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7/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County Project SOUND – 2013 (our 9th year)
© Project SOUND
Beautiful Butterflies:
food and habitat for our
prettiest pollinators (in the
context of a formal garden)
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
July 6 & 9, 2013
You’ve just bought your dream home…
© Project SOUND
… or it’s time to redo your old front yard
http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
There’s much that’s good about the home
© Project SOUND
http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
Classic CA Bungalow/ Craftsman style; formal lines
Nice colors??
Nice picket fence, gate and arbor
Good sized front yard
Brick walkways; infiltrate water
Seating possible in front yard
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© Project SOUND http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
…but you’d like to make better use of the front yard You dream of creating a butterfly garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.harvardcommonpress.com/the-
butterfly-garden/
http://www.lindenplantationgardens.com/gardens.htm
But want a garden that is formal
enough to fit with your tastes, home
style and neighborhood
Why use formal/semi-formal design?
Some house designs need a more formal garden design Some classical/historical home
designs
Very modern, geometric designs
Some situations require more formal look Front yards
Public gardens
Some plants benefit from a more formal treatment Herbs and vegetables
Some ornamental grasses, succulents
? Native plants
© Project SOUND
http://egardens.blogspot.com/2011/07/im-published.html
© Project SOUND http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
What do we want in the front yard?
Seating area
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Is it possible to have it all in a small front yard
(semi-formal design; butterflies; seating)?
© Project SOUND
First we need to draw a
rough map of the front
yard
© Project SOUND
22 ft 9 ft
26
ft
19
ft
Front yard - dimensions
8 ft
What makes a formal
garden formal?
Ancient origins.
Formal gardens found in many cultures: Western, Middle Eastern, and Eastern Cultures
Order, neatness, geometry, and symmetry are the defining characteristics
Formal gardens create a sense of peace and stability
Hardscape often plays an important role in defining a ‘formal’ look
© Project SOUND http://www.cotonmanor.co.uk/images/herb_garden_potting_shed_nov_09.jpg
The Parterre garden Formal garden constructed on a level surface Planting beds arranged to form a
pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern
Gravel (sometimes stone) paths; beds edged in stone, brick or tightly clipped hedging.
Developed by Claude Mollet in France ~ 1600; classic examples at Versaille, Kensington Palace
In and out of style ever since
Ideas now often used to give a more formal look to gardens that may include some ‘informal/unruly’ plants: Herb gardens
Kitchen gardens
?? Native plant/habitat gardens
© Project SOUND http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parterre
7/6/2013
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Contemporary Parterre gardens: less formidable
Symmetric patterns look neat and orderly – work well with more formal architecture
Can be adapted to any size; good for even small front yards
Can be very formal to semi-formal, depending on hardscape & plant choices
Tightly clipped shrubbery and gravel pathways were the two main requirements of the first parterres; contemporary parterre gardens:
Use a wider range of path materials: brick, DG, symmetric pavers/stone, even mulch
Edging is more likely brick/stone – even concrete or benderboard
Plants include a wide range of flowering plants, edibles, etc.
© Project SOUND
http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/article/traditional-garden-and-parterre
http://www.blueplanetgardenblog.com/2008/08/lawn-substitutes-part-3--
-kickin-it-french-style.html
How formal do we want the garden to be?
© Project SOUND
http://carex.tumblr.com/post/29766039352/the-knot-garden-at-the-garden-museum-
in-london
http://rockoakdeer.blogspot.com/2012/06/gardening-on-rocks-new-backyard-
garden.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/grow/primers_projects/annuals.html
http://www.homelife.com.au/gardening/features/inner+city+vegie+garden,15345
What do we like?
Simple geometric design
Gravel/crushed rock pathways
Beds lined with red brick – fits with existing brick pathways
Seating included in garden design
Focal point around which garden is constructed (classical element) ; ? Water feature
© Project SOUND http://www.homelife.com.au/gardening/features/inner+city+vegie+garden,15345
http://www.motherearthliving.com/in-the-garden/herbal-travels-visiting-
gardens-during-herbal-vacation.aspx#axzz2VpoD2J1e
http://goodfoodshops.blogspot.com/2011/09/incredible-edible-todmorden.html
© Project SOUND
22 ft 9 ft
26
ft
19
ft
Let’s try some possibilities using our garden’s layout
8 ft
7/6/2013
5
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Now, that’s more like it!
