Yesterday I went to the garden center to look at fall flowers, but what caught my attention was a butterfly bush display swarmed by Monarch butterflies and bees. The sign above said "Butterfly Bushes Attract Butterflies." Now that's truth in advertising! Who knew butterflies were such great sales associates?
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In the last couple of weeks, I've seen lots of Tiger Swallowtail butterflies flitting around the yard. Most were sipping nectar, but one displayed behavior I haven't seen before. Here's a video of a Tiger Swallowtail tapping on my window. I wonder if this is territorial behavior because he sees his reflection. Whatever the reason, the cats and I enjoyed a brief up close look at this beautiful butterfly.
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I often write about bee and butterfly magnets, but the Sweet Pepper bush, or Summer Sweet, is at the top of the list for attracting bees. In high summer when lots of flowers have bloomed out, this deciduous shrub is covered in fragrant blooms. Every time I walk by, I'm amazed at the number of bees swarming the flowers.
This versatile shrub is easy to grow, very low maintenance, and showy in bloom. It isn't very interesting for most of the year, but I really look forward to the few weeks it flowers.
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Butterfly Bushes flower profusely all summer and are easy to grow. They live up to their name, too--butterflies love them. So do bees. They are attracted by the long spikes of tiny flowers cover this vigorous grower. In fact, the Butterfly Bush is so adaptable, it can be invasive and has been categorized as a weed in some locations.
There are varieties to suit any space, some that grow as tall as 15 feet and a dwarf variety that only reaches 3-4 feet. For a really spectacular look, plant two or more Butterfly Bushes together in the same hole--pair yellow with lavender or pink with white or do a tri-color. The branches intermingle as the plants grow and give the appearance of a multicolor shrub.
This is my purple dwarf Butterfly Bush which is only about 3 feet high.
The white one is about 8 feet tall now.
This is the pink Butterfly Bush.
Butterfly Bush volunteers appear in the yard from time to time and I always enjoy adding to them to my flower beds. You can never attract too many butterflies to your yard.
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The beds of salvia and lantana are humming with activity as bees gather that last little bit of nectar before winter. All through the summer butterflies have been visiting, but lately I’ve seen a lot more orange and black Monarch butterflies around the yard.
Monarchs have a fascinating life cycle. Every year, there are four generations. Each lives for only a few weeks, except for the fourth, which emerges in late summer. The last generation lives for about 8 months, long enough to migrate to Mexico and hibernate for the winter. They emerge in early spring and return to the U.S. to start the cycle over again.
The Monarchs I see now must be gathering nectar to sustain them for the long trek to Mexico. Even though the salvia is overgrown and could use some pruning, I’m glad I resisted the urge to tidy up. To these beautiful creatures, I’m sure every bloom is a precious source of nectar.
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Lately I’ve seen a lot more butterflies of all colors flitting around the garden. Yellow clouded and white cabbage butterflies enjoy the salvia. The tiger and black swallowtails swarm the big lantana bushes. I haven’t had much luck getting butterfly photos this summer because I never seem to have my camera ready at the right time. Lucky for me this little orange Skipper sat on a lantana long enough for me to take a picture.
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The Rose of Sharon is in full bloom and it’s a true bee and butterfly magnet!! A member of the hibiscus family, this large shrub typically grows 8-10 feet high, but mine are a robust 12 feet. This plant is very popular in the South because it can withstand the heat. The last month has been unseasonably hot with temperatures in the high nineties almost every day, but the Rose of Sharon looks remarkably perky.
Blossoms can be double or single. Colors range from pale white to lavender and hot pink. It grows naturally with several stems, but it can be pruned to have a single trunk. I think the multiple stems are very attractive and make a more interesting shrub.
Plant the Rose of Sharon in full sun and well drained soil. Other than watering regularly and fertilizing a couple of time a year, it’s maintenance free. The Rose of Sharon is hardy in zones 5-9.
These are heirloom plants that grew from the seed of my Mother’s shrubs. I transplanted the seedlings to my yard when they were about six inches high. That’s pretty impressive growth for seven years! I wish everything in the garden thrived like that.
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Last week the familiar yellow and black Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies began flitting around the yard. Most of the time, they’re seen lighting on flowers and sipping nectar, but I saw several gathering in a wet patch near the lake and recorded some video. This behavior, called puddling, is common among freshly emerged Tiger Swallowtails.
The butterflies congregate on mud, damp gravel, or around puddles to sip water that contains mineral salts and other nutrients that have seeped from the surrounding soil and rocks. Male butterflies do more puddling than females. It is believed that puddling provides nutrients to make the pheromones used to attract females.
With all the spring flowers and trees in bloom, the yard must be a paradise for new butterflies. But I’ll bet they can’t wait for their favorite, the Butterfly Bush, to burst into bloom.
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I’ve seen these stunning black and blue butterflies gracefully floating around the yard, but never was in the right place to get a picture. Yesterday, though, one stopped for a rest on the side of the house long enough for me to grab the camera.
I identified it as a Red Spotted Purple butterfly. They’re common in the eastern part of the U.S. and are often mistaken for the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.
Butterflies don’t often light on the house, but this one looks like he’s posing. Maybe he just wanted his fifteen minutes of fame on the web!
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The Rose of Sharon is in full bloom and it’s a true bee and butterfly magnet!! They are swarming the blossoms!! Take a look at this pollen-covered bee!!
A member of the hibiscus family, the Rose of Sharon grows 8-10 feet high, but mine are slightly bigger. Blossoms can be double or single. Colors range from pale white to lavender and hot pink. It grows naturally with several stems, but it can be pruned to have a single trunk. I think the multiple stems are very attractive and make a more interesting shrub.
Plant the Rose of Sharon in full sun and well drained soil. Other than regular watering and fertilizer a couple of time a year, it’s maintenance free. The Rose of Sharon is hardy in zones 5-9.
This plant is very popular in the South because it can withstand the heat very well. How many plants could sport so many blooms and look perky in the high nineties? It seems the bees and butterflies are pretty grateful for such a hardy source of pollen and nectar!!
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