I have read that Poplars are a Host plant....But is it Tulip Poplar or Poplar Hybrids....Tulip is from the Magnolia family....I have room on my lot for 1 Tree.....and I want it to be good for Butterfly Cats as well as a shade tree....
Advice on a Tree as a Cat Host ( Tulip Poplar?)
I don't have all my books with me here at work, but I'm fairly certain it is tulip poplar. Ok, just looked it up - Liriodendrum tulipifera is used by the Tiger Swallowtail. Not so much in my area because they use the Sweet Bay magnolias that practically everyone has. It says they use the the Tulip tree in Northern Florida, and I'm sure that extends to Northern states as well. Down in here in the subtropical zone, things get a little weird.
Melanie
Melanie's right. Liriodendrum tulipifera, commonly called Tulip poplar which isn't a poplar tree at all. It's a goreous tree and host for the TST. I have two of these trees. Not a wide tree but it does get tall. It is the tallest tree east of the Miss. river that blooms a beautiful yellow bloom. Only thing is once it's grown, it's hard to see the blooms way up in top of the tree.
Thanks folk....then it is the regular poplars that are the hosts for Viceroys, White Admirals, Western Tiger Swallow Tails and Red Spotted Purples and at least 2 moths.....So as much as I like the Idea of a flowering tree, I will have to find an actual Poplar from the Populas family...
Thanks again
How are your Pavers coming along Deb?
If I only had room for one host tree, I'd do what you are thinking about and plant one that serves many different kinds of butterflies. Good strategy!
Pavers are still in the planning stages. I've printed out your notes and I'm still organizing my plans; as much as that is worth., LOL Gotta have a plan first though! Learned that from you!
LOL.....I just made 6 new paver's yesterday.....I am contemplating using a concrete stain on them to add the illusion of a faux texture before I seal them....I will let you know what happens and I will send photos....Thanks for the snapdragons....I dispersed them the day they arrived....
TJB
Dear Cordeledawg,
I totally agree with you. If I had known a common butterfly tree that I could have planted when we were creating the garden, I would have planted one also. The only thing about the fruit trees we have is that they give us a little privacy from our neighbors nine months out of the year.
Does anyone know if Tulip Trees live here in Southern California?
Also, what is a paver?
Thanks,
Chuck
Chuck, you should be able to grow the Tulip Poplar in your zone. Here's what pf's says about the zones. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1031/
The pavers we were talking about are pathway stones made from a mold using concrete. ShawdowJack has made his Mom pathways (to die for) that winds around many butterfly gardens.