The Great Spangled Fritillary!
The Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) and other native butterflies provide added splashes of color on summer days as they flit about our flower gardens, parks and roadsides. Butterflies don’t need much to thrive in our immediate vicinity. As long as you take extra care to plant native flowering plants that provide healthy foods for these animals (rather than non-native ornamental plants that don’t offer such benefits to our insects) and don’t spray pesticides, butterflies will be there to brighten your day (and pollinate your other flowers and veggies)!
Read MoreAsters
Some of our latest blooming flowers are the asters, and they are essential for the bees, butterflies and other insects still flying in October and November. Please make sure your yard has nectar and pollen sources from when the snow melts in spring until the first flurries fall in autumn.
Read MoreRed-banded Hairstreak
Here is one very close view of a beautiful Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) from last month. The little butterflies are disappearing now that we are into October, and they will be missed. Until next year…
Read MoreGolden Goldenrod
When it comes to September and October we need all the goldenrod we can get for our butterflies, especially Monarchs. People tend to think anything they see flowering so late is ragweed, but let them know the gold is goldenrod and that ragweed stays mostly leafy green.
Read MoreCommon Buckeye Butterfly
Meet the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) butterfly, and while this one is a bit worn here at the end of the season, it has some incredibly good looks nonetheless.
Read More
