One of the nicest lists for butterfly gardeners

I found this online and it is one of the nicest lists I've seen for eastern gardeners who select plants to attract butterflies-
http://www.abnativeplants.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.landscapePlans/recID/1/index.htm

The plants they chose (save a few cultivars of native species) were really great and there was another area on their site where they "featured" a few and gave a short narrative of why the plant was such a butterfly magnet.

Plants they listed-
Plant List
Ornamental Grasses
Low Grasses
Carex pennsylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge)
Carex stricta (Tussock Sedge)
Perennials
Low Perennials
Aquilegia canadensis ('Little Lanterns' Columbine)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Aster divaricatus ((Eurybia divaricata) Woodland Aster)
Dicentra eximia (Fringed Bleeding Heart)
Geranium maculatum (Geranium 'Espresso' (Cranesbill))
Phlox divaricata ('London Grove Blue' Woodland Phlox)
Polemonium reptans ('Stairway to Heaven' Jacob's Ladder)
Potentilla tridentata (Three-toothed Cinquefoil)
Pycnanthemum muticum (Short Toothed Mountain Mint)
Salvia lyrata ('Purple Knockout' Lyre-leaved Sage)
Sisyrinchium angustifolium ('Lucerne' Blue-eyed Grass)
Viola labradorica (Labrador Violet)
Medium Perennials
Solidago rugosa ('Fireworks' Goldenrod)
Medium to Tall Grasses
Aster novae-angliae ((Symphyotrichum n.a.) New England Aster)
Chelone glabra (Turtlehead)
Medium to Tall Perennials
Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver's Root)
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)
Aster laevis ((Symphyotrichum laeve) Smooth Aster)
Penstemon digitalis ('Husker Red' Tall White Beardtongue)
Cimicifuga racemosa (Bugbane)
Echinacea purpurea ('Ruby Star' Coneflower)
Eupatorium dubium ('Little Joe' Dwarf Joe Pye Weed)
Heliopsis helianthoides ('Summer Nights' Oxeye Daisy)
Hibiscus moscheutos (Rose Mallow)
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
Monarda didyma ('Jacob Cline' Bee balm)
Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot)
Phlox maculata ('Rosalind' Meadow Phlox)
Phlox paniculata ('Shortwood' Summer Phlox)
Physostegia virginiana ('Miss Manners' Obedient Plant)
Rudbeckia triloba (Three-lobed Coneflower)
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)
Vines
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper)
Trees and Shrubs
Conifers
Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar)
Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine)
Deciduous Trees
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Betula nigra ('Heritage' River Birch)
Amelanchier canadensis (Shadblow)
Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)
Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum)
Quercus bicolor (Swamp White Oak)
Medium to Tall Grasses
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Button Bush)
Cornus sericea ('Cardinal' Red-Osier Dogwood)
Cornus racemosa ('Geauge' Gray Dogwood)
Medium to Tall Shrubs
Clethra alnifolia (Summer Sweet Bush)
Salix discolor (Pussy Willow)
Sambucus canadensis ('Adams' Elderberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum ('Northland' Highbush Blueberry)
Viburnum trilobum (American Cranberry Viburnum)
Vaccinium corymbosum ('Blue Jay' Highbush Blueberry)
Viburnum dentatum ('Blue Blaze' Arrowwood)
Viburnum nudum ('Winterthur' Witherod)
Small Shrubs
Hypericum kalmianum (St. Johnswort)
Rosa palustris (Swamp Rose)
Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry)
Potentilla fruticosa ('Coronation Triumph' Shrubby Cinquefoil)
Vines
Aristolochia macrophylla (Dutchman's Pipe)
Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet Honeysuckle)

This message was edited Jun 13, 2007 6:11 AM

Wonderful list! Thanks for sharing that site. :-)

Oops, I just looked above and I need to edit the post to bold out the category of Medium to Tall shrubs.

Yes, a rather impressive list.

