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Butterfly Bubby’s Ideal Plants for Florida Butterflies

March Madness the dirt and now start planting your nectar-rich flowers. Milkweed.
Search DuckDuckGo.com for a particular plants soil, then prep
This plant is a must-have for monarch butterflies, and it also attracts
other species with its fragrant flowers. Zinnias. These colorful flowers
provide a great source of nectar, and they bloom from late spring to
early fall. Lantana. A great choice for hot, dry areas which attracts
by Lois Bolin, Ph.D., Old Naples Historian
both butterflies and hummingbirds. Pentas. One of my favorites.
nyone who knows “Butterfly Bubby” They are available in a variety of colors and are also known for
from FB knows she loves butterflies, attracting swallowtail butterflies. Salvia. Another fav that has spikes
A but did they know that over these of purple or blue flowers which attracts many species of butterflies,
past six years; this love slowly turned into including monarchs.
an obsession? She now understands how Best Host Plants for Florida Butterflies
Orchidelirium took hold in the Victorian In addition to nectar-rich flowers, it’s vital to include host plants
th
era when wealthy orchid fanatics of the 19 in your butterfly garden. Here butterflies lay their egg and serve as
century sent explorers and collectors to almost every part of the food for butterfly larvae. Here are some of the best host plants for
world in search of new varieties of orchids. butterflies in Florida:
This self-proclaimed fanatic isn’t wealthy, so luckily, she didn’t Milkweed It is the only host plant for Monarch butterflies and
have to look any further than her own metaphorical backyard to after they are devoured by those sweet Pacman eating machines
satisfy this passion. called caterpillars; put a bit of fertilizer in the pot and get them in
Lepidopterans, Butterflies, and Moths, oh my! the sun to keep the rotation going.

Lepidopterans offer us a magical bridge to an enchanted world Passionflower This vine is a host plant for Gulf Fritillary
free from the stresses of life as we watch those brilliant colors butterflies and has unique and beautiful flowers.
glide effortlessly above us. By inviting them into your garden, it Cassia Love, love, love this plant which serves as a host for
will not take long before you become a part of their natural world. Sulphur butterflies.
According to ‘The Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society’, Dill and fennel These herbs are host plants for Black Swallowtail
there are approximately 750 species of butterflies in the United butterflies. It also attracts other beneficial insects like ladybugs and
States, with over 17,500 species in the world. Allegedly, there lacewings.
are approximately 40 unique to the Sunshine State. In fact, Citrus trees The Black Swallowtail butterfly uses citrus trees,
Florida has more butterfly diversity than any state this side of the such as lemon and lime trees, as host plants, she says kicking up
Mississippi and if you don’t believe me; visit Naples Botanical her heels.
Gardens, a butterfly haven which provides the butterfly larval Pipevine The Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly lays her eggs on
food and nectar plants necessary to maintain a healthy butterfly pipevine plants. These non-native plants can be a bit difficult to find,
population. but they are well worth the effort if you want to attract this beauty to
“Nearly 150,000 species of lepidopterans (moths & butterflies) your garden. Are they poisonous? Not to Pipevine caterpillars who
have been identified worldwide; with around 765 butterfly species sequester the toxins which then make them undesirable to predators
in North America… Florida has the most diverse lepidopteran even as adults.
population (almost 3,000 species).” (FloridaSplendors.com) March’s Madness
Over 60 unusual lepidopterans have been identified as NCAA’s March Madness launches on March 17, along with
endangered in Florida with at least 44 species classified as St. Patrick’s Day. Basketball and beer – what a combo. While
endangered or critically endangered. Southwest Floridians host lepidopterans all year long, those poor
The life cycle of a butterfly entails four distinct stages: egg, unfortunate souls “up yonder” eagerly look for signs of spring
larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult. Female butterflies on March 3, World Wildlife Day.
lay their eggs on or near an appropriate larval host plant with the While Butterfly Bubby chooses to not limit her madness to
eggs hatching within a few days. Butterfly larvae have enormous March, she is inviting you to join in this delightful madness by
appetites (Lordy don’t I know. See my milkweed monthly bills.) planting milkweed wherever you can.
So how do you begin?

18 Life in Naples | March 2024