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Making Space for Butterflies, by Christy Shivell of Shy Valley Native Habitat Nursery and Herbary

03-20-2007

Making Space for Butterflies
By Christy Shivell Shy Valley Native Habitat Nursery & Herbary 423/348-6570 shyvalley@aol.com

Creating a garden that is friendly to butterflies is easy, but it is more than just planting pretty flowers.
Butterfly gardening at its most effective is based on a three fold strategy:
1. Follow practices that protect and promote butterflies at all life stages
2. Provide for their various needs, and, lastly,
3. Provide a wide variety of nectar sources for them (this is where the pretty plants come in)

Butterfly Friendly Garden Practices
***Do not use chemicals in the garden. No insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides. Insecticides work on butterflies, too, and other chemicals may cause them harm, as well.
•Allow “weeds” such as dandelion, clover, and plantain to exist in your lawn. Many of these plants are great nectar and host plants for butterflies.
•Set your mower a little higher, and mow less often. Eggs and larvae living in the lawn will thank you.
•Let natural areas grow un-mown, allowing wildflowers to flourish. (Birds will thank you, too)
•Allow larvae to feed on host plants. At times, adherence to this policy will require a great deal of tolerance to the damage they inflict.
•Don’t be too hasty when it comes to cleaning up brush, removing tall stems from dormant perennials, and removing downed limbs and tree trunks. Butterflies often over-winter in places such as these.

Providing for All the Needs of Butterflies
Butterflies need more than nectar to flourish.
•Shelter- Provide shelter from wind and rain by planting tall perennials, shrubs and trees.
•Sunlight- Butterflies love to flit around in large, open areas. A natural prairie is ideal, but your chemical free and clover rich lawn is a good compromise.
•Rocky areas -Butterflies like to bask in the sun to dry their wings and warm themselves.
•Puddles - Puddle areas contain concentrated minerals that butterflies crave.
•Winter homes - Butterflies in various stages over-winter in crevices in fallen wood. You can also put up a butterfly house, but remember, if it is used, it will be used in winter, not summer.

Host and Nectar Plants for Butterflies
Many butterflies have an exclusive relationship with one plant or one plant family. These butterflies absolutely require a chemical that is present in that particular host. Other butterflies will feed on nearly anything. In either case, it is a good idea to generously use native plants, as they are sure to attract and nourish our native butterflies. And, no, I am not recommending that one plant dandelion or plantain, but they are great butterfly plants, and, if they're in your yard already, why fight them???

Dandelion
Plantain
**Phlox (Several species)
**Ironweed (Vernonia-several)
Sassafras
Spicebush
Passionflower
Violet (Several species)
Jewel weed
**Milkweeds
Asclepias tuberosa
(Butterfly Weed)
Asclepias incarnata
(Swamp Milkweed)
Many other Milkweeds
Wild Ginger
**Coneflower (Echinacea-several species)
Solidago
Nettle
Dogbane
Anise Hyssop
Bluestar (Amsonia)
Native Azaleas
**Asters, especially
New England Aster,White Wood Aster, and Aromatic Aster
Sedum (Native and Non-native varieties)
Golden Ragwort
Wild Geranium
Pycnanthemum (Mtn. Mint)
Pipevine
New Jersey Tea
**Buttonbush
Poplar
Pawpaw
**Coreopsis (several species)
**Bee Balm and other Monarda
**Blazing star (Liatris- several species)
Fire Pink
Wild Pink
Native Thistle
**Eupatorium
Boneset
Joe Pye Weed
Wild Ageratum
Snake Root

Plants to Attract Beneficial Insects or Repel Pests - Some are also very attractive to Butterflies

Oregano
Mints
Cosmos
Lavender
Basil
Marigolds
Sage
Dill
Fennel
Rosemary
Rue
Borage
Coriander/Cilantro
Parsley
Yarrow
Caraway
Nasturtiums
Tansy
Lovage
Marjoram
Golden Marguerites

Butterfly Bush is often recommended as a butterfly plant, and they certainly do feed on it, but, it is currently being watched as a plant with potential to invade natural plant communities. While the jury is still out, I prefer to err on the side of caution, and choose other from the many other fine shrubs available. For more information on invasive exotic plants, do a web search, or visit tneppc.org.

Garden on!
-Christy

Shy Valley Native Habitat Nursery & Herbary
“Where nature and the garden meet”
Ecologically-sensitive growers of native plants, herbs and much more since 2001

Christy and Philip Shivell Fall Branch, TN 423/348-6570
For a printer friendly version of this document (with the plant list in a nicely laid out table), please visit my web site, shyvalley.com, and go to handouts.

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We are convenient to the Tri-Cities, Greeneville, and Rogersville, just off Interstate 81 at Exit 44, Jearoldstown Road. Please call for directions and an appointment. When you visit us, be sure to stop by Cook's Greenhouses, just down the road, for heirloom tomatoes and peppers, premium bedding plants, grasses, and herbs. Skyland Gardens 1183 Conklin Road Jonesborough, TN 37659 423-257-3361 Visit Our Web site “Home of Quality Daylilies” Skyland Gardens is located at the home of Bob and Martha Hale. The garden features new and recent introductions from major hybridizers from across the country. Each year, 50-75 new and recent introductions are added to the display. Over 1000 varieties of named daylilies are grown, plus 5000-6000 daylily seedlings from Bob’s hybridizing program. Purchases can be made in the garden from mid-April through early October, mail orders are shipped from mid-April through May and mid-August through early October. 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