I've never seen as much effect on wildlife due to plant selection as I have with garden practices. Most any flowering plant attracts nectar/pollen collectors, but beyond that... Leaving leaf litter/seed pods under trees creates a habitat for bugs, from bacteria on up to the larger bugs which birds and lizards eat. Basically composting in place and the birds turn the compost for you. Adding water like Toucan said, but water features specifically for wildlife. Like a shallow pan for bird bathing in addition to drinking. That will also provide water for other creatures. Birds don't like cover near the water where cats can hide but they do like branches nearby where they can stage and check for predators before moving to the water. And also water in the landscape. Some higher water plants means moist ground, more insects, more food for wildlife. True desert landscapes don't generate a like of life compared to when water is added. Rocks/rock piles for lizards, crickets and other bugs. Add some wood in there and some plants on top with added water and you have a good insect producer. Shade I think increases insect production and therefore wildlife. These things are more a all year. more wildlife type thing. A plant that generates berries for example provide a really short window of food for wildlife while habitat is an all year type thing.

I have been growing buddleias for about 13 years now and have had all kinds practically and currently I have at least 30 bushes. I have to say that a lot depends on "location, location, location." And I think size makes a difference too. Or would number of blooms be a better way to say that? The other day I called my local nursery and ordered a "Honeycomb" to add some variety. I had a yellow one years ago and it seemed to get a fair amount of attention from the butterflies and I have had nanho blue and I currently have a nanho purple but in my yard they have not gotten much attention at all. In fact, I tried to dig out the purple recently but gave up because my back gave out. I have long since gotten rid of the nanho blue. At this point I have to say that the most popular buddleias are the Cornwall Blues, but they are quite full right now and are very prominent and that may be the real reason. My Pink Delight was very popular for a long time but died this year for some reason. It was very old. This year I added a bunch of new ones and they are still small but of those new ones the tigers have gone to the "Butterfly Heaven" even when it only had one bloom on it. My Attraction is popular too and all that leads me to say that it is most likely influenced by the location of the bush and the number of blooms. Let me know how your "Honeycomb" does. Almost all of the new ones I have added are the compact and dwarf varieties like "Miss Ruby", "Peacock" and "Blue Chip" which only supposedly reaches two feet. We shall see!!!! MY FAVORITES are "Purple Emperor", "Guinevere", and "Miss Ruby". But it remains to be seen what the butterflies think of them. Murray

Well, I know one thing, and that is that they won't wash off or get eaten if you bring the eggs in to raise them... For nectar some good plants are Cosmos, Butterfly Weed, English Daisies, Heliopsis, etc. For host plants: Dill, Parsley, Fennel - Black Swallowtails Pansies, Violas, Violets -Variegated Fritillaries Milkweed - Queens, Monarchs Passion Flowers - Gulf fritillaries Nettle, False Nettle - Red Admirals Willows - Viceroys, Red Spotted Purples Legumes - Sulphurs Sorry if I'm getting "out of my authority" on some of these, since I've only successfully raised Black Swallowtails, Variegated Fritillaries, and Queens. -Jmcat

UPDATE! Spotted caterpillar again. He has at least tripled in size and is, without question, a Monarch! He is devouring the Butterfly Weed (???) like there's no tomorrow! Very happy! Anything I should try to do for him vis a vis winter? Bronze Fennel and a shot at parsley, roger that Susan. APOLOGIES Miss Sherry! I live off Highland Road in between Lee Dr. and Staring Ln. I won't say the neighborhood, but since I have a .75+ acre lot you'll know it isn't either of the 'Woods' (Woodgate or Woodstone) and may very well be able to narrow it down to 2-3 neighborhoods. You'd be wrong (probably), though, as my neighborhood is exceptionally small and old, built some before and most after WWII (my home is pre-war). Well, maybe you'd be right... lol. I'm relatively well insulated from traffic, which is indeed brutal. My Butterfly Weed is Asclepias curassavica and seems to absolutely be a host for Monarchs. My Lantane is Anne Marie, and while I bought small specimens, the will eventually reach 2x2 feets in size. Is that large end or small? I am VERY INTERESTED in gertting Passiflora incarnata & caerulea but shall wait for Spring. Do you know of any reputable nurseries from which to buy them online, if my local nurseries fail me? I use, in oder of preference: Louisiana Nursery (Perkins); Cleggs (Siegen) and Lowes (also Siegen, in that pooly accessible Siegen Marketmplace just south of I-10). Occassionally Ace's Hardware on Highland where Kenilworth dead ends into Highland. They have loads of seed packets which nurseries, oddly, don't seem to carry much of. While I'm thinking of it, I've had terrible success in growing from seeds. A packet of 50 may yield, if they yield ANY, less than half a dozen! It's frustrating. I've used those minature greenhouses where you plant each seed(s) in a pre-made tiny pot and cover with transparent plastic, tiny seed-starter pots that I've treated in a number of different ways. I have set them on the ground (brick) outdoors, in planter saucers together in groups, and all of the abive on a wrought iron patio furniture table. I've used Miracle Grow to water them and rainwater (we collect it in a large drum). I've kept them constantly moist, downright wet and dry-ish. Any ideas? Back to Passionvines. I was in love wih them before I knew they had any use for butterflies whatsoever. (i really believ at this point, as trifling a cause for Him as it sounds, that God is aiding me in my endeavors - far too many coincidences. another example i have not 1 but 2 fully mature Tulip Trees > likely b/c it doesn't get near as much sun as the one close to my primary butterfly garden> Why He has chosen to help me in this endeavor....mysterious ways, etc). I wish He'd turn some of His grace toward my Gingko which seems to be having problems. We have lost 1 already. The kiwi are in the ground (finally) but I'm worried that one may not be able to get he full sun when it begins to need it (3 years!!). Easily remedied by removing 2 small/medium tallow trees if it proves necessary. I have never liked these volunteer weed-trees as I call them. They grow everywhere and so fast! In mid-Summer I must make a circuit of the yards to tear up foot high tallow trees that have hidden along fence lines, etc. or in what we call 'Jeremy's Garden.' If you're curious at to what that is, ask and I'll explain - sort of a half-project begun years ago. Well, Thanks Again All! Jeremy