to Attract to Your Backyard

Butterflies are happy to come to our backyards if we provide what they need. Some things to consider in making choices are that nectar plants () attract a wide variety of butterflies, and that larval foodplants attract very specific kinds of butterflies seeking plants on which to lay and that will nourish the caterpillars.

Since many common butterflies are on the wing throughout the year in our valley—as long as it isn’t too cold or hot and dry—we can use different flowering plants to provide nectar throughout the year. In late fall, mountain marigold and rabbitbrush robe themselves in golden heads attracting a host of . During the spring, patches of wildflowers come alive with butterflies. Late summer flowering shrubs include red of paradise, butter- fly bush, Mexican sunflower, , desert lavender, and bee-brush; perennials include desert verbena, mist, floss-, and native passion vine. Strategic plantings or massing of these plants will fill a garden with a wide variety of butterflies.

Some caterpillar food plants make excellent background plantings, screens, or spots of greenery. Desert hackberry, a tall native shrub of desert washes is the foodplant of the Empress Leilia, and the American Snout. Fern acacia, a tropical-looking, low native shrub that makes a soft accent near a patio or pool, is also the foodplant of the Acacia Skipper, and the Mexican Yellow.

Native mesquites are foodplants for hairstreaks, feather tree for sulphurs, kidneywood for the often numerous Marine Blue butterflies; and citrus trees for the Giant Swallowtail— the caterpillars resemble bird droppings.

The plants listed here make a good start on a butterfly garden. Many of these species look their fullest and best from late summer through fall, a time when there are normally many butterflies in the garden.

Desert Connections is a joint project of Tucson Botanical Gardens and Tucson-Pima Public Library and is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. BUTTERFLY PLANT LIST

Perennials Ageratum corymbosum, Flossflower, nectar plant for male Queens Aristolochia watsonii, Native pipevine, foodplant for Pipevine Swallowtail Bouteloua curtipendula, Sideoats grama (grass), foodplant for Orange Skipperling sulphureus, Cosmos, nectar plant Dicliptera resupinata, Twinseed, foodplant for Texan Crescent Eupatorium greggii, Butterfly mist, nectar plant for male Queens Eupatorium odoratum, Eupatorium, nectar plant for many butterflies Galvezia juncea, Galvezia, foodplant for Tropical Buckeye Glandularia gooddingii, Desert verbena, nectar plant for many butterflies foetida, Native passionvine (vine), foodplant for Gulf Fritillary Petroselinum crispum, Parsley (biennial), foodplant for Black Swallowtail covesii, Desert senna, foodplant for Sleepy Orange, Cloudless Sulphur pentachaeta, Dogweed, nectar plant; foodplant for Dainty Sulphur

Shrubs Acacia angustissima, Fern acacia, foodplant for Acacia Skipper, Mexican Sulphur Aloysia gratissima, Beebrush, nectar plant for gossamer wings Anisacanthus thurberi, Native honeysuckle, nectar plant; foodplant for Elada Checkerspot Asclepias linaria, Pineleaf milkweed, foodplant for Queen, Monarch Asclepias subulata, Desert milkweed, foodplant for Queen, Monarch spp., Saltbush, foodplant for Western Pygmy Blue Baccharis sarothroides, Desert Broom, nectar (winter) for many, esp. Great Purple Hairstreak juncea, Sweet bush, nectar plant for gossamer wings and sulphurs Buddleia davidii, Butterfly bush, nectar plant Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Red bird of paradise, nectar plant for swallowtails and sulphurs Calliandra californica, Baja fairy duster, foodplant for various Blues Chrysothamnus nauseosus, Rabbitbrush, nectar (fall) for many species Dalea spp., Indigo bush, nectar plant; foodplant for Southern Dogface Hyptis emoryi, Desert lavender, nectar plant Lycium spp., Wolfberry, nectar plant (winter) Lantana spp., Lantana, nectar plant Senna hirsuta var. glaberrima, Long-pod senna, foodplant for Sleepy Orange, Cloudless Sulphur Tagetes lemmoni, Mountain marigold, nectar (fall) for many species Tithonia fruticosa, Mexican sunflower, nectar; foodplant for Bordered Patch

Trees & Large Shrubs Acacia greggii, Catclaw, nectar plant pallida, Desert hackberry, foodplant for Empress Leilia, American Snout Celtis reticulata, Canyon hackberry, foodplant for Empress Leilia, American Snout Citrus spp., Citrus trees, foodplant for Giant Swallowtail Eysenhardtia orthocarpa, Kidneywood, nectar; foodplant for Marine Blue Havardia pallens, Tenaza, nectar plant Lysiloma watsoni, Feather tree, foodplant for Agarithe Sulphur Prosopis velutina, Native mesquite, nectar; foodplant for Leda Hairstreak, Palmers Metalmark Tips for the Butterfly Garden

