How’s this for some bright autumn color?
I look forward to Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) in my shade garden in the spring. I also enjoy it in autumn. Its brilliant red seeds add a splash of color and catch my attention whenever I walk by.
Blog
Buckeye butterfly
What a treat! I am seeing Buckeye butterflies (Junonia coenia) in the backyard for the first time. I think they are quite attractive with their colorful markings and distinctive “eyes”. They, along with several other smaller butterflies, are feeding on Mist Flower, the subject of last week’s post. At times it’s a butterfly frenzy and great fun to watch.
Mist Flower
This is the bees’ and butterflies’ favorite plant right now. Mist Flower or Wild Ageratum (Eupatorium coelestinum) is in full bloom. Many of the summer flowers have faded while the fall asters and goldenrods haven’t yet blossomed. Mist Flower is drought tolerant – a welcome characteristic during our current Kentucky hot and dry spell. I also enjoy bringing it inside as part of a garden bouquet.
In addition to various bees, I’ve seen skippers, silvery checkerspots and monarch butterflies enjoying its nectar. The visitor above is an Ailanthus webworm moth (Atteva aurea). It is an occasional visitor in the garden and I like its unique design.
Caterpillar giveaway
Would you like a black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) caterpillar? I have an abundance and would be glad to share some with anyone in the Lexington, Kentucky area.
They are easy to care for and fun to watch. They eat parsley, dill, or fennel. If you are new at this, my tips for raising butterflies may be helpful.
I can’t be sure when these caterpillars will emerge as butterflies. Some of them may overwinter as chrysalises and emerge next spring. I put some in my garage last winter and they did fine. I plan to try some outside this winter.
If you are not interested now but would like to try raising caterpillars later, I’d be glad to put your name on a waiting list.
Please contact me for more information or to request a caterpillar.
Lexington Herald-Leader article
The butterflies and I have made the news. Susan Smith-Durisek, who writes a weekly garden column for our local newspaper, recently asked for information about raising butterflies. Her well-written article was published this past weekend along with photos by Charles Bertram.
I appreciate Susan’s article and I hope it encourages more people to explore and learn about butterflies and native plants.