PART 2 BF Host Plant Seed Trade DISCUSSION

Hi, Traders (and Lurkers!)

The Original Discussion Thread is getting rather lengthy so let's start "PART 2" for discussion, questions, and chat about HOST PLANTS and trading.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/656598/

If you are new to trading or to butterfly gardening, please jump in with your questions on how to get started or info about improving your butterfly garden. Right now we are focusing on host plants--that is, the particular plants that each butterfly type requires for egg laying and caterpiller food. If you have the right host plants, many butterflies will call your garden home.

If you want to set up a trade, please use D-mail to sort out the details with your trading partner.

A new england aster host plant...

Tabasco - What butterflies do the New England Asters host? I didn't know it was a host plant, I thought it was a nectar plant for butterflies of all kinds.

Beautiful New England Aster T!!

Becky~ New England Aster is a host plant for the Pearl Crescent BF

Here is one on my Echinacia back in July>
Deb

My echinacea just started putting up flowers but I can't remember what butterfly likes it. Anyone? Karen

All of them like it Karen, they like the nectar. It is not a Host plant though.


Deb
Oh, and by the way I have been reading that you can take (hard wood) cuttings of Cassia to root them.

This message was edited Oct 17, 2006 9:25 AM

The cassia cutting I took did not root in water. Let me know if you can root it in earth. Thanks, Karen

I've got seed pods on my cassias right now. I snuck one off while it was still green and split it open. Left it laying on a table outside. Until yesterday, it was still pretty green and soft.

After all of the rain and wind we had yesterday, I expected it to have washed away. This morning it was brown and looked like the seeds had dried out completely. I put those seeds into an envelope in case any one wants some.

Janet

I didn't realize the New England asters were host plants, either. I have them and have seen a pearl crescent in my BF garden, although it was earlier in the season before the asters bloomed. I will have to keep my eyes open. thanks for the info :0)

gram

To all!
One of the main things Tobasco (Judy), and I are concerned with on sidetrackingl is that we don't get into Nectar plants (too much) now. For example: Sometimes we may share pics of BFs on a Nectar plant and we state which plant the BF is on in the photo, however we prolly wouldn't want everyone to start showing their flowers of the same kind. the subject still needs to be geared to Hosts, and normal casual discussion.

If we talk about Nectar Plants too much for this thread we think a lot of new people could get mixed up between Host and Nectar Plants. I've been sharing my garden with Caterpillars for years, but only a small variey compared to the 100s of BFs. There's SO much I don't know about all our Texas BFs. I have a list of about 40 or so, but even this is not exhaustive. Made a few errors here and there, bigtime, and thankfully was corrected, or caught it by doing more research.

We want this information to be as reliable as posssible.. For instance> I was so excited about finding Wild Violets in my yard.. (Picture me, like doing this happy dance and everything, and then BAM! :-o!).. Only to find out a few hours later that there is no way the Meadow Fritillary will come this far south, LOL!! I had a very good laugh at myself and asked if anyone up North wants any Wild Violet, lol.. All is not lost on embarassment, if we learn something...(Right Sunny? rofl@ the Debnes, you tried to stop me! TY, again!)

Sorry to go on so long here, but the best way for anyone to even begin hosting BFs we can not stress enough..

FLAG>>First off, each of us will need to look up ALL the Butterflies that DO come to our particular States/Areas, and choose Host plants AFTER that to plant in our gardens.

If anyone needs help finding the BFs in their area, just ask, and someone will probably swoop in and help a tiny bit to get you started in the right direction. Or simply dmail one of us.

We have such great consultants here imo, several who have had a lot of experience actually raising BFs, several who have just done lot of hosting, and serveral more who are very helpful with references and IDs. Get to know what strengths we have and what others need to know, and it will all work together. Hopefully no one gets left behind. Just speak up!

As for me: Enjoys finding references, has hosted to some detail, and looks out for new people who come in so no one feels out of place. Presently planting a small Host Garden durring this Thread.

I for one believe that the only dumb question is the one we feel to embarassed to ask.

I hope this helps some :oD

Oh,, and I thought my wild violets were feeding some of my caterpillars. Love them anyway. We have very little grass,,,, Will have to read more info on the butterflies in my state. Thanks for the information, Elaine

In my gardens, swallowtails have laid eggs on my parsley. What other host plants do swallowtails use? The information I read said parsley and other plants in the carrot family. I didn't know what plants made up the carrot family. That information I read was rather vague and incomplete. Some of the information I've read was not for beginners. I'm glad this thread is about plant hosts.