Great list EQ! You should post it on the BF Forum, they would love it!

Will do!

Where's the Butterfly and Hummer Forum? Just took a quick look and I don't see it in the line up of forums?

editing to add that I found it under Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening

This message was edited Jun 16, 2007 3:35 PM

Per your request ;)

And please note that at the top of all the plant file entries is a little link to the nurseries that sell these plants- forgive me but I couldn't help but add that because it's gotten me in trouble clicking on that link because I buy then buy the plants. Misery loves company so click away!

Carex pennsylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ophis/132527694/
Carex stricta (Tussock Sedge)
For me this is more of a wetland species-
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/wetland_plants/crxstr_aspect01.jpg
Also can be grown as a terrestrial
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/herbarium/carex_stricta.htm
Perennials
Low Perennials
Aquilegia canadensis ('Little Lanterns' Columbine)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/108307/index.html
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/73/index.html
Aster divaricatus ((Eurybia divaricata) Woodland Aster)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1278/index.html
Dicentra eximia (Fringed Bleeding Heart)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/192/index.html
Geranium maculatum (Geranium 'Espresso' (Cranesbill))
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2649/
Phlox divaricata ('London Grove Blue' Woodland Phlox)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2618/index.html
Polemonium reptans ('Stairway to Heaven' Jacob's Ladder)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1093/index.html
Potentilla tridentata (Three-toothed Cinquefoil)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/81307/index.html
http://www.boundarywaterscanoearea.com/wildflowers/flowerimages/erikspictures/3toothcinquefoil.jpg
Pycnanthemum muticum (Short Toothed Mountain Mint)
http://arboretum.sfasu.edu/plants/perennials/Web%20Perennials/Pycnanthemum%20muticum.jpg
Salvia lyrata ('Purple Knockout' Lyre-leaved Sage)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1003/index.html
Sisyrinchium angustifolium ('Lucerne' Blue-eyed Grass)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/491/index.html
Viola labradorica (Labrador Violet)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1417/index.html
Medium Perennials
Solidago rugosa ('Fireworks' Goldenrod)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53623/index.html
Medium to Tall Grasses
Aster novae-angliae ((Symphyotrichum n.a.) New England Aster)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/63/
Chelone glabra (Turtlehead)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1400/
Medium to Tall Perennials
Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver's Root)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/85/
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/539/
Aster laevis ((Symphyotrichum laeve) Smooth Aster)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1279/
Penstemon digitalis ('Husker Red' Tall White Beardtongue)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/38377/index.html
Cimicifuga racemosa (Bugbane)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/646/
Echinacea purpurea ('Ruby Star' Coneflower)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/26/index.html
Eupatorium dubium ('Little Joe' Dwarf Joe Pye Weed)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/94258/
Heliopsis helianthoides ('Summer Nights' Oxeye Daisy)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/55618/index.html
Hibiscus moscheutos (Rose Mallow)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/982/index.html
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/379/
Monarda didyma ('Jacob Cline' Bee balm)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/302/index.html
Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1097/
Phlox maculata ('Rosalind' Meadow Phlox)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/515/index.html
Phlox paniculata ('Shortwood' Summer Phlox)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/972/index.html
Physostegia virginiana ('Miss Manners' Obedient Plant)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/23/index.html
Rudbeckia triloba (Three-lobed Coneflower)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1173/index.html
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/847/index.html
Vines
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1695/index.html
Trees and Shrubs
Conifers
Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2359/
Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/69498/index.html
Deciduous Trees
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/217/index.html
Betula nigra ('Heritage' River Birch)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1051/
Amelanchier canadensis (Shadblow)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1511/
Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1531/index.html
Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1476/index.html
Quercus bicolor (Swamp White Oak)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/56750/
Medium to Tall Grasses
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Button Bush)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1515/
Cornus sericea ('Cardinal' Red-Osier Dogwood)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/74726/
Cornus racemosa ('Geauge' Gray Dogwood)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/31680/
Medium to Tall Shrubs
Clethra alnifolia (Summer Sweet Bush)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/150/
Salix discolor (Pussy Willow)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53021/index.html
Sambucus canadensis ('Adams' Elderberry)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/957/
Vaccinium corymbosum ('Northland' Highbush Blueberry)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2073/
Viburnum trilobum (American Cranberry Viburnum)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2494/
Vaccinium corymbosum ('Blue Jay' Highbush Blueberry)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2073/
Viburnum dentatum ('Blue Blaze' Arrowwood)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/76469/index.html
Viburnum nudum ('Winterthur' Witherod)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/84760/index.html
Small Shrubs
Hypericum kalmianum (St. Johnswort)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arborboy/386153093/
Rosa palustris (Swamp Rose)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1180/index.html
Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2072/index.html
Potentilla fruticosa ('Coronation Triumph' Shrubby Cinquefoil)
http://www.naturehills.com/new/product/shrubs_productdetails.aspx?proname=Potentilla-Coronation+Triump&ovmkt=6TL4TEQ1FFTRVEG1I1AAL6V7BO
Vines
Aristolochia macrophylla (Dutchman's Pipe)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/55232/
http://www.beautifulbotany.com/STOCK%20A-B/Aristolochia%20macrophylla.jpg
Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet Honeysuckle)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2013/index.html

