Host Plants for Caterpillars

As we head out to the garden center, keep in mind the beautiful sight of colorful butterflies in the garden. Now is the time to plan a feast for the caterpillars with appropriate host plants.   Caterpillars of butterflies have a menu that is as diverse as the different butterflies they will morph into. Some butterflies will come to the garden for the sole purpose of eating, mating, and depositing eggs on these host plants.  The eggs will hatch and the young larvae will begin eating and growing until it is time for them to spin a cocoon, and emerge into the beautiful butterflies we all enjoy.
This feast of the young caterpillars is not the time to panic.  Yes, leaves of plants will be devoured.  Torn edges and holes will appear.  The host plants must be offered and yes, sacrificed, for the life cycle of butterflies to continue.
Here are just some of the Butterflies, their caterpillar offspring, and some of the host plants that the caterpillars prefer.

Anise Butterfly

Anise Caterpillars

Fennel

Deposited egg on fennel

Rue

Parsley

The Eastern Black Swallowtail also depends on the parsley, Fennel, and rue as a host plant.


One of the most endearing caterpillars is the Spicebush Swallowtail. 
And as the name suggests, the host plant for this interesting fellow is the Spicebush.  This larvae also will eat bay leaves and sassafras.
The Spicebush shrub is a native and can tolerate a shady spot in the garden.


This is the cabbage white butterfly and the caterpillar.  As the name suggests, the host plants are cabbage, mustard, and nasturtiums. The fact that cabbage is a host, also make this caterpillar a pest in the vegetable garden.
American Painted Lady is a colorful butterfly. 
The host plants favored by this species are daisies, hollyhock, and other composite blooms.  Composites are blooms that are centered or flat and provide a landing pad for butterflies. 


Monarch butterflies get a lot of attention in the garden, and their annual migration in the fall is documented here.  The milkweed is the only host plant I have found for this variety. 




Viceroy Butterflies are similar to Monarch butterflies in color, but smaller in size.  They feast on willow, poplar, apple, cherry and plum trees. 



This Great Spangled Fritillary and cocoon are hosted by violets.  Other Fritillary butterflies are the Variegated Fritillary and the Meadow Fritillary.  They all need violets, pansies, and tricolor violets. 


The Variegated Fritillary will also use Stonecrops, plantains, and Passionflowers for its host.




Many butterflies do not appear in the garden until late summer and early fall.  Therefore it is important to have a progression of flowering plants to draw in the butterflies, and to have host plants available.
 
Asters are a great late season plant both for color, nectar, and as a host plant for the Pearly Crescentspot.


Red Admiral larvae favor hops, nettle, specifically false nettle. The Red Admiral butterfly is increasing in population.  It typically has two broods or generations each season.

False Nettle

Chrysalis of Red Admiral

Since I’m in Ohio, home of Buckeye, as our state tree, I wanted to show you a very pretty butterfly, The Buckeye butterfly.   The caterpillar eats plantain, cudweed, toad flax and verbena.

Verbena

Keep in mind that the butterflies are drawn to the garden for two reasons.  One is the nectar they need for food, and two is the host plants the caterpillars need for food. 

Host plants can be herbs such as parsley, or annuals like cleome. Perennials that are good host plants are Dutchman's pipe, milkweed, daisies, Turtlehead and foxglove. Shrubs, and trees also host caterpillars.  Trees like willow, poplar, apple, hawthorn and tulip tree are only a few.  Several clovers, and other legumes qualify for caterpillar menus along with some vines like beans, and peas.   Thanks to Joyful Butterfly.com for many of the references used.

By incorporating host plants into the landscape, the wonderful winged world of butterflies will be frequent visitors. Remember to refrain from the knee-jerk reaction of reaching for insecticides when a caterpillar is munching away on your plants.  No caterpillars, not cocoons.  No cocoons, no butterflies.  Embrace the inevitable and enjoy.  

Companion Plants–Benefits In The Garden

Companion plants are a tradition that has been followed throughout time.  The benefits are tried and tested so that many books have been written on the subject of companion plants. Finding good plants to pair together is fairly easy.  But, why do some plants work with others, and what are those benefits?
Companion plants are grouped together for several reasons. 
1)  One plant can repel insects that typically attack the other plant.

Some scented herbs are repulsive to some insects that may want to devour other plants in the neighborhood. Mint, for instance, will repel ants and aphids.  Fennel repels fleas and is known by the cute, but appropriate rhyme ‘plants fennel around the kennel’. Other aromatic plants that are unattractive by pests are scented geraniums, camphor, lavender, rosemary, and sage.  Inter-plant these in the garden to drive pests away.

A natural insect repellent made from Chrysanthemums is call pyrethrums. When planted as companion plants, chrysanthemums repel insects such as aphids, ticks, bedbugs, spiders and certain insect pests on broccoli.

Basil planted with tomatoes will repel the tomato hornworm. And these two plants make a great combination at dinner time for the family.

2)  Some companion plants can improve the soil for the other.

Legumes are an example of nitrogen-fixing plants.  Legumes can extract nitrogen from the air, and bring this essential element down into the root zone for their neighbors benefit.  Vetches and clovers also have this ability of nitrogen-fixing, and when used as a cover crop, they not only draw down nitrogen, but when they are plowed under, they provide organic material to the soil.

3)  Some plants have similar growing needs and do well together.

Many plants have similar growing requirements.  Some need full sun, some need shade.  Some plants like moist soil, while others do not.  Familiarizing yourself with the growing needs of plants and placing together those that like the same conditions is good companion planting.  Plants that need full sun and little supplementary water make good bedfellows.  Similarly, plants that require moist soils, will be together and make watering more efficient.

Study plant tags or ask the staff at a garden center which plants need a similar environment.

4)  Some companions just look good together.

Textures, colors, and forms of plants that play off of each other make good companion plants.  Colors that match make a good color garden – i.e. a white garden. Colors that are opposite on the color wheel contrast and are pleasing to the eye. Yellow opposite purple, or blue opposite orange, make good aesthetic combinations for companion plants.

5)  Some plants improve the health of it’s neighbor.

Herbs make great neighbors in the garden.  Their aroma is a sensory compliment to roses, and  Marigolds planted around the garden may even encourage growth.
Insectary plants are used to draw beneficial insects to the garden. The pollinators are attracted to plants that have little flower heads, and many florets. These composite flowers of asters, marigolds, zinnias, and lettuces have many parts for the insect to draw nectar called inflorescences.

Trap plants are those that draw insects and are sacrificed to the pests.  Some trap plants are nasturtiums and Chinese cabbage.When the insects are feasting on the nasturtium, they leave the crop plant alone.

Garlic is said to help prevent leaf curl in peach trees, and stop scab in apple trees.  Garlic near tomatoes may repel red spider mites. 


Beneficial habitats, or refugia, are companion plantings that provide good growing environments for plants.  Good insects, including pollinators and parasitic insects, keep pests under control.

Here, nurse crops, help protect others.  the tall plants can help shade plants that may suffer in too much sun or heat. 
Cucumbers are shading lettuce.  Sunflowers can cast shadows on shorter plants - both nurse croppings and good companions plantings. 

 The seed catalogs are out and nurseries are getting their seeds into the stores, so it is planning time for this year’s garden. This is a great time to pair plants that make good companions in the garden.

What companion plants do you rely on?  Which ones disappointed you?  Share your comments, so we all can benefit.  Thanks for stopping by today.