Oh,, yes need to plant some more parsley, thanks Cordele dawg.

There ya go! Parsley is the plant my BSTs always seem to go for. There are a few more plants BST's will lay their eggs on for their babies to eat. Usually they will prefer the plant they hatched on, however they will move to other nearby host plants sometimes.

Black Swallowtail aka Eastern Black Swallowtail
- Rue family, Rutaceae
- Carrot family, Apiaceae
Ruta graveolens - rue
Anethum graveolens - dill
Foeniculum vulgare - fennel
Petroselinum crispum – parsley
Zizia aurea - golden Alexander
Daucus carota - Queen Anne's Lace

Check the seed exchange thread too for people who are offering seeds/plants for trade. The hyperlink is in the first post on this page.

Here is the smallest one of mine on Parsley. You will see they can vary a bit in color, sometimes more green, sometimes more black, etc,

I have raised black swallowtail cats on both parsley and fennel. They seem interchangeable- I don't see that they prefer one to the other.

I have raised Giant Swallowtails on my orange (minneola) tree.

Monarchs on milkweed, both the solid yellow and the red/yellow plants.

Cloudless sulfurs on the cassia, but the ants and other predators get them, which is why I want to propagate some cassia for on my lanai.

Gulf frittilaries love my passionflower vine (maypop) which is mostly in shade. Supposedly, if it was in the sun it would attract zebra longwings.

Tomato hornworms on tomato plants become beautiful Sphinx moths.

Io moth cats love crepe myrtle leaves.

That's what I have had success with so far. Karen

Deb - Thanks for the heads up on the Aster host plant Pearl Crescent Butterfly who uses it as a host plant! I honestly didn't know. Love those Asters! :-)

You all are sooooo helpful! :-) :-) :-)

Karen - What is the cat (in your photo) when he turns into a butterfly?

Not a butterfly. He was an adorable Tomato hornworm with a face only a mother could love. He turned into a sphinx moth, aka hummingbird moth. http://davesgarden.com/bf/showimage/1764/

Well ..... isn't he a cutie!!!!

This was the pattern on his back....sort of a herringbone pattern.

What are some of the common names for the following host plants??:

Rue family, Rutaceae
Carrot family, Apiaceae
Ruta graveolens - rue

Karen! You go girl..Cool we are putting it out there. See, this thread will run on all the people in it, no weight is put on one person. Right place, right time , right people!

Cordeledawg
Ruta Graveolens is Rue, and the others are too numerous to get into here in this thread. The list I gave up there are the known host plants for BST's.

Here is what Rue looks like, if that helps. >

Another pic of Rue

Thanks Deb for posting that photo. I've wondered what it looks like since the first time I saw someone post Rue in another thread. I'd never heard of it before.

This butterfly/caterpillar world is a whole new ball game to me, so I appreciate all of the time and efforts that the experienced folks have contributed.

I've been trying to collect as many different kinds of host plants as I can for next year's BF's to find. I'm still seeing Sulphurs on the Cassias, but not too many other kinds of BF's are hanging around now.

This is the first time I've seen Crepe Myrtle mentioned. I will go check out my tree in the front yard when the sun wakes up. :-)

Janet

Deb, Does the Rue flower?

Janet

Yes it does Janet, a pretty little yellow flower http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1742482



Deb

I'll have to add that to my list of wants then.

I was reading something I printed out from another site just now. It mentioned Wild Bergamot as a nectaring plant. I sometimes make my own soaps and love the way the Bergamot smells. I've Dmailed another DGer hoping to get some seeds for that for the Spring.

So many flowers and herbs..... What's a gal to do, but want them all! HAHAHAHA

Janet

I've stuck my planters of BF plants into the center island until I can decide where to put the ponds that will hold them. This is what I have so far.

Salvia, Mexican Sage, Buddleia, Blue Mist, Duranta (lavender and white), Pentas, Lantana (vareity of colors) - not shown here,

I've also potted up some herbs:

Oregano, Dill, Parsley, chocolate mint, spearmint, chives, purple ruffled basil, rosemary. I have regular basil and russian sage in another planter, not shown.

Yaay Janet!
Now ya need to figure out where to put them, lol... Have you heard of Shell Plant Farm in Beaumont?
Shell Plant Farm Inc
(409) 892-0434
2680 N Eleventh St
Beaumont, TX 77703
Right now they have Curley Parsley and Fennel and they are looking into getting Rue from their distributor, you might grab Connie and go check them out.

