Butterfly Garden Seed Sowing Tips

Hi, butterfliers--

I just came across this nice concise webpage with basic info on starting various milkweed seed and other popular butterfly nectar flower seed (and I thought I'd share!). (-:

http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/seed_kit.html

Additionally, for those of us up north, the milkweed (asclepias) seeds that require 'cold stratification' are great candidates for the 'wintersowing' method of seed starting, an easy way to start seeds for the butterfly garden for beginners (like me). Here's the article that explains how to do it: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/585/

And there are many more informational threads on the Wintersowing Forum. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/coldsow/all

Just wanted to share...!

T, my MOnarch waystation number is 1890! I just registered it recently. I ordered the sign too!

That's really exciting!

I think there is so much good info on the Monarch Watch website and being part of the group really makes it fun!

How is your wintersowing going? Any butterfly host or nectar seeds in the works?

For host plants I have Paw Paw seeds in the fridge. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for those. I will be starting Tropical Milkweed later not yet or they will get too big before I can plant them. I sorta have some butterfly weed ws'd if you count having it in a flat in a cold room. I already have some of these in the garden but there are never enough milkweed!
I also have some wild lupine under lights, but that's a host for butterflies I will probably never get. Same on paw paw but you never know unless you try right!
Lots of potential nectar plants...ones that are started: yellow coreopsis, verbena bonariensis, Queen of the Prairie, knautia, assorted mallows, assorted lilies, hoary vervain, stokes aster, phlox and some allium stellatum germinated and are under lights!
Oh dalea purpurea - possible host and nectar plant!

This message was edited Feb 23, 2008 12:44 PM

This message was edited Feb 23, 2008 12:57 PM

Ooooh! You're quite serious about your butterfly seeds!

I will be very curious how your paw paw work out! 'Queen of Prarie' and hoary vervain are new to me and I will google for them. Please keep us up to date on your seed sowing progress. (-:

I have some asclepias under lights that have germinated (I was not sure if the seeds were currasavica or tuberosas) and some in my ws bins, too. And I have some ageratum houstonium under lights that has germinated. I don't know why I started that so early--maybe I thought it wouldn't take! I have three kinds of liatris started and I wonder how that will work for me.

Other than that, same old stuff in the WS bins and zinnias and annuals on hold until the weather is fairer and they can be Wintersowed.

You know I thought the Queen of the prairie was a butterfly plant but I guess it only produces pollen not nectar! So that one will be for bees. http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/pr_queen.htm The hoary vervain is Verbena stricta - I tired winter sowing last year with no luck - good thing I saved some seeds for another try! http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/hry_vervainx.htm It sometimes is a host for Buckeye butterflies, and it likes dry soil.


This message was edited Feb 23, 2008 6:21 PM

This site says it's a butterfly plant though:-/ http://www.grownative.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=176

Tabasco, are you expecting your liatris seeds to flower this year? I thought that they only flowered from bulbs the first year.

I cleaned out my beds of all the dead annuals and cut back most of the perennials in December after they started fading. Then amended the soil and loosened up the topsoil slightly. And then sowed seeds. Lots and lots of seeds. This year I just did the toss and sow method. I have no idea what plant is what or how it is all going to look when in bloom! Can you say cottage gardening ...

Meredith - You've got some serious host plant seeds to start! If they all germinate and grow for you, your yard should be very popular this year with butterflies and cats galore! :-)

I went ahead and registered at Monarch Watch, too. I want the sign! LOL! I am thinking of framing it on some nice wood and posting it right on my house in the front garden (right under the house number). That way maybe visitors will see it and think about creating their own butterfly garden! Spreading the word the best way I know how!

This photo shows all the seedlings coming up. Should be interesting to see what I get this year. I think I may have planted a little too many seeds in one bed! LOL!

About the liatris-- I planted four kinds of seed--pynco, squarrosa, spicata, and lligustylus (sp?)-- plus some bulbs of liatris spicata. I wasn't really expecting any blooms from them this summer but last night I googled the germination/culture for all of them and not one of them said two years or three years to bloom which surprised me (that I saw, anyway). I did read that starting them from seed was a snap which also surprised me! I am using the 'Deno' method on some of the seeds, also soaking, etc. to try to speed germination. Some liatris seeds I am wintersowing.

