Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants

by Douglas W. Tallamy

Coneflowers and black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia species) also wear two hats in the butterfly garden. Along with their attractive floral display and nectar, rudbeckias support the reproduction of dozens of species of Lepidoptera, including the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos), silvery checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), and wavy-lined emerald (Synchlora aerata). Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is another of my favorites for the butterfly garden. Its ball-shaped flowers capture the eye, it does well in wet areas, butterflies fight to gain access to its nectar, and it serves as a host plant for 18 species of Lepidoptera in my neck of the woods. These include the ethereal promethea moth (Callosamia promethea), the hydrangea sphinx (Darapsa versicolor), and the saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea). What better way to introduce your kids to the wonders of nature than to have them watch a female promethea moth emerge from her cocoon, inflate her wings, and without moving from her cocoon, release a powerful pheromone into the air, attracting a male of her species within minutes for coupling?