mcash70 said:Melanie, I think it depends on the cultivar of coneflowers, you just have to find the right one for your area, and don't over water. That said, I have not found them to be great butterfly attractions in my area.

with the finding the right ones for your area. I think this Magnus is it for me. I think ~~~ test of time will tell.
I will add that the 1st one I got was not Magnus, it was just generic.

Unlike Margaret, I have found them to be great butterfly attractors.

I should have thought to include a photo:

Ooh, pretty! I may give them another chance. At least I have some more advice to go on now. When I was up visiting Grandma a few years back we went over to Eastern KY to visit my ancestors' cemeteries. One is basically in this guy's backyard. And the other one you have to park at someone's trailer and then walk up the hill. So when I came back down I was admiring this lady's garden because she had like a dozen Red Admirals and Silver-Spotted Skippers going nuts on these really tall coneflowers. And she was all apologetic saying how she'd mostly planted natives because she was getting older and it was harder to take care of the garden. Well, you know I preached the gospel of native plants and then I told her what a good job she was doing for the butterflies. The whole time I was snapping pictures and telling her how much I loved her garden and look how happy the butterflies were! The photos are on my old computer. I'll have to dig them up because it was really pretty.

The Welcome Center when you enter Virginia also has a bunch of coneflowers planted out front in the parking lots and I was jealous of those, too! I'm like, "Why can't I do it?" Maybe it is too hot here? I'm going to have to go look at some of those maps and see if Echinacea is actually native to my county or just the upper part of the state. I do grow a lot of things that technically are only native to the panhandle but they seem to do okay. I got pretty used to killing things when I was a newbie gardener and I just feel like I should be past this phase already!

I thought Echinacea was supposed to be one of those "never fail" plants too. but after reading what a ton of people on this site say...... they aren't as never care, never die as is touted. I read ppl here who go through variety after variety after variety & they'll say things like, "That one lasted 2 years for me then croaked." Or 3 years or that one only lasted one year.

You know what Melanie, I'll be brutally honest here & say that I have as many butterflies at my Salvia
Salvia (Salvia splendens 'Bonfire')

& the zebra longwings, sulphurs, swallowtails & every other kind of butterfly within a mile of here goes bonkers over it!!!! The plants are NEVER still b/c there are so many butterflies on them. The hummingbirds go gonzo over it too! And CHEAP, and EASY!!!! I pick up a couple packets of seeds at the Dollar General for sometimes 4 for $1 or maximum $1 packet. They germinate (in Fl.) in no time at all & come into bloom so fast it'll make your head swim. I constantly have to cut them back as they grow so fast. They take the full brunt of the summer sun, the leaves will wilt in late afternoon but they bounce right back with a couple degree drop in temp. as night comes on.

The other thing the butterflies can't leave alone are Gaillardia. Bonkers & busy all the time with activity. Also another easy grow from seed.

Two BF were visiting the Dames Rocket (wildflower) in garden today. Pics of the Black Swallowtail didn't take, pics of the Red Admiral did better.

I've found purple coneflower to be a butterfly magnet as evidenced here:

A Red Admiral Convention.

I used to grow Gaillardia - another great native! But most of it was over on my neighbor's side of the road and has not survived after years of neglect. I live on a corner lot and I used to landscape both sides of the front of the street before I got sick. We have Gaillardia at MOSI, too and it does well. Our neighbor behind us died a few months ago and he owned 9 acres. I know there are blanket flowers in his front yard (which is like 2 acres) because I saw them blooming a few times when he didn't mow for a while or they grew too low to get cut. And I was telling Mom the other day I might go over there and see if I can find them again and dig them up and bring them over. His kids haven't been mowing as often so maybe I can snag some. I had my best success with the "Goblin" variety, by the way.

The only sage I have growing right now is "Black and Blue" which grows well and is hard to kill but I didn't locate it in the best of spots. I have two and let's just say, sometimes Melanie forgets how big other plants are going to grow. And I have a problem trimming things, which is why Dad does it! So the salvia doesn't get much action because it is physically hard to reach for the bugs.

I need to weed before I plant anything, though. If I'd known it was going to be a little cooler yesterday and today I would have tried to get out there and do a little, but I felt pretty bad both days so it probably would have been a no-go anyhow. Dad and I have to coordinate our schedules and tackle those weeds! The skunkvine is getting obnoxious at this point. And as much as the butterflies love them, I have to keep the Spanish Needles under control or they'll cover everything.

J, we cross-posted! I've seen that picture before! Isn't it amazing?

Echinacea plants don't exactly thrive in my yard either. I saw what looks like a Bordered Patch near a nursery in the country over the weekend.

Update picture of the swallowtail caterpillars!

I have this plant in a container and I'm seriously thinking about bringing it to my screened porch. Those cats are getting plump and juicy and I'm afraid they're going to be tempting to the blue jays that love to hang out in my backyard. I would love for my boys to see the entire swallowtail cycle!

Great pictures everyone! Just love that red on the red admiral!

Ive, go ahead and bring them in! I always say that Black Swallowtails are the "meanest" ones because they are quicker to use their stinkhorns than anyone. Plus, they're really good at leaning their head back so they really smear it all over your fingers. But I always tell the guests that it's justified because unlike most other Swallowtails, the Black STs don't eat poisonous plants. In fact, I call them Herb-Stuffed caterpillars since they come naturally seasoned with dill, parsley, etc. So they have to be tougher because I'm pretty sure they taste better. Plus, watching them become chrysalises and then butterflies is so cool! Just watch out for the gut purge!

