Butterfly Gardening Chris Hartley The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House
Choosing the Site Choose a location in full sun
If you have shade There are shade tolerant plants Phlox Bluebells
Gardening For Butterflies Nectar Sources Larval Food Sources Black Swallowtail Caterpillar Swamp Milkweed
Larval Food Sources: Host Plants Each caterpillar has a food preference. In the majority of butterfly species, caterpillars will only feed on one species or genus of plants. Cloudless Sulphur on Partridge Pea
Larval Food Sources: Host Plants Sometimes the preference is for a whole family of plants, and most rarely for plants from many different families. Giant Swallowtail on Hop Tree
Larval Food Source: Common Name: Milkweeds Milkweeds Scientific Name: Asclepias spp. Family: Bloom Time: Host plant for the Monarch. Milkweeds are amongst the showiest native wildflowers Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae) June - August
Larval Food Source: Milkweeds
Sunflowers: Larval Food Source Silvery Checkerspot Maximilian s Sunflower
Sunflowers: Larval Food Source Most species of sunflower are used. Caterpillars often occur in large groups. Judy Gallagher Silvery Checkerspot caterpillars
Asters: Larval Food Source Pearl Crescent David Cappaert Asters
Golden Alexander: Larval Food Source Common Name: Golden Alexander Scientific Name: Zizia aurea Family: Carrot Family (Apiaceae) Bloom Time: Late April - June Host plant for the Black Swallowtail. Features large, yellow flower clusters and persistent, attractive seed heads. John Flannery
Golden Alexander: Larval Food Source The caterpillar is striped, like a Monarch, but it is mostly green and black. Black Swallowtails will also lay eggs on Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Queen Anne s Lace, Carrot and related plants.
Common Name: Patridge Pea Scientific Name: Chamaecrista fasciculata Family: Bloom Time: One of the few annuals of the prairie this plant will spread throughout gardens by reseeding. Gardeners should watch for young plants where they don t want them. Partridge Pea: Larval Food Source Pea Family (Fabaceae) July - August
Host plant for the Cloudless Sulphur. Partridge Pea: Larval Food Source This caterpillar can be abundant on Partridge Pea in late summer and fall. Mature caterpillar Younger caterpillar
Purple Prairie Clover: Larval Food Source Common Name: Purple Prairie Clover Scientific Name: Dalea purpurea Family: Pea Family (Fabaceae) Bloom Time: June - August Features bright purple clusters of flowers on a low-growing plant. Butterflies and bees love it and run in circles around the flower head collecting pollen. wackybadger
Larval Food Source: Blues Gray Hairstreak Eastern Tailed Blue Eastern Tailed Blue These species will also lay eggs on many common legume species including white or red clover, vetch, and many others.
Blue False Indigo: Common Name: Blue False Indigo Scientific Name: Baptisia australis Family: Bloom Time: Larval Food Source Pea Family (Fabaceae) May - June Features blue-green foliage and blue-purple flowers which result in black seed pods with considerable visual appeal. Seed pods rattle when shaken. Others include white false indigo, cream wild indigo
Larval Food Source: Sulfurs These sulfurs are also very common in alfalfa fields. They also host on clover, vetch, and other legumes. In a field of alfalfa or clover, it can be easy to follow a mother sulfur around and watch her lay her eggs. Orange and Alfalfa Sulfurs
Larval Food Source: Skippers Shelter of a skipper caterpillar Tom Benson Silver-spotted skipper
Larval Food Source: Purple Beardtongue Common Name: Purple Beardtongue Scientific Name: Penstemon cobaea Family: Bloom Time: Host plant for the Buckeye; Features large, showy, purple, tubular flowers Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae) May
Larval Food Source: Pipevine Common Name: Dutchman s Pipe or Pipevine Scientific Name: Aristolochia tomentosa Family: Birthwort Family (Aristolochiaceae) Bloom Time: May - June Host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail; Features large, pipe-shaped flowers John Flannery
Larval Food Source: Spicebush Common Name: Spicebush Scientific Name: Lindera benzoin Family: Bloom Time: Flowers are small but appear before leaves. Attractive foliage and berries. Laurel Family (Lauraceae) March
Larval Food Source: Spicebush Common Name: Spicebush Scientific Name: Lindera benzoin Family: Laurel Family (Lauraceae) Bloom Time: March Host plant for the Spicebush Swallowtail; Caterpillars curl leaves to form a shelter. John Flannery Young caterpillar Mature caterpillar
Larval Food Source: Trees Many Common Butterflies host on trees, such as: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Common hosts: Black Cherry Sweet bay Magnolia Tuliptree
Larval Food Source: Trees Many Common Butterflies host on trees, such as: Zebra Swallowtail Host plant: Paw Paw John Leszczynski This butterfly is seldom found away from the woodlands where Paw Paw grows.