How'd I do? Tee he! You all will hummer and flutter folk will be lost for a while clicking on the links and I recall adding a few photos of my plants to some of the entries above.

You enabler you!. Bookmarking all your research. Great thread of information! I'll be here for awhile!

Usually it's all of you guys doing it to me! I think we have a case of the pot calling the kettle black here! Click away on those vendor links ladies! Click away! Muahahahahahaha!

I will not buy any more plants. I will not buy any more plants. I will not buy any more plants until the fall. I will not buy any more plants except the low bush blueberry.....

lol!

You will buy more plants, you will buy more plants, you will buy more plants because you know deep in your heart that you can quit any time you want ;)

You are bad Equil, for encouraging us. And I was doing so well, had been so restrained until this point.

I had purchased the Geranium maculatum "Espresso"(on the list) in the spring . It had chocolate leaves but now it has reverted to green leaves.

And where's Lindera benzoin? Host plant for spicebush and tiger swallowtail butterflies....


http://davesgarden.com/ps/go/50037/

That was some sort of an ad for American Beauties Native Plants in which they featured plants and provided a landscape design utilizing the plants listed above. I've never heard of American Beauties Natives Plants before. Maybe they don't grow any Lindera or maybe they didn't use it in the landscape design they were advertising?

Well shame on them! ;)

So, what did everyone buy after that long list Equil provided? Am I the only one who was persuaded to buy something? I resisted but in the end I bought the Vaccinum Angustifolium, lowbush blueberry, mail ordered from Rarefind Nursery. Now where do I find room for it? Equil are you coming over to find some space for me?

Cardinal flower, tall phlox, downy skull cap, soloman's seal I got this year. I also have an annual that I got at work called a Penta that attracts butterflies. I have never had as many butterflies as I have this year since before my chickens.

This message was edited Jul 28, 2007 7:45 PM

Hmmm sempervirens! I persuaded myself to buy more plants. It's not hard twisting your own arm.

Have you created a bog on your property yet sempervirens? You know what they say, "Once you go soggy, you never go back". Imagine the species you could companion plant with your new little Vaccinum Angustifolium that would attract butterflies if you could sink a bog on your property somewhere! Tra la la la la la la la. Get yourself a bog woman.

Say pepper123, me thinks you caught the butterfly bug, "tall phlox, downy skull cap, soloman's seal". What are you going to plant next spring for your beautiful fluttering bugs?

