More Butterflies in Barb’s Garden

We’re back in East Berlin, Pennsylvania (Zone 6b) visiting with Barb Mrgich today. We’ve visited her flower-filled garden before, but yesterday we got a different kind of tour of the butterflies that visit her garden and the plants they need to thrive. Today is the second part of the tour.

I came upon this beautifully marked black swallowtail one day while working in my garden. It had obviously emerged recently from its chrysalis and was waiting for its wings to dry before it could fly. I don’t know the significance of the colorful markings on the underside of its wings, but it sure was a beauty!

I was thrilled to come upon this unusual guy in my garden one day. I looked him up and found that he is a giant swallowtail. Giant he was! The article says he hosts on citrus and is actually considered a pest in the Florida citrus groves. He is a long way from home! He liked the zinnias and hung around all day. Then he left, and I’ve never seen another one. (Editor’s note: In cold climates where citrus doesn’t grow, giant swallowtail caterpillars can feed on other plants, including rue [Ruta graveolens, Zones 4–8] and prickly ash [Zanthoxylum americanum, Zones 3–7].)

Here are two common buckeyes. They have no connection to the Ohio buckeye tree. They are so named because of the large eye spot on their wings. Among other plants, buckeyes host on snapdragons. They are said to especially like nectaring on purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea,Zones 3–8). Buckeyes fly south in the winter, usually to Florida.

The first time I ever saw a red admiral, I got very excited because I really didn’t know any butterflies then. I Googled “dark butterfly with red stripe down wing,” and it came right up. Here he is on sedum (Hylotelephium