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.

They are easy to care for and fun to watch. They eat parsley, dill, or fennel. If you are new at this, my tips for raising butterflies may be helpful.

I can’t be sure when these caterpillars will emerge as butterflies. Some of them may overwinter as chrysalises and emerge next spring. I put some in my garage last winter and they did fine. I plan to try some outside this winter.

If you are not interested now but would like to try raising caterpillars later, I’d be glad to put your name on a waiting list.

Please contact me for more information or to request a caterpillar.

Photo by Charles Bertram

I appreciate Susan’s article and I hope it encourages more people to explore and learn about butterflies and native plants.

]]> http://www.bettyhallphotography.com/blog/2010/08/lexington-herald-leader-article/feed/ 8 http://www.bettyhallphotography.com/blog/2010/08/trumpet-honeysuckle-vine/ http://www.bettyhallphotography.com/blog/2010/08/trumpet-honeysuckle-vine/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:00:05 +0000 Betty http://www.bettyhallphotography.com/blog/?p=1254

I like this native Kentucky vine and so do hummingbirds. Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) blooms profusely in early May and continues to have flowers through October. It’s a favorite hangout for various birds throughout the year.

I enjoy the booms and am happy to share them with the hummingbirds. Last weekend I was attempting to get this image with my small point-and-shoot digital camera. While focusing on the bloom, a hummingbird came within inches of my face. It was a fleeting moment and a memorable one.

I’m currently enjoying the bright red blooms of the cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). It’s a different shade of red than the royal catchfly. And while the catchfly likes sunshine and tolerates dry conditions, the cardinal flower prefers shade and appreciates some moisture.

I first saw the cardinal flower years ago along river banks in the Missouri Ozarks. I’m glad it’s versatile enough to bloom in our backyard as well.

When I open the leaf, I usually see a small spicebush swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio troilus).

In a week or so, I often find a large leaf folded in half like this.

When I open the leaf, this is my special treat.

Isn’t it a cutie? Those are false eye spots and the head is actually hidden under what looks like a mouth, but isn’t. The face is supposed to look scary – especially to critters looking for a meal.

The folded leaf is created by a web spun by the caterpillar. It hides there in the daytime and comes out at night to eat.

Eventually, the caterpillar changes into a chrysalis and emerges as a spicebush swallowtail butterfly. These butterflies only lay their eggs on spicebush or sassafras (Sassafras albidum) plants.

Spicebush is one of my favorite native Kentucky shrubs. I appreciate the small yellow blooms that are one of the first signs of spring, and I like the delightful spicy smell of the leaves. And, it’s the host of my favorite caterpillar!

I am thoroughly enjoying the striking color and form of Royal catchfly (Silene regia). It’s a Kentucky native perennial that grows 2-4 ft. tall.

The blossoms are a brilliant red and stand out from a distance. They are also well deserving of a closer look. I want more of them in my garden next summer.

Update:  You can also order directly from me.

Monarch Magic

By Betty Hall

Preview book

This paperback book follows a monarch butterfly from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis and finally to adult butterfly. I’ve used simple words and photographs, and hope the book will appeal to young children as well as adults.

I wouldn’t have had this experience without common milkweed in our backyard. It’s yet another reason I’m glad we landscaped with native plants.

You may be able to preview the book below. It’s working on some computers but not others. I’d be glad to hear if it works for you.

]]> http://www.bettyhallphotography.com/blog/2010/07/monarch-book/feed/ 2 http://www.bettyhallphotography.com/blog/2010/07/passion-flower/ http://www.bettyhallphotography.com/blog/2010/07/passion-flower/#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:00:51 +0000 Betty http://www.bettyhallphotography.com/blog/?p=1053

This intricate blossom reminds me of a dancer with a beautifully woven skirt. It’s a passion flower (Passiflora incarnata), a native Kentucky vine now blooming in the backyard. I find it to be quite exotic and another example of the amazing designs found in nature.

Beautiful pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) on native purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) – what a delight!

Here’s a different view of the the same butterfly on native Lady Fern (Athrium felix-femina). In the right light the iridescent blue is breathtaking.