Would it be okay to post on this forum?

I also post regularly on the Butterfly Forum, but it is pretty quiet right now as well.

I grow herbs, host and nectar plants for butterflies and sphinx moths, and raise and release them as well. Many of my plants are perennials, and some annuals which I grow from seed, tossing them out after our last frost date of 4/15.

I looked over your forum and everyone seems so nice and so interested in ornamentals, too. I also like native plants as well, because they are so conducive to a butterfly garden. I grow plants for the hummingbirds as well.

I am an older person and my granddaughter, who is 8 years old, helps me raise the butterflies and moths.

I am getting ready to wintersow some things this weekend.

Keeping my fingers crossed,

Susan

I am pretty new to this forum too but you are right, everyone is so nice, helpful and encouraging here.

I am fascinated at the idea of raising butterflies; how did you get into that and what exactly does it entail?

My only experience with that sort of thing was a little kit we got for my daughter for Christmas one year..which we learned was not a good time of year for releasing butterflies :-(

I have been growing Zinnias like crazy and they seem to attract every sort of butterfly - and hummingbirds too. Every winter when the Zinnias die I collect the seed heads and burn the stalks but I just read that butterfly larva/eggs overwinter in the stalks so I am feeling a bit like a murderer :-(

That's lovely that you have your grand-daughter helping you, I was very close to my grandmother growing up and though she passed years ago, I really feel her presence when I am out in the garden.

Welcome to the Texas site! It's a pretty active group and people here are VERY nice. We have some fun and lively discussions on all sorts of plants and about gardening in general. So come on in :-) Your presence is gladly received.

A couple of years ago I planted a butterfly garden with all sorts of plants that were supposed to attract butterflies. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the trees in that area had grown so much and that most of my 'butterfly garden' was actually in the shade! Of course, I have had to change a few of the plants, and the butterflies usually go to other parts of the garden. Oh, well, I still enjoy it. I just don't call it the 'butterfly' garden anymore! :O

Glad you brought up gardening with your granddaughter. You are making fabulous memories! Good luck with your butterflies. :) When my granddaughter comes to visit, we go around and pick flowers for her to sniff and take home. Perhaps this year she can plant a few seeds. (She's 3)

I know Mara (Wantonomara) - met you on the Salvia Forum; and Rosalee, of course I know you from the Butterfly Gardening forum. I am thrilled to be among so many great gardeners.

I started BF gardening several years ago, long before I found the BF forum at GW. I grow the following host plants:

Aristolochia tomentosa and
Aristolochia macrophylla and
Aristolochia serpentaria and
Aristolochia clematitis

These all for the Pipevine Swallowtails.

Asclepias incarnata and
Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella'
Asclepias curassavica annual
Cynanchum laeve (milkweed vine)

I am wintersowing A. purpurescens, A. speciosa, A. hirtella, A. viridis, Gomphocarpus (Family Jewels), and Calatropia gigantea (Giant Milkweed). The last two are annuals in my zone. These are for the Monarch and Queens.

Boehmeria cylindrica for the Red Admirals, Question Marks
Hops vine for the Red Admirals, Question Marks

Passiflora 'Lavendar Lady'
Passiflora lutea, both for the Gulf Fritillarys

Senna hebecarpa (Wild Senna)
Senna chamaecrista (Partridge Pea)
Senna bicapsularis (reseeding annual)

The above are for the Sleepy Oranges and Cloudless Sulphurs.

Fennel (bulb)
Fennel, Bronze
Rue

These are for the Black Swallowtails and the Rue is also host to the Giant Swallowtails

Ruellia brittonia
Diascia
Plantago major
Plantago lanceolata

These plants host the Buckeye butterfly.

Gnaphalium obtusifolium
Artemisia stelleriana 'Silver Brocade'

For the American Lady butterflies. Am wintersowing some pussytoes (Antennaria plataginifolia) for them as well.

Baptisia australia 'minor' for the Wild Indigo Duskywings which are overwintering on the plant right now.

I have Hackberry and Elm trees which are host for the Hackberry and Tawny Emperors. Raise a bunch of them last year. Question Marks love the Elm and Hackberry, too.