From Equilibrium's list
I now have or already have:

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)
Echinacea purpurea ('Ruby Star' Coneflower) not necessarily this cultivar but have several varieties
Hibiscus moscheutos (Rose Mallow)
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
Monarda didyma ('Jacob Cline' Bee balm)
Physostegia virginiana ('Miss Manners' Obedient Plant) may not be same cultivar

Betula nigra ('Heritage' River Birch)may not be same cultivar


Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple) My sugar Maple is 28 years old

I have seeds for:
Sisyrinchium angustifolium ('Lucerne' Blue-eyed Grass)
Penstemon digitalis ('Husker Red' Tall White Beardtongue)
Eupatorium dubium ('Little Joe' Dwarf Joe Pye Weed)
Aristolochia macrophylla (Dutchman's Pipe)
Rudbeckia triloba (Three-lobed Coneflower)
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)

I want to find either plants or seeds for:
Hypericum kalmianum (St. Johnswort)

Great list!

Deborah

Tee he, another one caught the butterfly bug. That list I found at that plant site was really great.

You know, terryr is right. You all really do need a Lindera benzoin (Spicebush)! Did any of us check the plant files for that entry to click on that little vender button at the top of the page that lists what nursery is selling it- (evil laugh).

Ah, I am not alone in allowing "the list" to persuade me.
Nice plant list pepper23 and Cordeledawg. Let me ask either or both of you what luck you've had with the lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower)? All mine disappeared after one year.

Equil, are you trying to get me in more trouble with "that bog idea"? I had been thinking of it, and did some research, but decided in the end the area was too small and the tree roots too extensive. I have an area near a bird bath where I made a small depression so I could keep a fragrant "nodding tresses ladies' tresses (Spiranthes cernua odorata) moist. Any ideas of what to plant with the orchid besides the blueberry?

I winter sown a milk jug full of Lobelia cardinalis and got only one plant to live. I transplanted it at the edge of my pond. It's branching ok. No flowers though. The trick, so I read, is not to mulch the base or it will die. This will be my first time growing cardinal flower. OH how I wish I could have a pond margin full of them.

I have purchased several bf host plants from Mail-order Natives. That's were I bought my Spicebush and Pawpaws, Sweetbay Magnolia, Redbay, Hoptree, Hercules Club and River Birrch. I'm determined to have butterflies. On my wish list are more natives and hopefully I'll place another order in the fall with Nearly Natives. That's where I want to buy the Rudbeckia maxima and the other BES that grows over 7' tall.

Yep, Equil's getting me in trouble big time.

Oh, it's so wonderful getting other people in trouble!

Ummm, not that I want to get in trouble any more than I already am but what's a Hercules Club Tree? Do I need one of these?

Funny you both should mention not having good luck with Lobelia cardinalis. I have not had good luck with Lobelia siphilitica. I can get the seed to germinate but then they seem to disappear after transplant. Who knows, it may be out there somewhere tucked away still alive.

You know you want a Hercule's Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) for the Giant Swallowtails! http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/62606/

Thanks Cordeledawg for the cardinal flower info. I don't have a pond but they were at the edge of the Rain Garden with run off from the downspout. They flowered nicely last year, but not a plant or seedling returned. I think I mulched them. Good luck with yours.

Well Equil and terryr, I am safe from your promotion of the Spicebush shrub. My neighbor has a nice group of them just over the fence line and one planted itself on my side last year.
I have less and less butterflies lately, I think it is because I have more birds nesting in the garden. The Robins and cardinals built 2 nests and successfully hatched both groups. There is a catbird nest in the tree also.

Yes yes yes! I would like one of those. I'm quite a bit north of its natural range so it wouldn't have a chance of surviving here. Neat bark. Not a tree you'd want to run into in the dark though. I don't know why but I started thinking you were referring to Opuntia humifusa (Eastern Prickly Pear) and me and that plant do not get along at all. I'm so darn tired of picking those flesh colored needles out of my hands it isn't even funny. That is one quality native plant that I do not want growing over here.

