What's in a name? In gardening, it's important
A cardinal and palm warbler hunt for grubs and insects
April 24, 2021
I love getting up early and heading out to the garden to see what’s happening. Something’s always going on.
Palm warblers, mockingbirds, cardinals and grackles hop around the grass poking for grubs and insects. This is one of the bonuses of not using chemicals: birds do the work for me.
Flycatchers and finches will be making a ruckus in the live oaks and doves are perched in the branches of the gumbo limbo.
My husband is the chrysalis spotter; he can always find these beautiful jewel-like butterfly cocoons in the most obscure places. The grandchildren seek out the caterpillars: fat yellow, white and black-striped monarchs and the white ones with black spikes of zebra longwings, and they love to see what’s blooming.
Monarda can be planted in full sun or partial shade here
Our son’s 2-year old smells everything for fragrance. Sweet almond bush is always a favorite, along with brunfelsia, monarda and lavender.
I truly believe that one of the greatest joys one can have is a garden. Even the smallest space can support a few favorite species and, if you choose properly, you’ll have whichever butterflies you want by providing the necessary host plants.
Coneflowers are heat-and drought- resistant
Dune sunflower are also known as beach sunflowers
Coreopsis plants feature masses of bright, showy, daisy-like flowers throughout the summer
I also think that knowing the names of your plants is tantamount to appreciating them. When you know the difference between the yellow daisy-like flowers of sunflower, coreopsis, rudbeckia and coneflower, as well as the cluster blossoms of Bahama senna, it will impress your friends.
The yellow blossoms of a Bahama senna come in the fall
Coral honeysuckle has clusters of red, tubular blooms followed by bright-red berries
Or perhaps it’s a blue Stokes's aster, or tradescantia, or sparkling wild allamanda. Once you can identify the blossoms of your plants, you’ll appreciate their other attributes: interesting bark, colorful new foliage, spectacular berries or distinguishing fragrance. Now when you walk through your garden, you’re greeting your plants by name and looking for specific features: the sparkling white undersides of pineland croton leaves, the dark glossy green, deeply serrated foliage of wild coffee, or the brilliant starburst blooms of Jamaican caper.
All these Florida natives will bring important pollinators as well as birds seeking nesting habitat and caterpillars to feed their young.
Tradescantia blossoms are commonly found individually or in clumps in wooded areas and open fields
Wild coffee is a native shrub
Jamaican caper can be grown as an understory tree in the partial shade, or grow in a an area that receives full sun to medium shade
The tan underside of Jamaican caper leaf
Butterflies and milkweed
Most of us know that milkweed, the Asclepias species, is the host plant for monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on the undersides of the milkweed leaves, the tiny caterpillars hatch out, and they proceed to eat the foliage until they are large enough to crawl off and spin their chrysalis.
Monarch lays eggs on the underside of milkweed leaf
Milkweed is the only plant they can eat, and their voracious activity will often totally denude the plant. Milkweed populations have been drastically reduced nationwide because of the extensive use of the herbicide glyphosate in Roundup, used in all GMO crops.
As more people have become aware of the monarchs’ plight, more milkweed is being planted, and while this is wonderful, there is of course, a caveat. The protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, known as OE, builds up in monarch populations that become too large and stay in one place.
A healthy monarch butterfly sprouts its wings
Our native mikweeds go dormant in the winter, and when their foliage dies back, the parasite dies with it. So each summer’s monarch population feeds on fresh, parasite-free foliage. But the readily available tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, is an evergreen, providing continual food for monarchs and allowing OE levels to build up on the plants, exposing successive generations of caterpillars to the disease.
It’s all about balance: if we only plant native milkweed species, the disease remains in check. I realize this is a tough sell, as the tropical varieties are so readily available, and their blooms are quite beautiful.
A monarch with OE disease, which is caused when the protozoan parasite builds up in monarch populations that become too large and stay in one place
If you have planted tropical milkweed, the best thing to do is to cut it back to the ground after the caterpillars have ingested the leaves. The new foliage should be disease-free. A monarch butterfly afflicted with OE is unable to emerge properly from its chrysalis and will be unable to fully open its wings. I have seen several butterflies with this disease, and it is tragic.
Let’s all cut our tropical milkweeds back after flowering and try to buy only native milkweed in the future: these include butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), rose milkweed (A. incarnata) and swamp milkweed (A. perennis).
What else attracts butterflies
Other colorful natives to attract butterflies are Stokes' aster (Stokesia laevis), wild petunia (Ruellia succulenta), Florida shrub thoroughwort (Koanophyllon villosum), and tropical sage (Salvia coccinea). The stunningly beautiful blue flowers of Stokes' aster will brighten any garden while attracting a variety of butterflies and pollinators. This prefers moist soil in full sun but is also fine in partial shade. The flower heads reach 2½ inches across and are a truly striking shade of azure blue.
Wild petunia, also called thickleaf petunia, is the larval host for our common buckeye butterfly as well as the beautiful, rare malachite butterfly. This evergreen perennial, endemic to South Florida, forms low mounds of foliage in full sun, with violet blue, sometimes pink tubular flowers.
Thoroughwort is a rarely seen shrub in Florida gardens and is state-listed as an endangered species. Growing to 5 feet in full sun or part shade, this produces small creamy white flowers year-round that are irresistible to butterflies. Drought-tolerant, and not particular as to soils, this adds an interesting accent component with its reddish stems and lime green foliage.
Tropical sage is also known as wild sage, fireweed, scarlet salvia, or scarlet sage
Finally, tropical sage is a favorite of hummingbirds as well as butterflies. The sparkling red, white, or pink flowers are borne in profusion on tall airy stalks above the foliage, and painted buntings and finches love the small seeds that follow. This does well in full sun or light shade, is drought-tolerant, and freely seeds itself, so once planted, you’ll have plenty around your garden. Cut it back after blooming to keep it from getting leggy.
These are just a few great natives that will bring color, excitement and lots of butterfly activity to your landscapes without the need for any chemicals. So get out and enjoy your gardens.
-Kim Frisbie
Original article on the Palm Beach Daily News is HERE.