HOW ABOUT HERBS 



Butterfly Plants 



Tanya ]ack5on 



Did you notice that there were 

 more butterflies this summer 

 than in recent years past? I can 

 remember that, in Portsmouth 

 twenty years ago, 1 could count as 

 many as 200 IVlonarchs flitting 

 about the autumn asters and 

 meadow flowers when 1 went out 

 for a walk. Last year, I literally 

 counted on one hand the number 

 I saw I am overjoyed to see the 

 increased numbers this year. 



There are, of course, reasons 

 for this Butterflies have had a 

 rough time of it, what with the 

 terrible freeze in Mexico that 

 killed millions of the IVlonarchs 

 that hung helpless in their winter 

 habitat trees and the other seri- 

 ous weather difficulties encoun- 

 tered in recent years as they've 

 migrated northward But we are 

 culprits as well, building highways 

 and houses, frequently mowing 

 and eliminating their food sup- 

 plies and making lawn where 

 there once were meadows. 



Many states throughout the 

 country are now planting meadow 

 flowers on roadsides and we, as 

 individuals, can help as well. 



As now is the time to think 

 about plants for next year, you 

 may want to think about stocking 



a selection for customers who 

 want to grow "butterfly gardens " 

 There's a wonderful array of small 

 decorative shrubs and perennials 

 that appeal to butterflies. A But- 

 terfly Garden need not be a wild 

 meadow of milkweed. 



At the Urban Forestry Center, 

 we have several shrubs, including 

 Clethra alnifolia. This especially at- 

 tracts Swallowtails. Planted just 

 outside the office door, its fra- 

 grance fills the air and attracts 

 people as well! Its white blossoms 

 are followed by seedheads that 

 remain throughout the winter and 

 the leaves turn brilliant yellow in 

 fall. Like the more common 

 Buddleia davidii, it's hardy only 

 through Zone 5. However, I am se- 

 riously searching for New jersey 

 tea {Ceanothus amerkanus). Hardy in 

 Zone 4, it's three to five feet tall 

 and flowers in spring, attracting 

 spring butterflies. Unfortunately, 

 Japanese beetles like it as well. 



Last year I purchased a swamp 

 milk weed (Asc/epifls incarnarta "ice 

 Ballet') from Rolling Green Nurs- 

 ery. That has been such a suc- 

 cess! It grows quickly, makes a 

 spectacular show of white umbrella- 

 shaped blossoms enjoyed by 

 Monarchs and Viceroys. The vanilla- 



scented flowers are followed by 

 green pods very similar to milk- 

 weed pods and the plant is hardy 

 to Zone 3 It's a wonderful native 

 plant and should be used so 

 much more! 



There are other perennials that 

 attract butterflies. My favorites in- 

 clude ioe Pye weed [Eupatorium 

 spp.), purple coneflower [Echinacea), 

 mountain mint {Pycnanthemum), 

 Mexican sunflower (Tithonla rolundifo- 

 lia), and all the asters and yarrows. 



Last year, my little neighbors 

 next door, Kathleena and Lauren 

 Meats, established and encour- 

 aged a row of common milkweed 

 plants along the fence that sepa- 

 rates the properties. You know, 

 they are rather lovely — tall and 

 green, now forming the unusually 

 shaped pods. And we had butter- 

 flies! More than we could count! 



Why not establish a Butterfly 

 Garden at your business, thus en- 

 couraging customers to establish 

 one of their own? The butterflies 

 themselves will add beauty and 

 pleasure. And with a little encour- 

 agement, they will return year af- 

 ter year. 



Tanya ]ackson, a well-known area herbal- 

 ist, can be reached at 603-431-6774. 



HE PLANTSMAN 



