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Butterfly Garden

Butterflies on a butterfly bush.

10 years ago

We planted the butterfly bush late last spring. It's now about three feet tall, but hasn't filled out, yet. otoh, it's already a butterfly magnet!

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Comments (15)

MissSherry
10 years ago
Just beautiful!! The pipevine swallowtail and buckeye are knockouts, as is the butterfly bush!

Sherry
wbonesteel
Original Author
10 years ago
Here's the best pic I could get of the swallowtail. This is the only time I saw it when it's wings weren't fluttering.

There were smaller butterflies on the bush, as well, but they never stopped moving long enough to get a pic of them.
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BERGER123
10 years ago
Do you have pipvine? From the looks of the pipvine swallowtail I think it's a female but I could be wrong
MissSherry
10 years ago
It's a male pipevine swallowtail. He's got a tear in his wings, but isn't his blue coloring gorgeous?

Sherry
caterwallin
10 years ago
Pretty pictures! I'm glad that the butterfly bush is doing so well attracting the flying jewels for you. If you need any pipevine seeds, Aristolochia macrophylla is just one kind of seed that I'll be giving away in my seed giveaway (for a padded envelope and postage) in a couple months. Pipevine Swallowtails are my very favorite kind of butterfly cat to raise! Congrats on having them and the Common Buckeyes show up at your place!
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GreatPlains1
10 years ago
Great pictures. I think I have that same variety of Butterflybush. It has soft bluish leaves. Darn you, I can't hardly ever can get two butterflies in one shot, they move too fast.
wbonesteel
Original Author
10 years ago
I got lucky w/the swallowtail. I didn't think I'd ever get a shot of him, but he finally settled down for a few seconds on one flower, then a few seconds on another. That was it. He was constantly moving.

Caterwallin, I appreciate the offer, but we have about all of the flowers we can handle in the room that is available to us. We have over two thousand plus bulbs and flowers in the front gardens alone. Almost every square inch in two flower beds is filled with flower bulbs and roots. All but one of the other flower beds are almost as full. I'm *trying* to keep the rest of the front garden as edible landscaping.

The flowers help to attract pollinators and beneficial insects for the edible garden. Plus, from time to time, I get to take pretty pics, and share the beauty with others!
surya55_gw
10 years ago
How lovely! I love it when you get two species in one shot! Great job with the bush!

Sherry- someone told me that when they have a tear like what's above, it means that a bird tried to catch it (bird strike). Is this true? Thanks for always sharing your knowledge with us "newbies" :-) Nerry
MissSherry
10 years ago
You're welcome, Nerry!

I've heard that, too, but I've never actually seen that happen, never even seen a bird go after a butterfly. Even nesting birds tend to feed their babies cricket or grasshopper insides (they pluck the legs and hard body parts off) and not caterpillars.

There are many things that can tear a butterfly's delicate wings - thorns on rose bushes, a mantis grabbing for the wing - I've seen this, any type sharp thing they come in contact with.

Sherry
surya55_gw
10 years ago
Hmmm makes me wonder- you're right I can imagine them getting snagged on anything....
hawaiiponder34
10 years ago
So thats what butterfly bush blooms look like? So pretty, no wonder they like it
;-)
Kvothe
10 years ago
I was walking today and near my home there 4-5 butterfly bushes. One was full of butterflies, I counted at least 12! How amazing, I am going to get me one for next Spring
Tony G
10 years ago
wbonesteel, what type of butterfly is that? Do you know the name? Tony
JordanWalker
10 years ago
The butterflies in the photo is so beautiful. My girlfriend loves watching these lovely creatures. Their wings are so attractive because of the lovely different colors. My girlfriend told me when she was little she found a pupa and after a few days, she get to check it again but she was so worried as it was already empty. So she did ask her mum what had happened, then her mum explained her everything. She then realize how amazing it is to have an ugly pupa turned into a lovely butterfly. From that day on, butterfly became her ultimate favourite.
JordanWalker
10 years ago
The butterflies in the photo is so beautiful. My girlfriend loves watching these lovely creatures. Their wings are so attractive because of the lovely different colors. My girlfriend told me when she was little she found a pupa and after a few days, she get to check it again but she was so worried as it was already empty. So she did ask her mum what had happened, then her mum explained her everything. She then realize how amazing it is to have an ugly pupa turned into a lovely butterfly. From that day on, butterfly became her ultimate favourite.

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?what to do with this little guy?

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