I don't know, I'll have to wait and see and be patient. Any bloom, especially of the ligulistylus will be most welcomed, but I admit I will be surprised if I get any. And I'm going to order some more liatris spicata bulbs from Brent & Becky for a safety net. Last year my L. bulbs did just fine--the ones that survived the ravages of the squirrel/chipmonks, that is. http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/plants/2002su_liatris.html

And this is another good BBG article about fall blooming butterfly plants for middle and northern planting zones. I'm trying to start most of these suggested plants from seed this year: http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/wildlife/2002fa_butterfly.html

T - I planted Liatris seeds too. I am skeptical about them germinating and blooming the first year also. But that would certainly be wonderful if they did. I think the ones I sowed are the white blooming Liatris. Is this plant a perennial? I remember planting bulbs for the purple blooming Liatris last year in one of my garden beds. No squirrels got to them that I am aware of.

The butterfly garden link is a really good one for folks who are in the central and northern states! Thanks for sharing that with everyone!

becky, your 'cottage garden' seed sowing technique looks like it's working! I can't wait to see what blooms from that! So do you have liatris seeds in the mix?

Meredith--I am curious--is your wild lupine for the 'karner blue" butterfly? I will be interested to know if you get them(they are 'extinct/extirpated' in Ohio)! I love lupine and wish we could get them to grow well here (in southwestern Ohio). And refresh my memory--the dalea is a host plant for which bf?

Today I am trying to sort out the differences between the 'West Texas Mist Flower" Conoclinium http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53449/ and "Hardy Ageratum" and other ageratum and eupatorium seeds. I think the 'west texas mist flower', which is a seed all the TX butterflies swear by for the bfs, requires a lot of akalinity in the soil... otherwise they look a lot alike. I have not seen a lot of reference to the 'hardy ageratum' as a butterfly plant, but it seems like it would be...

Good morning everyone!
I ws'd liatris last year and the one I had low germination from was L. pycnostachya from prairiemoon.com - Hopefully your experiences are better! I wonder if you got seeds from me? I sent out white ones and I can't remember who's envie I put them in but if they are from me PLMK of any problems.(These were from plants in my garden) I am not sure if all the babies will all be white but hopefully a good percent! I have lots of liatris! The ones I'm hoping to see blooms from for the first time this year is L. liguistylis_(SP probly wrong), I ws'd those last year and planted them in the garden in fall - I pray they are not gonna wait until they're 3rd year! It seems some wildflowers do!
T- The dalea is host for dogface butterflies - although I don't have those but it is in fabeacea family so I figured some butterfly here will lik them if nothing else at least for nectar! I have heard that hardy mistflower attracts butterflies like crazy! It was mostly talked about in forums - I don't think a whole lotta websites list it but there is a few.

I am trying to experiment with everything and anything that will grow here that could be a butterfly plant! So if I see it referenced at all -anywhere I want to try it in this area! I am sure some will not be popular but it is fun to see what happens!Someday I hope to start a community butterfly awareness program or something! I just have no idea how! And when I do I want to have evry plant out there under my belt so I can be sure to give correct advice!


This message was edited Feb 24, 2008 10:15 AM

I forgot about the lupine - they are for Karner blues -and there are only one known area that they are still found -here in new hampshire- and that is about an hours drive from here! But they are so beautiful that I need them anyway! Maybe I will be lucky and end up discovering a new population in my yard!

Added- I forgot to say the liatris are perennial.

This message was edited Feb 24, 2008 10:27 AM

T - heres a cool link that says butterflies love the hardy mistflower http://www.abnativeplants.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=101 these are on my wishlist as well!

I need this cleared up. At first, it seemed silly, but after thinking about it, I can see that it can make a difference. Do butterflies only seek New England asters or are all asters a good bet for them?

Pennefeather - All asters should be good for them. Although I've heard the Monarchs prefer ligulistylis above others. http://www.williamcullina.com/

Oops I'm sorry I am getting the talk of asters and liatris mixed up lol!
There are a lot of other asters that butterflies should like - but there are also a lot of asters they may not visit due to their small flowers. I would think any aster that has a big enough bloom for the butterfly to land on should do. As long as it is not a hybrid or double then those are another animal.

This message was edited Feb 24, 2008 2:07 PM

penne, yes, I often see mentioned the 'new england' aster as the nectar plant, although I have not done a comparison between that one and the chinese asters and new yorks, etc. I have 6 'new englands' in our garden that rarely get a visit from the bfs but I think it is because they are not right out there in the open but somewhat sandwiched in between other plants. Tall and obvious spot in the garden, I think, is key with those.

Meredith--if you are interested in trying the 'West Texas Mist Flower' from seed, I believe several butterfly forum posters have lots of seed for SASEs. Just ask, and I think they will be happy to share. I may have 'hardy ageratum' seed to share (will check on it) but it is a different plant from the one they rave about...(I think). Anyway, please d-mail me to remind me...

Good luck with the lupines! They are trying to re-introduce the Karner Blue's into Ohio near Lake Erie where there is fairly decent habitat for them and the wild lupines will grow there, too.