterflies will use. Also, I've got two 'ugly shrimp plants' in pots that are for overwintering hummingbirds, but, hopefully, butterflies that overwinter as adults can nectar from them as well. Also, a winter-blooming purple firespike for the same thing.

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docmom_gw
Original Author
10 years ago
KC,
I have about 1/2 acre enclosed with chain link fence. I was able to successfully transplant four shovels full of Virginia Creeper to spots near one corner of the yard, so I hope to train it up and along the fence. I was able to do a similar project at my former house, and it was beautiful when it filled in. I also saved seed from a friend's vines by protecting the tiny berries with drawstring wedding favor bags. I haven't dissected the berries to see how many I got, but each berry has several seeds. I hope they germinate well. There is always so much to do.

Martha
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KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
10 years ago
I have a Virginia creeper that has creeped up one of my wood fences. Unfortunately, I have to take the fence apart in the near future so the creeper will be coming down.
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ladyrose65
10 years ago
Hello docmom, I just bought a Lantana, and a red Butterfly Bush. I got adopted for Milkweed seeds, most of my WSing will be milkweed this season. Would like to get Slender Mt. Mint?
We still have a lot of wasps. I have to deal with them.

Avis
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docmom_gw
Original Author
10 years ago
Avis,
There isn't much you can do about the wasps, except bring in any eggs and caterpillars you find to raise inside. You could even set up an outdoor spot and cover your containers with fine mesh to keep the wasps and spiders and ants out. Sme people here on the forum have host plants in pots, so the cats can grow up on actively growing plants rather than cuttings in water. I'm moving in that direction. I have tropical milkweed in a pot and I've just planted parsley that will be transplanted to small pots as it germinates. I bought a Hop Tree, and I haven't decided where to plant it yet. Some trees can do OK in pots for awhile, I think.

Martha
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Ramping Up For Next Year

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