Choose a warm, sunny location. Butterflies are warm-weather fans. Take advantage of warm southern exposures to prolong flowers of fall-blooming species. Plant in masses. Masses of colorful, fragrant flowers are more likely to capture the attention of a passing butterfly. One plant here and there will not be nearly as effective as five flowering plants grouped together. Choose flowers that are flat-topped or clustered and have short flower tubes. Butterflies like landing pads where they can sit comfortably to sip nectar. Choose flowers in the yellow, orange, red, and pink range. These are preferred by butterflies, but they will also visit flowers of other colors. Plant with different blooming periods in mind. Butterflies may be on the wing year round in our area. Include larval foodplants for different species. For a truly effective butterfly garden, you need to provide places for the adults to lay eggs and for the caterpillars to eat. Provide windbreaks. The butterflies won’t be buffeted by the wind and won’t have to expend extra energy as they fly about looking for food and mates. Provide shade. Even warm weather creatures need some shade, particularly when temperatures rise above 95 degrees. Provide flat stones or rocks. Butterflies like places to rest and places to bask in the sun. Provide areas of damp soil. Male butterflies like to take in salts and nutrients from muddy soils. Don’t use herbicides or pesticides. Herbicides may kill the larval foodplants; pesticides may kill both the caterpillars and adults.

Desert Connections is a joint project of Tucson Botanical Gardens and Tucson-Pima Public Library and is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Desert Connections Wild About Butterflies Annotated Bibliography

Alcock, John. In a Desert Garden: Love and Death Among the . W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. Introduces the reader to the lives and loves of desert insects as they forage through a backyard oasis.

Arizona Native Plant Society and Sonoran Studies Institute. Desert Butterfly Gardening, 1996. This $2. booklet describes desert and low water use plants for attracting butterflies. Both nectar and larval food plants are covered and small color photos show both plants and butterflies.

Bailowitz, Richard A. and Brock, James P. Butterflies of Southeastern . Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute, 1991. Includes distribution, flight period, and larval food plants for butterflies found in southeastern Arizona. Mostly black and white photos with a few color plates at the end.

Bailowitz, Richard A. and Danforth, Douglas. 70 Common Butterflies of the Southwest. Southwest Parks and Monument Association, 1997. Compact guide to some of the butterflies of the Southwest. Includes information on where to find them. Large color photographs.

Brock, Jim P. and Kaufman, Kenn. The Kaufman Focus Guide to Butterflies of . Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003. Comprehensive field guide to the butterflies of North America. Introduction includes useful information on how to find and identify butterflies as well as ways to help in their conservation.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Butterfly Gardening. Handbook #175, 2003. Accounts of some common butterfly species in North American; practical gardening information on butterfly and caterpillar plants for different regions of the U. S.

Buchmann, Stephen L. and Nabhan, Gary Paul. The Forgotten Pollinators. Island Press/ Shearwater Books, 1996. Explores the relationships between plants and the they depend on for reproduction.

Grissell, Eric. Insects and Gardens. Timber Press, 2001. Introduces the reader to biology and the role of insects in garden ecology. Casts an appreciative eye on the doings of insects.

Mikula, Rick. The Family Butterfly Book. Storey Books, 2000. Offers family projects and activies for identifying, carying for, and raising caterpillars in the backyard.

Stokes, Donald and Lillian and Williams, Ernest. The Butterfly Book. Little, Brown and Company, 1991. An easy guide to butterfly identification and behavior as well as gardening to attract them.

The Xerces Society and Smithsonian Institute. Butterfly Gardening – Creating Summer Magic in your Garden. Sierra Club Books, 1998. Covers basics of gardening for butterflies. Includes sections on garden design and butterfly photography.

Desert Connections is a joint project of Tucson Botanical Gardens and Tucson-Pima Public Library and is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Desert Connections Wild About Butterflies Children’s Bibliography

Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Philomel Books, 1987. Board book describes the hatching of an and the life of a caterpillar as it transforms itself into a cocoon and then an adult butterfly. Colored artistic renderings.

Dawavendewa, Gerald. The Butterfly Dance. National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Abbeville Press, 2001. Celebrates Native American culture, in this case the Butterfly Dance of the Hopi.

Latimer, Jonathan P. and Nolting, Karen Stray. Butterflies. Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. An introduction to butterfly watching in North America. Color photographs, life-like illustrations.

Latimer, Jonathan P. and Nolting, Karen Stray. Caterpillars. Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Provides an introduction to discovering caterpillars with tips for beginning field guide users. Color photograph, color illustrations, and easy-to-read text.

Whaley, Paul. Eyewitness Books: Butterfly and Moth. Dorling Kindersley, 2000. Photographs provide eyewitness views of the behavior of butterflies, their structure and life cycle, where they live and feed, and how they protect themselves.

Art butterfly! Butterfly Puppet

Butterflies are important pollen movers helping plants to produce new seeds. This is a pattern for the Queen butterfly. They are often seen visiting flowers in Tucson and are common visitors to the Gardens. You can color the drawing to match the color of the Queen butterfly in the photograph. Or You can make an art butterfly and color it anyway you like. Once you have colored your butterfly puppet, cut it out (younger children may need an adult to help with this). Make small holes on either side of the body near the head and thread with soft twine or yarn. Tie around your finger or wrist and you will have a butterfly to play with.

