year? lmk josephine and all others who have butterflies visiting now.
which flowers are your butterflies visiting at this time of
I have Larkspur, Lady in Red salvia, Autumn Sage and some roses blooming right now, along with wild dill. And of course, both regular fennel and bronze fennel draw them. Out in our "way back" backyard are coreopsis.
Mine are visiting the May Night Salvia and the pincushion daisy (scabiosa).
Coneflowers... and they hover around the bright colored poppies but am not sure they are of value to a b'fly...
The really do like my Pincushion Daisy also, but it's a native, Gaillardia suavis. Also Blackfoot Daisy, Spiderwort, Texas Thistle, milkweeds and various kinds of salvias.
Purple Trailing Lantana, Autumn Sage, Spiderwort, Indigo Spires Salvia, Texas Betony
scabiosa - I've seen the most on them, spiderwort, duelberg sage (and lots of bees), blackfoot daisy. My cone flowers aren't blooming yet. Only one survived from last year (a lightning incident) so all the others are newly planted and I don't know if they'll bloom this year - one appears to be starting to send a stalk up. I am hopeful. I have a black cherry tree that I hear is a larval host for the eastern swallowtail, but it has privet and mimosa (silk tree) and other junk growing up all around it. Need to clear that out. Does anyone have experience with a black cherry? or native mulberry? I was here two years before I figured out that was what was under all the grape vine.
How big is your black cherry? I have some trees that are a variety of black cherry. And yes, they are host plants...for the Tiger Swallowtail, Red-Spotted Purple and even on rare occasion, the Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail. I haven't grown a mulberry yet, but hope to soon. I found a small Littleleaf Mulberry Tree at a native nursery and am thinking about where I could put it.
Hello Barbara, sorry I am so late to get on this thread, I have too many things going on.
I have Salvia greggii, Penstemon tenuis, Texas Betony, Columbine, Prairie phlox, Lyreleaf sage and Cedar sage blooming at this time, with many more things to come.
Good to have you back.
Josephine.
I forgot to mention that the butterflies are also visiting my dandelions. :)
have you actually seen them on those plants? i've seen them on scabiosa. and could it be that i am not on a migratory spring route? i know the black swallowtails come in droves in the fall.
I don't seem to have a lot of butterflies this year. Had a few monarchs earlier, but not much out there right now.
I DO, however, have TONS of honeybees. They are all over the catmint and the May Nights. I usually have a lot of bumblebees, but I have never seen so many honeybees in my life. It's really good to see them, considering that they're supposed to be disappearing these days.
it is good to hear about the bees. long live the bees.
I'm really not seeing many butterflies now. Mostly Gulf Fritillaries and sulfurs.
I have noticed alot more bees this year than last year. I don't think I spotted a dozen bees all last spring, but my Texas Persimmon was COVERED with them about 3 weeks ago. I was so relieved to see them.
I've got butterflies everywhere and lots of bees too. They seem to like the Indigo Spires Salvia, East Friesland Salvia, Autumn Sage, lantana, petunias, coreopsis, and the number one favorite is Mexican Flame Vine. The B'flys swarm that thing and it's still solid orange.
I sure wish the Mexican Flame vine was a Texas native, I would get one in a heart beat.
I have noticed lots of honey bees and a few bumble bees this year. They are loving my cuphea 'Starfire'. I have never had bees like I have this year. I have not seen any butterflies though, but have had a few hummingbird appearances on my purple porterweed.
I am a horrible judge of height/distance, etc., but I would hazard a guess at 16+ feet (??) on the black cherry. It's taller than me lol. I have never seen any butterflies around it in particular, but I get lots of butterflies and bees in my yard including eastern swallowtail and the black and blue (don't know the particular name) swallowtail. I haven't seen any yet this year though (the swallowtails - have had a boat load of bees!) I discovered a new mulberry this morning for a tentative total of four. That sounds funny, but I've lived here two years and there are parts of the yard I have not been in yet because it is very grown up on the edges. The black cherry and the mulberry came with the house -- I am pretty sure they planted themselves. This is the butterfly I have seen the most on the scabiosa thus far - taken on Monday:
is that a gulf coast frittilary?
I think it is a Painted Lady;
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1770
Josephine.
Thanks Josephine. I saw a sulfur (I think...it was bright yellow) the other day, but I was leaving and didn't have my camera. I try to catch a photo of them so I can ID them later. I planted a spot with an aim to bringing in more butterflies, rather than just hoping they will wander by. I picked up some coral porterweed at the SFA sale bc the lady (Sue, I think) that was at Naconiche said that's what I needed. But I don't know what it is supposed to attract exactly...
Porterweed is a nectar plant very popular with butterflies in general.
My porterweed seems to only attract hummers; I have seen no butterflies this spring. Wonder why.
I haven't had as many bfs as I would like to have but they do come and go. No Monarchs except a few last month seen in open fields, none laid eggs in my yard. Two Black Swallowtails but didn't see eggs from them either. The 'Blue Crown' Passi however has had caterpillars even through the freezes this year!! I have seen bfs nectaring on zinnia, white primrose, Lyreleaf Sage, Penstemon, Oxalis, Blanket Flower, Coreopsis, and Scabiosa. Most have been Gulf Frits, Skippers, Sulphurs, Whites, but occassionally I have seen a Red Admiral. I have seen Question Marks too, but not nectaring.