After viewing my "Butterflies of Holopaw" video, @HDMarsh asked if I could name some of my native plants. This made me sit down today to organize my thoughts and gather the names from the various files I have created in the past six months on what actually grows in my yard. Well, here goes:
Top 10 Nectar sources in my yard:
1. Bidens Alba : Spanish Needles, Beggarticks
2. Elephantopus elatus : TALL ELEPHANTSFOOT
3. Lachnanthes caroliniana : REDROOT
4. Eupatorium capillifolium : dogfennel
5. Lyonia lucida : Fetterbush
6. several species of Goldenrod
7. Symphyotrichum pilosum : WHITE OLDFIELD ASTER
8. Pityopsis graminifolia : NARROWLEAF SILKGRASS, GOLDENASTER
9. Conoclinium coelestinum : Blue mistflower
10. Poinsettia cyathophora : PAINTEDLEAF; FIRE-ON-THE-MOUNTAIN
Many of the above plants people consider "weeds", but they bring such a rich biodiversity to my yard. Keep in mind that I have just shy of an acre of land and don't have to cater to the whims of a HOA that insists on aesthetically pristine landscapes. I always state: "I garden for wildlife, the benefit to my senses is merely a bonus". Most of what is in my yard just grew when I let the property begin to grow to see what was there. About the only things I purchased to plant were some passion flowers, the tropical sage, some blackeyed susans and a vine or two, that are still in their infancy, growth-wise and haven't begun to show the signs of what fun creatures will appear due to their addition to my landscape. Before I joined the Florida Native Plant Society, I purchased and lost a great deal of plants because I was trying to conform my yard to a vision that I had. Once I discovered the importance of native plants and stopped fighting mother nature, I found a yard full of wonderful plants and happy critters, which in turn made me happy and got me into my hobby of insect and butterfly photography.
Others nectar natives include:
Erigeron vernus : EARLY WHITETOP FLEABANE
Baccharis halimifolia : GROUNDSEL TREE; SEA MYRTLE
Spermacoce remota : WOODLAND FALSE BUTTONWEED
Salvia coccinea : scarlet sage TROPICAL SAGE; BLOOD SAGE
Euthamia caroliniana : SLENDER FLATTOP GOLDENROD
Pluchea baccharis : ROSY CAMPHORWEED
Xyris caroliniana : CAROLINA YELLOWEYED GRASS
Lygodesmia aphylla : ROSE-RUSH
Hieracium gronovii : QUEEN-DEVIL; hawkweed
Liatris spicata : blazing star, dense gayfeather
Rhexia alifanus : savannah meadow-beauty
Lobelia glandulosa : GLADE LOBELIA
I also have various species of tickseed (Florida's state wildflower).
Now for the Host plants, many of which also serve as nectar sources:
Bacopa monnieri : HERB-OF-GRACE water hyssop host for white peacock
Phyla nodiflora : TURKEY TANGLE FOGFRUIT; CAPEWEED host for Phaon Crescent
Chamaecrista fasciculata : PARTRIDGE PEA host for sulphurs
Thalia geniculata : ALLIGATORFLAG; FIREFLAG host for brazillian skippers
Passiflora incarnata : passion flower vine host for Gulf Fritillary
Oxypolis filiformis : WATER COWBANE host for eastern black swallowtail
Sida rhombifolia : CUBAN JUTE; INDIAN HEMP host for Tropical Checkered-Skipper
Buchnera americana : AMERICAN BLUEHEARTS host for common buckeye
Myrica cerifera : SOUTHERN BAYBERRY; WAX MYRTLE host for hairstreaks
Desmodium : hitchhiker plant host for Long-tailed skipper
Mikania scandens : CLIMBING HEMPVINE host for little metalmark butterfly and Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth
Rhus copallinum : Winged sumac host to grey hairstreak
citrus (not native) host for giant swallowtails
I'm sure there are more hosts since i have more types of butterflies appear than corresponding host plants above...I'm just not always sure who eats what, but I'm learning....DAILY!
There are many more species than are shown in this list. A lot I still don't know the names of. I didn't include any of many sedges and rushes that appear or the plants that are in my pond. I'll put together another list when time allows.
Heidi, thanks for asking about my natives. It made me realize just how much I have growing on around here!
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