NSBG’s was happy to be a part of Redfin’s latest blog post.
Ryan Castillo at Redfin put together this wonderful article and North Shore Butterfly Garden’s was among the experts that he reached out to for input!
The word “host” was used 14 times in this article. Word is getting out about host plants and why they are crucial when gardening to support butterflies.
Shopping trip to my local nursery…
Before you go to the nursery to buy plants find out what host plants butterflies in your location need for their survival. The easiest way to do this is to use on the Native Plant Finder developed by Doug Tallamy and Nation Wildlife Federation. Just click on the link, enter your zip code and then click - Find Butterflies. There will be a list of all the different butterflies (and moths) that your area supports AND it says what their host plant is. This is the list you bring to the nursery with you when you shop for plants.
Host plants are SO important because they are the plants that butterflies lays their eggs on. They have to be a plant that the caterpillar can eat or her energy is wasted and her newly hatched caterpillar will die. Butterflies are very good at hunting around for these special plants!
Monarch caterpillar on Asclepias incarnata, rose milkweed.
This monarch caterpillar in on milkweed. It is not on any of the other plants in this garden because amazingly Monarch butterfly mommas know that milkweed is the only plant that their babies can eat.
In my next post I will give you more tips on shopping for plant to support butterflies.
