Planted this Butterfly Bush this spring and we've been having Monarchs visit and lay eggs. This is pretty cool because Monarchs have recently taken a big hit due to frost while in Mexico. The plant is thrashed due to being eaten so hard. We've had a dozen or so hatch out and they tend to hang out because we have another monster bush that the butterflys get the honey out of. The capsule is just a thing of wonder. all shiny and green and sealed with a band of gold. What a remarkable little animal.
Butterfly Bush
- Thread starter doser
- Start date
Toolage 87
Well-Known Member
That looks really cool. I have never seen any thing like that before.
silasraven
Well-Known Member
dude i need to get one of those.
PeyoteReligion
Well-Known Member
I want one too. I remember finding a capsule when I was really young, like elementary school. Watched it every day trying to see th moment it opens. Missed it though which sucks. I'd like to have my own next spring.
racerboy71
bud bootlegger
mcpurple, i've got two very big butterfly bushes right on the other side of my veggy garden, and i've never had any issues with them eating me veggies..
it may have to do with the area i live in and the type of butterflies we have around here, not exactly sure though.. but these bushes can get huge, and are really nature attracters if you're into that sort of thing i'd recommend getting one or two, lol...
mcpurple
Well-Known Member
i dont know if they all eat plants, i just assumed it. it looks like in the pic they have been eating the plant. i would like one to attract some Butter flies, but maybe do it on the other side of the property.
i want a plant that attracts preying mantis if their is one
i want a plant that attracts preying mantis if their is one
Toolage 87
Well-Known Member
I googled some stuff and I found this
The responsible gardener will make every effort to keep their garden healthy in as natural a fashion as possible. One growing movement in the organic trend is that of using bugs to control bugs. One insect predator which is able to control other garden pests is the praying mantis. So how do you attract the mantis to your garden so it can do its job? Simple.
All you have to do is have a full, lush garden with plenty of tender, green plants. Thus you will have pests. Where pests are, if the praying mantis naturally occurs in the area, it will soon show up. You can also buy a praying mantis from a shop.
However, to be a truly responsible gardener, you want to fully educate yourself. It is true that the praying mantis will eat some of the nasty beetles and aphids and such that infest many gardens. However, they will also happily go after butterflies and other pollenators.
So my advice is to stick to ladybugs. They do absolutely no harm and can do a world of good in your war against garden pests. If you find a mantis in your garden, don't panic or anything, but don't import any. They will probably do more harm than good.
meezy4tw
Active Member
Thats a milkweed plant, and in fact its the ONLY plant monarch butterfly caterpillars will eat, which is probably the reason you dont find them on your other plants. 
So for anyone out there wondering "If I have one of these plants, then caterpillars will stay off my weed plants right?". Nope, just the monarchs. Don't worry I'm not hating, I just don't want to see a bunch of people set up with false hopes thinking this will keep caterpillars away or something.
If it were me, I'd make a 5 foot square of those plants just for the lil guys cuz their awesome looking.
So for anyone out there wondering "If I have one of these plants, then caterpillars will stay off my weed plants right?". Nope, just the monarchs. Don't worry I'm not hating, I just don't want to see a bunch of people set up with false hopes thinking this will keep caterpillars away or something.
If it were me, I'd make a 5 foot square of those plants just for the lil guys cuz their awesome looking.
We have a hen pheasant that has taken up residence in our back yard so we protect the cat's by putting them in a propogation dome. they do very well in there and we get to watch them from start to finish. Just a remarkable act of nature! The monarch cat's are brightly colored to let everything know that they don't taste so good but Henrietta is as dumb as a bag of hammers so we don't take chances as she seems to eat anything.
The Butterflys hang around for a long time and are just a wonderful addition to the yard. Careful with the plant though, they are a weed ya know and I guess the can get big but ours is just eaten up by the cat's. Milkweed produces seed profusely so I expect a big crop next year. I will plant it in the spring along with vetch sunflowers and milo for the pheasant. BTW, I live in the heart of the city so it's fun to have this much going on. very unexpected.
The Butterflys hang around for a long time and are just a wonderful addition to the yard. Careful with the plant though, they are a weed ya know and I guess the can get big but ours is just eaten up by the cat's. Milkweed produces seed profusely so I expect a big crop next year. I will plant it in the spring along with vetch sunflowers and milo for the pheasant. BTW, I live in the heart of the city so it's fun to have this much going on. very unexpected.