Larval Food Source: Trees Many Common Butterflies host on trees, such as: Red-spotted Purple Common hosts: Willows and Poplars Cherry, Apple, Pear Birches And others platycryptus Sturgis McKeever
Larval Food Source: Trees Many Common Butterflies host on trees, such as: Mourning Cloak Common hosts: Willows and Poplars, mainly Elm Hackberry Birches J.N. Stuart
Larval Food Source: Trees Saturniid moths the Giant Silkworm Moths also host on many tree species Luna Moth Imperial Moth Common hosts: Sweet gum Hickory and Walnut Birches And many others
Nectar Sources Common Name: Rose Verbena Scientific Name: Glandularia canadensis Family: Bloom Time: Attractive ground cover with long bloom season. Provides valuable nectar early in the year. Vervain Family (Verbenaceae) April - October
Nectar Sources Common Name: Phlox Scientific Name: P. pilosa or P. divaricata Family: Polemoniaceae Bloom Time: April - May Phlox flowers have long corolla tubes, so only butterflies, moths, and longtongued bees can access the nectar. Phlox divaricata Phlox pilosa
Nectar Sources Common Name: Butterfly Weed Scientific Name: Asclepias tuberosa Family: Bloom Time: Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae) June - August One of the few orange-flowered species of the prairie. Attracts a variety of butterflies and bees seeking nectar.
Nectar Sources Common Name: Common Milkweed Scientific Name: Asclepias syriaca Family: Bloom Time: Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae) June - August Tall plants may reach 6 feet. This is a familiar roadside plant but it has a lot of appeal in the garden as well.
Nectar Sources Common Name: Swamp Milkweed Scientific Name: Asclepias incarnata Family: Bloom Time: Fantastic, long blooming plant. It does best in damp areas that won t dry out. Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae) July - August
Nectar Sources Common Name: Purple Coneflower Scientific Name: Echinacea purpurea Family: Bloom Time: Aster Family (Asteraceae) June - August Excellent, long-blooming flower for the native plant garden. Spent flowers will attract goldfinches to their seeds.
Nectar Sources Common Name: Anise Hyssop Scientific Name: Agastache foeniculum Family: Bloom Time: Fragrant plant that is very droughttolerant. Attracts many different moths and butterflies. Mint Family (Lamiaceae) June - September
Nectar Sources Common Name: Joe Pye Weed Scientific Name: Eutrochium purpureum Family: Bloom Time: Aster Family (Asteraceae) July - August Very popular with butterflies. This is a tall plant great for the back of the garden.
Nectar Sources Common Name: Wild Bergamot Scientific Name: Monarda fistulosa Family: Bloom Time: Mint Family (Lamiaceae) July - September Great nectar forage for butterflies and bees. The leaves are susceptible to powdery mildew, so plant in full sun, with great air circulation.
Nectar Sources Common Name: Prairie Blazing Star Scientific Name: Liatris pycnostachya Family: Aster Family (Asteraceae) Bloom Time: July - August Tallest Liatris in cultivation; disk flowers open from top to bottom; others include Rough Blazing Star, which is one of the later blooming Liatris species Lotus Johnson
Nectar Sources Common Name: Marsh Blazing Star Scientific Name: Liatris spicata Family: Bloom Time: Aster Family (Asteraceae) July - August Flowers composed of fluffy disk flowers with no ray flowers
Nectar Sources Common Name: Ironweed Scientific Name: Vernonia fasciculata Family: Aster Family (Asteraceae) Bloom Time: July - September Rose-purple flowers in clusters atop strong stems growing up to four feet tall; prefers moist garden soils Joshua Mayer
Common Name: Goldenrods Nectar Sources Scientific Name: Solidago spp. Family: Bloom Time: Valuable late season nectar. Supports many different pollinators. Goldenrods do not cause hay fever. Aster Family (Asteraceae) August - October Squamatologist
Nectar Sources Common Name: Smooth Aster Scientific Name: Symphyotrichum laevis Family: Bloom Time: Violet-blue flowers with blue-green foliage. Many other Aster species are good for pollinators too. Aster Family (Asteraceae) September - October
Where can I get these plants? The Butterfly House has a native plant sale the first 3 weekends in April, beginning April 7 th. Shaw Nature Reserve has 2 native plants sales each year One on Mother s Day Weekend, and one in September. Many area nurseries stock these plants, and many are willing to order special requests. Check out Greenscape Gardens, Bowood Farms, Sugar Creek Gardens, Missouri Wildflower Nursery, and many more! Grow Native! (grownative.org) is another wonderful resource for locating plants or learning more about them.
Reference Page Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies by Jim Brock and Kenn Kaufman Caterpillars of Eastern North America by David L. Wagner Missouri Wildflowers, by Edgar Denison Attracting Native Pollinators, The Xerces Society Guide Pollinators of Native Plants, by Heather Holm Kemper Center for Home Gardening Plant Finder, Missouri Botanical Garden: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx Except where otherwise credited on images, all photos are copyright to The Missouri Botanical Garden.