Queen - Danaus gilippus Color and cut out to make your own butterfly puppet! Butterflies Observed at the Gardens Swallowtails Pipevine Swallowtail Black Swallowtail Giant Swallowtail Whites and Sulphurs Cabbage White Checkered White Clouded Sulphur Orange Sulphur Southern Dogface Cloudless Sulphur Large Orange Sulphur Sleepy Orange Mexican Yellow Boisduval’s Yellow Dainty Sulphur Gossamer Wings Gray Hairstreak Reakirt’s Blue Ceraunus Blue Marine Blue Western Pygmy-Blue Snouts American Snout Brushfoots Gulf Fritillary Variegated Fritillary Elada Checkerspot Texan Crescent Mourning Cloak Painted Lady West Coast Lady Red Admiral Common Buckeye Tropical Buckeye Empress Leilia Monarch Queen Skippers Funereal Duskywing White Common Checkered-Skipper Orange Skipperling Fiery Skipper Eufala Skipper Tucson Botanical Gardens 2150 N. Alvernon Way 520/326-9686 Where to See Butterflies

Flighty, fancy butterflies may be on the wing year round in southen, Arizona. Even a warm, sunny date in December or January can produce half a dozen species. But the numbers of these warm-weather fans increase beginning in mid-February and continue on until about mid-November, or even later in a warm autumn.

If you’re heading out to look for butterflies, it helps to know that these are creatures of sunlight, and many will stop flying even if the sun goes behind a cloud. So don’t expect to see many on a heavily overcast day.

Blooming plants are obvious attractants for adult butterflies. Look for patches of flowers along roadsides, in wild- flower meadows, and in Tucson gardens. Some flowers are more alluring than others. Butterflies like flowers with “landing pads” so they can sit comfortably while they sip nectar. However, not all butterflies sip nectar from flow- ers. Some are rarely, if ever, seen at blossoms. Instead they may be attracted to rotting fruit, tree sap, or even dung.

Males of some species are attracted to damp soil. Check puddles and the edges of rivers and streams for muddy areas. Butterflies in these “puddle parties” are taking in salts and chemicals from the mud. It’s possible to see hundreds of individuals at one of these congregations, or sometimes just a few.

Although butterflies expend a lot of energy searching for food and feeding, they also spend a lot of time searching for mates and looking for the right plants on which to lay eggs. Many butterflies are closely tied to the plants on which their caterpillars or larvae feed. These are called larval foodplants. You can find particular types of butterflies by learning to recognize their foodplants. For example, Queens and Monarchs like milkweeds; sulphurs like members of the pea family; Black Swallowtails like parsley and rue. Some other places to see butterflies: Males of some species seek mates by flying to the top of a hill and waiting for females to make an appearance. This is called The Tucson Botanical Gardens! The “hilltopping.” Hilltopping may occur in southern Arizona as early as Butterfly and Wildflower Gardens are March and continue through the warm months. Check the tops of particularly good. The Butterfly hills, both high and low. Late morning to midafternoon on sunny Garden peaks in September and days are best. Some males patrol for females in different ways, October. flying along linear pathways such as trails or washes searching for mates. The town of Patagonia has a public butterfly garden in the common area One of the best places to watch butterflies can be in our own back- in the middle of town - best in late yards. A primary threat to our fanciful friends is the loss of summer due to development and agriculture. We can all help in their conser- vation by restoring natural vegetation in our own gardens. Pre- Garden Canyon in the Huachuca serves for butterflies do not have to be very large. We can easily Mountains is a lovely streamside create pockets of habitat by planting butterfly-friendly gardens that habitat that’s excellent for butterfly include nectar plants for adults and larval foodplants for their watching April-October (also good caterpillars. for wildflowers late August and September!) Another threat to butterflies is the indiscriminate use of pesticides or herbicides. Herbicides may kill the larval foodplants that some During the summer months, the caterpillars need, while pesticides may kill both the caterpillars and upper elevations on Mt. Lemmon are adult butterflies. So what if there are a few holes in some of your good. Check roadside flowers and leaves? Caterpillars rarely do any permanent damage. Let the mountain meadows. caterpillars nibble on your plants, for the reward is a beautiful adult The Butterfly and Moth Garden at butterfly for all to enjoy. the Arizona- Desert Museum —Lynn H. Kaufman

Tucson Botanical Gardens • 2150 North Alvernon Way • Tucson, Arizona 85712-3153 520.326.9686 voice • 520.324.0166 fax • wwwtucsonbotanical.org Find Out More About Butterflies! Related Organizations

Sonoran Arthropod Studies Institute P. 0. Box 5624 Tucson, AZ 85703 [email protected]

Southeastern Arizona Butterfly Association (SEABA) P. O. Box 1012 Hereford, AZ 85615 www.naba.org/chapters/nabasa/home.html

The Xerces Society 10 Southwest Ash Street Portland, OR 97204 www.xerces.org

The Lepidopterists’ Society 9417 Carvalho Ct. Bakersfield, CA 93311 www.lepsocorg

Desert Connections is a joint project of Tucson Botanical Gardens and Tucson-Pima Public Library and is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.