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NABA Butterfly Park: Native Plant Nursery

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NABA Butterfly Park: Native Plant Nursery Jeffrey Glassberg Glassberg Jeffrey nursery. The Butterfly Park nursery is one of NABA Butterfly Park: three nurseries in the area that is attempting to by Javier de Leon grow chomonque from seed. The Park’s nursery was fortunate enough Native Plant Nursery to receive several specimens of a rare plant whose numbers may not exceed over 500 in the wild within the United States. Several irresistible mistflower, (or crucita) specimens of Walker’s manioc (Manihot (Eupatorium odoratum) which holds walkerae) were donated to the Butterfly Park the park record of 67 butterfly species seen on by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to use one plant. Texas fiddlewood (Citharexylum as an educational tool. The specimens of this berlandieri) provides excellent nectar and Butterfliers know that federally protected species are being grown has great potential as a hedge plant. Other butterflies depend o n plants under a cooperative agreement with USFWS. nectar plant favorites available are Texas e v e r y d a y o f t h e i r lives. Seeds are collected from the plants on display lantana (Lantana horrida), bettony mistflower However, most people are unaware that using in order to grow seedlings and eventually (Eupatorium betonicifolium), and low croton native plants in their landscaping will not re-introduce this plant to places where it once (Croton humilis). Hostplants for sale can only attract butterflies to their garden, but also occurred. be used by over thirty species of butterflies create breeding populations if they simply As the Butterfly Park develops, the including Mexican Silverspots, Malachites, provide the right host plants. The Butterfly nursery will play an ever more important Goodson’s Greenstreaks, and of course, Park recently created a native plant nursery roll by providing a diverse selection of plant Mexican Bluewings. with funds provided by the Stanley Smith species for new gardens. It will also be a The combination of great looking Horticultural Trust to promote the use of source of plants for Butterfly Park programs, across the Rio Grande Valley. And last, but plants and the likelihood of many dozens of native plants in urban landscapes of the Rio such as the butterfly gardens the Butterfly not least, it will provide an economic resource butterflies present at any time of the year has Grande Valley. Park’s staff is developing at public facilities to help sustain the work of the Butterfly Park. prompted several local city governments to Most visitors to the Butterfly Park are inquire about using butterfly plants in their surprised to learn that all but three plant Sue Sill new landscape projects. The Park’s education species used at the butterfly park are plants coordinator, Carol Goolsby, designed a that are native to the Lower Rio Grande beautiful garden for the City of South Padre Valley. When a member of the Park staff Island, and is currently working on projects in mentions our new native plant nursery, Brownsville and Corpus Christi. visitors immediately ask if we sell a particular Aside from promoting the use of native plant that they enjoyed seeing in the garden. plants for private use, one of the main focuses Visitors usually leave the Park with a new of the nursery is to acquire and propagate hostplant or a popular nectar plant for their unusual native plants that are rarely, if ever, home garden. cultivated in order to broaden the palette In less than one year, the Park already of plants available for the Butterfly Park’s offers 40 different species of plants for current and future gardens. Nursery staff sale. These include ground covers, are currently experimenting with ways to low bushes, hedge plants, vines, propagate chomonque (Gochnatia hypoleuca) and trees that not only look and the federally endangered Walker’s great, but are used by manioc (Manihot walkerae). Chomonque is butterflies. Popular a native two-lipped composite that grows to Opposite top: nectar plants be an attractive tall shrub. It is reported as Fiddlewood include the an excellent nectar source in areas where it is Opposite bottom: found in the wild. Even though the U.S. Fish Javier de Leon documenting and Wildlife Service hopes to include this new additions to the nursery. plant in their revegetation projects, it is still not known how to propagate chomonque in a 50 American Butterflies,Spring/Summer 2007 51.
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