I just went out in my yard to pick food again. Plus, Dad was out there chainsawing things so I said hi to him. It's still the usual suspects with one new addition today.

The Zebra Longwings are in the butterfly garden right now. This one also has a huge clump of pollen on its proboscis. Isn't that so weird-looking? Before I knew they did that I saw one like this and started freaking out because I thought something was wrong with it and it had some mysterious substance stuck to it. "How will it eat if it has that all over its proboscis", I wondered. But a little internet research and I learned that was totally normal and actually good for it.



The Frits are mainly chasing each other around today but this one stopped to get its picture taken. How nice of it.



Now, I did see a Cloudless Sulphur today that I thought was headed for my Senna but then I lost it. And there was something that looked a lot like a Swallowtail flying over my neighbor's fence (what does he have back there that I don't have?). But the only other butterfly I got was this Dainty Sulphur. Now, at first I thought it was the Barred Sulphur because I see them, too. And I used to get them mixed up. But, when I was trying to get a picture, the butterfly landed where I couldn't see it underneath a leaf so I shook the plant a little to get it to move. And when I did I noticed her body was clearly bent like she was laying an egg - on the Spanish Needles! Which is the host plant for the Dainty Sulphur. Plus, I got my book out and compared pictures and now I'm convinced. I actually raised these guys once (because I want to raise all species at least once). The cats are so tiny I'm surprised I'm not permanently cross-eyed. Here's two pictures I managed to get of the butterfly today. Hopefully, she's out there laying eggs now that I'm not there to bother her.

One of my Facebook friends demanded pictures of my Spicebush ST so I thought I'd share here, too. They're still not growing like they should and I lost another one last night. I'm pretty sure they can't have a parasite or disease since I got them as eggs but something isn't right here. Maybe a genetic thing? In good news, when I went to take the picture I naturally went looking for the biggest one I had. He wasn't in his little home because he'd already moved to the new leaf I just put in there. So that seems good, right?

Mellie, I brought them in. Decided not to even touch them. I dug the dill out of the pot I had it in, and placed it in a smaller one that could fit in my boys' 'butterfly hotel'.

I had gotten that pop up enclosure ages ago and completely forgot about it. We're used to seeing the entire cycle of the monarchs without having to do anything special, so this is the first time we use the butterfly keeper.

I totally forgot to tell Linda how much I love that Bordered Patch. I wish we had them here!

Ive, if the kids have never seen the stinkhorns, you have to show them. It's just too cool and I love seeing guests' reactions at the museum when I show them. It's so hilarious! But yeah, otherwise I wouldn't touch them.

One thing I forgot to mention. I was beginning to think my Polydamas eggs were duds. Swallowtail eggs generally hatch in 3-7 days with it usually being at the shorter end of the scale, especially when it's hot outside. But these were just sitting there not doing anything. However, last night I noticed a definite darkening of the eggs so the caterpillars are forming inside and will hopefully be joining me soon. I still think it's weird she only laid eight eggs, though. And I've been checking every day and haven't found any more.

One of my favorite local nurseries got in some Asclepias physocarpus and was saying how the Monarchs had already found it. I wasn't familiar with that species so I looked it up and it's native to South Africa. I'd much rather spend my money on native milkweeds so I'll pass on this one. I would have made that comment but let's just say we've already had some "tense" exchanges on Facebook before so I figured it's probably best to keep my mouth shut. But as a company, I would want to know what products my customers are looking for. But I'm still going to keep quiet on this one.

FYI, Select Seeds sent me an email with their end of year closeout sale. All plants are $4 so check it out if you want!

That Bordered Patch is gorgeous. What colors!

I have lots of Spanish Needles here Melanie, much to my chagrin, but I will have to keep a look out for the Dainty Sulphur now that your photo showed me what it looks like.

JM, loved the Red Admiral Convention

Ann, the Spanish Needles are a mixed blessing. They're such a great nectar plant and a host plant (even if the butterfly is tiny). But they sure can get out of hand fast! I let them get to a certain point and then Dad usually takes over and pulls them or goes crazy with the weed whacker. I always try to have some growing in at least part of the yard. And even if you pull them, they never really go away since they self-seed so easily. And those seeds! I have to pick them off me every time I even brush near the plant!

mellielong said:Ann, the Spanish Needles are a mixed blessing. They're such a great nectar plant and a host plant (even if the butterfly is tiny). But they sure can get out of hand fast! I let them get to a certain point and then Dad usually takes over and pulls them or goes crazy with the weed whacker. I always try to have some growing in at least part of the yard. And even if you pull them, they never really go away since they self-seed so easily. And those seeds! I have to pick them off me every time I even brush near the plant!

Egg-Zactly!

When I talked to an owner of the native nursery I visited last weekend, I told him about the Crimson Patch caterpillars and he said he hadn't seen them in 3 or 4 years. He happened to mention that they can also use ruellias as host plant, which I hadn't ever heard about. So today I found one caterpillar eating on my Ragin' Cajun Ruellia...pic below! All the others were on Flame Acanthus. They're mostly pupated now...I took a pic of one of the chrysallis, kind of speckled.