Easiest answer to Salix nigra is a stroll down to the Rio Grande to collect a wild start of it there. Grows all along that waterway, so why buy it? "I want to attract the Viceroy and Red Spotted Purple butterflies. There has only been one record of each in my area making them RARE. I really want to get one in my garden and raise them." You obviously have high hopes of turning your place into the butterfly magnet of the world, but IMO the reality is you'll have less disappointments if you set your sights a little more reasonably and work into all of this slower instead of trying to do it all at once. IOW, if it is true that there is only one record of L. archippus in your area it was most likely a stray. So imagine the odds against attracting and getting a gravid female to even fly through your tiny speck of real estate (just because you planted some S. nigra), or the even higher odds against it laying eggs on your plants. (BTW, L. a. hoffmanni has county records recorded for it from several counties in your immediate area. But with my data packed away for the move I can't confirm how many records that is.)

Shari, they use plantain in my yard. A common weed in many lawns and does spread. Mine is contained in an area where they shouldn't get out of control, but we'll see. Dwarf snaps are another host for them. But, in your area, I don't know how well the snaps will do, since they tend to die out in heat. I had a tall snap last year and it did kind of wimp along in the hotter part of the summer, but grew nicely in spring and fall. This year I purchased some dwarf snaps. I'm not too far from you (dallas?). I'm in OKC. I think the buckeyes have been known to use many plants as a host, though, so you might want to google Buckeye host plants. There is a website available for Texas host plants and butterflies. Try the Dallas Butterfly Association. They have quite an extensive list of various host plants for butterflies in Texas. Susan

So you have a ton of Japanese Honeysuckle, amazing fragrant flowers, it 'cares' for itself. You can't seam to kill it... what could you do? I would raise Bees. The most amazing honey I've ever tasted was created primarily from Japanese Honeysuckle. Not only could you potentially sell the honey but honey bees are having some trouble in the world today and give a helping hand to a dying species by establishing a local population would be a good thing. Eventually the bees may start other hives on the property too, you never know. But because of the amount of nectar in the Honeysuckle flowers the bees will have a ton to eat. They would be able to expand fast with such an awesome food supply. If you have a garden in your backyard or black berries on your property - Your thriving bee hive will help pollinate every flower within 5 miles. I'd give it a try before anything else. I read that goats will also eat honeysuckle, leash them up to cover a small area...they will eat it down to the ground and eventually the Honeysuckle will stop growing. Chickens will also peck an area until nothing grows. Maybe it's time to start a chicken farm - Fresh eggs and fresh poltury! Turkeys maybes? If you really must get rid of your Japanese Honeysuckle without having to start a farm, and you don't want to start some bee hives (I'd love to be able to do this myself...still trying to buy property though): (From http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/loja1.htm) Chemical In moderate cold climates, Japanese honeysuckle leaves continue to photosynthesize long after most other plants have lost their leaves. This allows for application of herbicides when many native species are dormant. However, for effective control with herbicides, healthy green leaves must be present at application time and temperatures must be sufficient for plant activity. Several systemic herbicides (e.g., glyphosate and triclopyr) move through the plant to the roots when applied to the leaves or stems and have been used effectively on Japanese honeysuckle. Following label guidelines, apply a 2.5% rate of glyphosate (e.g., Rodeo� for wetlands; Roundup� for uplands) mixed with water and an appropriate surfactant, to foliage from spring through fall. Alternatively, apply a 2% concentration of triclopyr (e.g., Garlon 3A) plus water to foliage, thoroughly wetting the leaves but not to the point of drip-off. A coarse, low-pressure spray should be used. Repeat applications may be needed. Treatment in the fall, when many non-target plants are going dormant, is best. Also, a 25% glyphosate or triclopyr solution mixed with water can be applied to cut stem surfaces any time of year as long as the ground is not frozen. Though I would never use roundup myself, that stuff is poisonous and kind of makes the dirt unusable for gardening afterwards. There is always a silver lining, sometimes you just need a little imagination or creativity. Good luck Here is a link that might be useful: From my blog: Japanese Honeysuckle is my favorite fragrant vine!

I had Sleepy Oranges and Cloudless Sulphurs on Senna hebecarpa (hardy in Oklahoma), Senna bicapsularis (annual, but reseeds), and Senna alata. I planted a partridge pea this year, but it's still relatively small compared to the other sennas I have (didn't plant S. alata this year). The Dainty Sulphurs supposedly use Bidens ssp. in Oklahoma and this year I have some. I usually get a crop of Dainties between this time (late August) and October. Susan