I also raise sphinx moths:

Elm (Four-Horned Sphinx)
Trumpet Vine (Trumpet Vine sphinx)
Tomatoes and Datura (Manduca sexta and Manduca quinquemaculata)
Virginia Creeper (Virginia Creeper sphinx, Eumorpha achemon, Eumorpha pandorus, Nessus Sphinx)
Lonicera flava (Snowberry Clearwing sphinx)
Pentas, red (Tersa sphinx)

I get lots of little Eight-spotted forester caterpillars on the Virginia Creeper as well, but I don't raise them because of their pupating habit of using wood to burrow in. They are gorgeous little day flying moths that are black with white spots, and fuzzy red front legs.

I do not use any chemicals on my plants at all so I won't harm the butterflies. I let nature do its thing so that lots of beneficials come to the garden to handle
aphids, spider mites, etc.

For nectar, I have:

Verbena bonariensis
Cosmos sulphureous 'Cosmic Orange'
Tropical milkweed
Mexican Sunflower
Zinnias (I like the single flowering)
Pentas
Lantana 'Miss Huff'
Liatris spicata
Echinacea purpureum
Echinacea pallida
Cleome (which also attracts the Cabbage Whites)
Four o'clocks (moths)
Datura (moths)
Morning Glories
Salvia pink/white
Asters
Blue Mistflower
Butterfly bushes (Peacock, bicolor, White Profusion)
Joe Pye Weed
Dandelions (yes, the early migrating Monarchs love them)
Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink for the hummers)
Lobelia cardinalis (for the hummers)

I usually pot up some annuals for the summer that the butterflies, moths and hummers really like.

One plant I really, really want is Flame Acanthus and I hope to find it this year. It is a host for the Texas Crescent butterfly which I see a lot here. I also have clovers for the Clouded Sulphurs - no, my yard is not weed free cuz I get lots of little tiny wildflowers that the Dainty Sulphurs and Checkerspots love to nectar on.

I am also growing a hardy Ichang Lemon - hope it made it thru our winter. Last I checked the leaves were still pretty much green. I am hoping to get fruit some day, but also Giant Swallowtails like things in the citrus family.

I also have Hibiscus coccinus 'Texas Star', and the Gray Hairstreaks lay eggs on the flowers - too cute. Their chrysalis is about 1/4" long. The caterpillars look like tiny green slugs.

Most of the butterfly plants attract the hummingbirds as well, but I am adding several Salvia to the garden this year just for them.

That's about it. Look forward to being on the forum!

Susan

Agalinus is a very strange plant in that it is semi-parasitic on the roots of other grasses and forbs. You can find the seeds (Prairie Moon has them I know), but I have been reluctant to try it since it may be more dependent on native grasslands and prairies. The blooms are pretty, too. MissSherry on the Butterfly Forum finds her Buckeyes on the seemingly fields of Agalinus that grow on her many acres.

I can actually buy a Flame Acanthus plant from Steve Owens at Bustani Plant Farm in Stillwater. But, I wanted it also for the rich nectar it provides for the hummingbirds, too.

Texas Crescents supposedly use the Ruellia as a host, too, I had one year where they were so abundant in the yard, I had to keep swiping them as I walked down the sidewalk for fear they were going to fly into my mouth!

I have found that most butterflies have a long list of plants they have been found using as a host, but in one area they prefer what is most readily available, in your case, the Agalinus. Here in OKC, they have used my Diascia (in the Snapdragon family) frequently.

We don't get the Crimson Patch, unfortunately, but do get the Bordered Patch, which is lovely, too. They use Golden Crownbeard and Sunflowers as a host here in OKC. My GC just refuses to grow much. It likes very, very dry soil, and if we get a little rain, it melts. It has come back the last 3 years, but not long enough to establish a population. It's so pretty.

If you have Wild Grapes, you are likely getting the 4 different sphinx moths that I get, too. They are so fun to raise. I love the littl, Nessus sphinx that resembles a hummingbird, and is a rich, chocolate brown, furry looking, white-stripe (or two sometimes) around the lower abdomen. They are day fliers, and they nectar along beside me as I garden. They love the bananas I put out for the fruit eating butterflies. It's great to have a pal to garden with.

I remember you, too, Linda! So glad to hear from you!

Susan

Thanks for the welcome PrinceAlbert (in a can? LOL). I think I recall seeing you on other forums, too.

Susan

But, I worry about the borderline plants. I have a few that are hardy to zone 7, and I am in zone 7, but our winter has been dubbed a zone 6 winter. So, will have to just wait ahd see this spring.

Thanks for the welcome and will see you on the forum!

Susan