Garden Photo of the Day

Butterflies and Blooms

Insect visitors to a Missouri garden

By GPOD Contributor

Today’s photos are from Christina Stiern.

I’m sending some pictures from my garden in Defiance, Missouri, featuring early August blooms and some beautiful garden visitors. To see more of my garden, you can follow me on Instagram @tamingruggedacres

Monarch resting on a ‘Pee Wee’ oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’, Zones 5–9) leaf. ‘Pee Wee’ is a dwarf selection of the oakleaf hydrangea typically staying in the range of 3-to-4 feet tall, while the regular species can get as tall as 6 or even 8 feet.

Allium MilleniumAmerican painted lady on Allium ‘Millenium’ (Zones 3–9). This butterfly usually overwinters in Northern Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, migrating back north each summer, often in large groups. The caterpillars feed on a wide range of plants, including sunflowers, thistles, and hollyhocks.

silvery checkerspotsSeeing double! Two silvery checkerspots sharing butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa, Zones 3–9). Though only a few species of caterpillars can feed on the leaves of milkweed, many butterflies will feed on the nectar of the flowers. The caterpillars of the silvery checkerspot feed on many plants, including asters, sunflowers, and coneflowers.

Silvery checkerspot side view.

Silver-spotted skipperSilver-spotted skipper on Allium ‘Millenium’. The caterpillars feed primarily on black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia, Zones 3–8).

Black swallowtail on Allium ‘Millenium’. The caterpillars of this incredible butterfly feed on many common garden plants, such as carrots, parsley, dill, and fennel.

 

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Comments

  1. mgol1068 08/21/2020

    What a butterfly haven! Congratulations. I just planted Allium "Millennium" for the first time this year, so looking forward to adding some attraction. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures.

    1. TamingRuggedAcres 08/21/2020

      Thanks, @mgol1068! That allium is the best — you will love the reliably green foliage and month-long flowers that attract so many different types of pollinators.

  2. User avater
    treasuresmom 08/21/2020

    Love your butterfly pics.

    1. TamingRuggedAcres 08/21/2020

      Thanks, @treasuresmom!

  3. btucker9675 08/21/2020

    Beautiful! I haven't seen a single monarch here this summer (south of Charlotte NC) which is worrisome, but all of the other usual suspects are plentiful. My patch of butterfly weed gets larger year after year and is a fan favorite, as well as butterfly bushes, lantana, veronica and salvia.

    1. TamingRuggedAcres 08/21/2020

      Thanks, @BTucker9675! I had only seen two monarchs here and was privileged to capture this one on camera. I discovered several monarch caterpillars last night on my butterfly weed, so they have been around when I haven’t been looking.

  4. User avater
    simplesue 08/21/2020

    Great photos! If I was on Instagram I'd follow you for sure, your photography is amazing! I love that photo with two butterflies in it! Thanks for sharing!

    1. TamingRuggedAcres 08/21/2020

      Thanks, @SimpleSue! You should set up an Instagram account - super easy to do, and so many inspirational gardeners on there to follow and learn from. All of my photos are taken with my trusty iPhone 6S.

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