I'm really kind of a butterfly nerd. So, this is a great time of year for me...the time here in Texas when the thousands of monarch butterflies headed south for Mexico come through this area. The story of the migration itself is amazing (as covered in a New York Times article last week); ALL of the monarchs in North America head south as the temperature gets close to 60 degrees--and they're all headed for the SAME spot in central Mexico.
So, about this time here in Dallas, if you see a monarch, they are invariably headed south. At times, you can spot a loner forging its own path to its winter hideaway. Other times, you can see hundreds, if not thousands, at once. Last year about this time, I made a trip to Abilene and was stunned at the number of monarchs I saw crossing the highway as I travelled west. Several years ago, my office mates and I marveled at the river of butterflies travelling south down a main Dallas street outside our windows. It was almost as if they were using our human traffic lanes for their own purposes.
Of course, here at home, I feel obligated to provide them a snack for their long journey. Throughout our backyard, we have planted a variety of things to serve not only the travelling monarchs who may need a rest stop, but also the winged things that stay in the area all summer long.
It's really easy to do. There are a wealth of lists out there of favorite butterfly plants. The thing to remember is you need to plant two kinds of food. Nectar plants for adult butterflies and host plants for the caterpillars. If you plant some of both, you're sure to have visitors throughout the warm months.
Easy nectar plants here in Dallas are coneflowers and lantana. Add pentas, asters and Gregg's mist--plants that bloom in the fall--and you'll have butterflies at your buffet every day.
The host plants are also easy...and sometimes do more to attract butterflies than the nectar plants do. Momma butterflies worry about their young as much as others out in nature, and they're grateful to find the perfect meal for their soon-to-hatch eggs. What's interesting is that not every caterpillar eats every plant; they are very specific to only a few (or even just one) plant. I've had the best luck with passionflower vines and ornamental cabbage.
The passionvine attracts a brilliant orange butterfly called a frittilary. Our passion vine has grown into a tall hedge, and it's a treat to see three or four of them flashing in the sun as they flutter around and lay their eggs. I've also had success with the ornamental cabbages you see so commonly planted here in Dallas in the winter. I stick a couple on pots on the back driveway and keep them going until the cabbage white butterflies can find them in the spring.
Of course, the trade off is you're planting food. So, if you have success in atrracting the mother, her ravenous babies are going to munch the heck out of your plants. So, put your butterfly garden in a place that you don't mind letting things get a little straggly.
It really pays off. There is something beautiful--and almost spiritual--about watching a butterfly swoop in for a drink of nectar, and especially in watching a caterpillar form its chrysalis and then emerge and unfurl it's wings several days later.
So, try it for yourself. Go to your local nursery and grab a couple of butterfly plants. (The Texas Discovery Garden at Fair Park here in Dallas is a great place to see these plants in action.) Plant them--even just in pots--and watch the magic begin. A great way to make your life more beautiful.
So, about this time here in Dallas, if you see a monarch, they are invariably headed south. At times, you can spot a loner forging its own path to its winter hideaway. Other times, you can see hundreds, if not thousands, at once. Last year about this time, I made a trip to Abilene and was stunned at the number of monarchs I saw crossing the highway as I travelled west. Several years ago, my office mates and I marveled at the river of butterflies travelling south down a main Dallas street outside our windows. It was almost as if they were using our human traffic lanes for their own purposes.
Of course, here at home, I feel obligated to provide them a snack for their long journey. Throughout our backyard, we have planted a variety of things to serve not only the travelling monarchs who may need a rest stop, but also the winged things that stay in the area all summer long.
It's really easy to do. There are a wealth of lists out there of favorite butterfly plants. The thing to remember is you need to plant two kinds of food. Nectar plants for adult butterflies and host plants for the caterpillars. If you plant some of both, you're sure to have visitors throughout the warm months.
Easy nectar plants here in Dallas are coneflowers and lantana. Add pentas, asters and Gregg's mist--plants that bloom in the fall--and you'll have butterflies at your buffet every day.
The host plants are also easy...and sometimes do more to attract butterflies than the nectar plants do. Momma butterflies worry about their young as much as others out in nature, and they're grateful to find the perfect meal for their soon-to-hatch eggs. What's interesting is that not every caterpillar eats every plant; they are very specific to only a few (or even just one) plant. I've had the best luck with passionflower vines and ornamental cabbage.
The passionvine attracts a brilliant orange butterfly called a frittilary. Our passion vine has grown into a tall hedge, and it's a treat to see three or four of them flashing in the sun as they flutter around and lay their eggs. I've also had success with the ornamental cabbages you see so commonly planted here in Dallas in the winter. I stick a couple on pots on the back driveway and keep them going until the cabbage white butterflies can find them in the spring.
Of course, the trade off is you're planting food. So, if you have success in atrracting the mother, her ravenous babies are going to munch the heck out of your plants. So, put your butterfly garden in a place that you don't mind letting things get a little straggly.
It really pays off. There is something beautiful--and almost spiritual--about watching a butterfly swoop in for a drink of nectar, and especially in watching a caterpillar form its chrysalis and then emerge and unfurl it's wings several days later.
So, try it for yourself. Go to your local nursery and grab a couple of butterfly plants. (The Texas Discovery Garden at Fair Park here in Dallas is a great place to see these plants in action.) Plant them--even just in pots--and watch the magic begin. A great way to make your life more beautiful.
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