Deb

Yes, I know right where they are at. They are usually pretty high on their plants and that's one reason we don't frequent them more than once or twice a year. I'll check out the fennel and parsley though. I have plain flat leaf parsley, but not the curly variety. Something else I'd like to get is Thyme. I've just started using lots of fresh herbs in my cooking in the past few months. I'd much rather grown my own than buy it at the grocery store already cut. Maybe they will have that also.

Now I want to know how in the world you found Shell Plant Farm! They almost always have a gorgeous display of petunias on their roof top that is definitely an eye catcher!

Janet

Janet,

Hope this isn't a dumb question...
Of all the herbs you mentioned above, which ones are host plants? I got a tad confused when you mentioned growing herbs for cooking. Would you use them for both cats and cooking?

Deborah

Hackberry Emperor
(Asterocampa celtis)

Caterpillar Hosts:
Various Hackberries (Celtis species)
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/celtisoccidentalis.htm
The reference is for Texas, you might check your own State for your native varieties of Hackberry...

...And Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/37950/index.html.

This one stopped by for a long drink this morning, a bit tattered and very thirsty. Birds spread the berries far and wide and they pop up all over this area. Every house I ever lived in Texas had at least 1 or 2 Hackberries growing around the fence or near shrubs.

The eggs are laid in clusters on the Hackberry or Sugarberry. They feed together and overwinter in groups rolled up in dead leaves.

Here is another view of the little fella>

Janet~
I looked them up and called them on the phone...LOL.

She said they had several kinds of herbs in stock now. Im not sure about Thyme, I mainly focussed on Host plants.

Also if you are using any of the Host herbs for cooking, some ppl like to grow them in separate places. If you see any cats on them just move them to the plants dedicated for Caterpillars. Culinary herbs can be grown in a sunny window pretty well too.

:oD

Just finished planting 45 seedlings of tropical milkweed, asclepias curassavica. The seeds were given to me by a DGer who also passed along a few sowing and growing tips. One tip was to nip the tops when the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall. Also, they do have a tap root and will fair better to plant before the roots show in the bottom of the pot or tray.
This is the host plant for monarch and queen BFs.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/604/index.html

edit for grammar and spelling

This message was edited Oct 18, 2006 1:27 PM

Nice work Deborah! Yaay!

You will be swarming with Queens and Monarchs next Spring girl!

Janet, the Crepe Myrtle hosts the Io Moth but be careful not to touch the cat cause it stings.

The moth.

Lo Moth
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=3305
"Caterpillar hosts: A variety of plants including hackberry (Celtis), willow (Salix), mesquite (Prosopis), redbud (Cercis), currant (Ribes), blackberry (Rubus), and pear (Pyrus)."

"Adults do not feed"

"Life history: Adults emerge during late morning or early afternoon, and mating takes place in the late evening. Females lay clumps of eggs on leaves or stems of the host plants. Young caterpillars feed together as a group and move in long "trains" while older caterpillars feed alone. Papery cocoons are spun in litter under the host plant or in crevices."

Wow, Karen interresting creature there...Thanks for sharing that one!

I have found the Paw Paw tree may I ask is this a host plant or is for humans to eat the fruit!
Jesse

Seriously Janet ..... you have most of the plants that I have in my garden and I get all kinds of butterflies/cats. It has turned my yard into a thriving habit for all kinds of creatures! Looks like you are well on your way to having a very busy yard next Spring (if not sooner!). Happy Planting!

I had a wonderful surprise that I think was a gift from God. During August, I had to prune back my Queen Crape Myrtle to keep it from up-rooting in the event of the hurricane that was possibly going to cause a threat to us this year. (Luckily it didn't!) But in the heavy pruning, I had to cut ALL of the gorgeous blooms off. It really, really bummed me out. I can't tell you how really stunning this little starter tree is when it is in full bloom. Well, they usually don't bloom this late in the season and after such hard cutting. Today after work I was out in the front garden and was checking the tree and low and behold to my amazement - there are flower buds forming on the tree again. It is almost November! Needless to say, I am absolutely thrilled. And I did not know that the Crepe Myrtle is a host plant for the beautiful lo moth! I had seen some of the leaves chewed, but didn't see anything on the tree. But then again, I wasn't looking that hard.

Deb - I saw a wasp today on one of my Maypop starter vines. There are a lot of chewed leaves. Anyway, this wasp was drinking the red nectar that was dripping on the stem. Amazing! I am continuously amazed at the wonder of nature!

Childofgrace - Welcome! Pawpaw is a host plant for the Zebra Swallowtail and probably another butterfly or two. Good find! Read some of the past theads here to find out what other plants are host plants. And ask away with the questions!