Why don't I ever get good volunteers from neighbors' plants like a Spicebush. I feel so deprived.

LOL, running in to one in the dark! ROFL. They remind me of those ancient clubs used in battle. I guess that's where the common name comes from.

Yep, I wish my neighbor's good stuff would wander over into my yard too.

My skullcap is looking great along with the soloman's seal. The cardinal flower looks bad-leaves have yellowed and it is droopy. I will take pics. The ferns so far are doing ok. I always know when to water though because the jap fern will flatten out to the ground. lol. I try to water almost everyday in this weather and so far so good.

My plant list for next year is: Butterfly Weed, Hollyhocks- if I can find a place for it, possibly Red Clover, Red Penstemon, and Black-eyed Susan. I also have Borage, Mexican Sunflower, Millet, and Purple Coneflower seeds. All in a tin can from work. lol. I only plan on planting the first half of what I typed.

I will take pics tomorrow if I can get the camera and I remember.

I have both the Lobelia's blooming right now. I hope they come back next year!!

Equil, you probably don't have any neat volunteers from your neighbors for the same reason I don't! They don't have any!!!! Nothing, nadda. Now if I wanted some of those ditch lilies, then that's another story.....

LOL. I have lots of ditch lilies and my grandma has even more. In fact she wants to get rid of a bunch and my dad wants them here. I am hoping they don't end up here cause if they do they are gonna disappear mysteriously.

And I just can't seem to get enough of them.. Course now I've got a pond I'm trying to encircle with common daylilies to help keep the weeds down.

Wow, there are so many new forums now that I didn't even know there was a wildlife 'gardening' forum until today! So I hope you don't mind if I check in now and again to find out what's new...

That's quite and extensive list of butterfly plants and it's nice that they show a plan for a butterfly garden too. Prairie Nursery has some nice butterfly garden plans and other plans too. (For instance for 'lake buffer' gardens which sound interesting.) I haven't purchased from them so I can't vouch for their products, but their garden sketches are very nice. http://prairienursery.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8_57&zenid=09f4f4c8fef46c7f6fc79d1de51b39a4

I will be interested to find out how everyone's plantings work out.

http://www.daylilies.org/AHSinforeleaseinvasives.pdf
For ditch lilies

t, I love Prairie Nursery and Prairie Moon too!

I have the double bloom one. But it still spreads easily.

pepper23, I have a question on skullcap, which one to you have? Which is native and is it aggressive?
Hi tabasco, welcome.

Equil, returning to the moist garden idea I wonder what you can suggest if the soil is more in the neutral 6.5 range naturally (I think watering the area makes it more neutral) but I amended the soil with lots of peat and compost to bring it into the more acid range. The blueberries are growing well. I am not sure I can maintain a very acid soil without continual addition to the soil. What do you think I should do? I have a strip in the center of the driveway that had been dug up to lay pipes and it is very low fertility and acidic. It is happily growing moss. Maybe I should take some of that soil and moss. Growing in the moss is a very fine delicate grass that I've been pulling out for months now. It looks a lot like the pictures of Carex appalachia. Does anyone grow this sedge ?

Here's a picture of the front mostly native garden along the street.

Here's the rabbit that thinks the front side walk is just another part of the garden and regularly uses it as part of it's route. Interestingly, some of the pedestrians no longer use the sidewalk, preferring to walk in the street even though the garden is carefully trimmed. I'm sure the rabbit is pleased.

I'm not Equil, but I play her sometimes...lol. I was told recently to apply some sulfur around a few plants that like a more acidic soil. My plants all do well in regular garden soil, but just to add a little something, I was told to add sulfur and that was by the guy who owns Possibility Place here in IL.

I've also been told to add Ironite around azaleas and evergreens, that one of the problems with soil that isn't on the acidic side is that the plants don't get the iron they need, so supplying the iron can be more effective than trying to acidify the soil. Ironite does green up my hollies and spruces!