Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 29, 1 by debnes_dfw_tx

debnes_dfw_tx wrote:
Oh Cat! I'm going to have to give that some thought and research about the Hogs and Deer.. We do have plenty of both on the Big thicket property, but I don't have to deal with those here.

Bummer about the Pawpaw Becky. Thanks for chiming in..:-)! You catch what I miss every time, lol!

Beautiful shot Angele! It's a female too!
It is odd that the B&MoNA site lists the WTST as 2 3/4-4 inch wing span. The ETST are listed as 3 5/8 - 6 1/2 inches... I know I've seen and documented them larger than that! lol!

Now the host plants for both of these are very similar if not same. The Easterns and Western both use the leaves of cottonwood and aspen (Populus), willows (Salix), wild cherry (Prunus), and ash (Fraxinus).

Have you any of these in your yard now? If not, you will soon, I know these people have saplings coming up and when they have extra they speak up usually. I think this forum is the most "goes around, comes around" in practice,than anyother on the whole http://www. Not only because of the generosity of everyone here, but the fact that we produce butterflies and they can really get around. They fly through other peoples yards so far away. Always a good thing and people usually remember magical moments when seeing certain ones.

This kind of gardening is as addictive as birdwatching, but wayyyy less passive as BW. Once we begin planting our host plants, and seeing how quickly the creatures respond, it lights a remarkable kind of fire under a person.

If you happen to have or plant a Cherry tree or two, and it fruits~You will be amazed at the extra birds you will see in the winter too. Doing this brings the whole garden into rapid harmony. Such a pay off for the work. I think most of us feel thatthe pay off is much greater many times over.

Here are two great and sure fire things to start with that will be the easiest for where you live:
Planting parsley, carrot, celery and/or dill will bring Black Swallowtails to you in droves by April. Males will come to patrol, sometimes even before the females arrive. Both sexes have a lepadar (just made up that word, lol) for their host plants, and they end up congregating in your yard. Talk about your Kodak moments!! The males give off pheromones and the females who need fertilization seek them out better than any GPS system. Males, of course, are always willing to reproduce.:-)
It wouldn't hurt to get Tropical Milkweed, Asclepias curassavica started now too.. It is the fastest growing Milkweed for us in the south. The Monarch and Queen butterflies will find you pretty quick too because it blooms fast.

An equally important thing is, of course the nectar plants. Blue Mist flower is excellent for attracting Monarch and Queen, though all the nectar butterflies adore it. I have skads of seeds for this one.

Another is Cosmos which grows very quickly too and gets early blooms. Seeds are on sale everywhere now, and itis the perfect time to get them going.

Zinnias are a must... any kind will do. Pick your own favorite size and color.

Cosmos is another indispensable nectar source. I have plenty of seed for "Tetra Giants"

When you start out with Black Swallowtails and Monarch/Queens, lots of other species will ascend on you, then you can plant hosts for what you see coming there naturally.


Here is a Black Swallowtail ovipositing (laying eggs) on Parsley...