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.
Betty–
I love the silvery blue of the Mist Flower. The Ailanthus webworm moth is new to me–and very striking. Two of the black swallowtail caterpillars that you gave me are in the chrysalis stage now. One is brown and one is green (matching the branch color of their perches–how do they KNOW that?).
Patsy, sounds like you are well on your way to butterflies. As to how they know to match the chrysalis with their surroundings? Good question!
Mist flower is a new name to me. Mom always called it wild aster but I’m not sure if that is a correct name and I sure didn’t know that it is a culinary favorite of bees and butterflies. Wish it grew closer to the front porch so I could observe the feasting.