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© Project SOUND http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
Reality check – what will it look like? Good points about our proposed design
Simple, geometric shapes
Retains the brick walkways and adds crushed rock paths;
Brick walkways are echoed by brick bed edging
Plenty of planting area
Deals with ‘awkward’ asymmetry of the site by: Breaking area into three:
Near house area
Transition area
Two areas that are part of the parterre design
Having two focal points – one on either side of entry walk
© Project SOUND
http://www.motherearthliving.com/in-the-garden/herbal-travels-visiting-
gardens-during-herbal-vacation.aspx#axzz2VpoD2J1e
© Project SOUND
Final design: looks like a workable plan
© Project SOUND
* Pink Fairy Duster – Calliandra eriophylla
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAER
http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php?id=Calliandra_eriophylla
http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/i_and_i/flowers/fairy_duster/fairy_duster.html
Sonoran Desert from CA & Baja to W. Texas
Dry, gravelly slopes & mesas ; often in beds of intermittent streams, bajadas, washes, etc. - rocky, sandy
In Spanish, Cabeza de angel refers to an angel's head or angel's hair
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© Project SOUND
Pink Fairyduster is a nice sized accent shrub
Size: 3-5+ ft tall (depends on water)
4-6+ ft wide
Growth form: Woody shrub
Mounded/upright to sprawling; can grow around existing shrubs
Light-colored bark
Foliage: Bright to medium green
Binnately pinnate – small pinna (like Acacia)
Roots: nitrogen-fixing bacteria; rhizomatous – will slowly spread
http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/calliandraeriophylla.html
http://www.fourdir.com/p_fairy_duster.htm © 2005 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
Shaping Fairydusters
Have a good natural shape – can leave as is
Tip-prune during growing season to produce fuller shrub
Lightly prune to shape in late spring
© Project SOUND
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36517976@N06/4307505066/
http://www.avondale.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=1346&return=b_aC http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/caleri.htm
© Project SOUND
Flowers: ooh-la-la!!
Blooms: Just after the rains - usually
Jan-Apr in Western L.A. Co.
Will bloom off and on depending on watering schedule
Flowers: Pink: bright to very pale
The long, pink filaments of the stamens that make the showy display
Plant has a fluffy pink appearance in full bloom
Big attraction for large butterflies & hummingbirds!
http://www.sagebud.com/fairyduster-calliandra-eriophylla/
http://www.calflora.net/losangelesarboretum/whatsbloomingmay07C.html
Marine Blue - Leptotes marina
Caterpillar Hosts:
Local : Astragalus spp., Lotus scoparius
S. CA desert: Amorpha californica, Acacia greggii, Calliandra callifornica, Calliandra eriophylla, Marina (Dalea) parryi , mesquite (Prosopis spp.).
Non-native: Plumbago and many legumes including alfalfa (Medicago sativa), garden beans, Sweetpea (Lathyrus odoratus), Wisteria .
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
© Project SOUND
7/6/2013
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Elements of a butterfly habitat garden
Nectar sources (food for adult butterflies; Often generalist; good nectar
sources attract many species
Often the same as good pollinator habitat plants – garden serves many species
Larval (caterpillar) food sources – may be quite specific
Water
Sunning/perching spots
Protected areas
© Project SOUND
http://www.axsoris.com/butterfly-garden-plan-with-full-sun-plants-for-a.html
Of course you’ll also want to
design some seating so you can
enjoy the butterfly visitors
We decide to focus on several less
common species…
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/nymph/buckeye.htm
Common Buckeye
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AD2009Aug01_Vanessa_atalanta_01.jpg
Red Admiral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(butterfly)
Queen
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/hesper/checker.htm
Western Checkered Skipper
Sleepy Orange http://www.carolinanature.com/butterflies/sleepyorange.html
© Project SOUND http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
Can we provide habitat for all of these species? Common Buckeye - Junonia (Precis) coenia
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/nymph/buckeye.htm
7/6/2013
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Common Buckeye
Junonia (Precis) coenia
Family Nymphalidae
(brushfoot butterfies)
Medium-sized butterfly
Background color primarily brown with two large multicolored eyespots on dorsal hindwing and one large eyespot on dorsal forewing.
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junonia_coenia
http://biology.duke.edu/dukeinsects/Junonia_coenia.php http://biology.duke.edu/dukeinsects/Junonia_coenia.php
Range: s. Canada, U.S. except northwest; nearly all of Mexico except s. Baja California
Habitat: Open areas such as fields, parks,
pastures, meadows, and coastal dunes.
Usually encountered in the undisturbed or semi-disturbed foothills and lowlands; also occasionally seen in vacant lots of cities and towns.
Often found near their food plants, and may also feed or drink around mud puddles
© Project SOUND
Common Buckeye - Junonia (Precis) coenia
Becoming more scarce in
lowland L.A. County with
the destruction of suitable
habitats.
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Common%20Buckeye/index.html
Buckeye life cycle
Adults live about ten days; most common in June, Sept.
Female buckeyes lay eggs individually on buds and leaves of host plants.
The larvae (caterpillars) feed and grow on the host plant, molting several times.
Larvae transform into pupae; metamorphosis is completed in the pupal case, and fully developed adult butterflies emerge. They can take flight after their wings dry.
Larvae and adults may overwinter in warm climates (California lowlands, and regions with similar climate).
© Project SOUND
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/common_buckeye.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junonia_coenia
Recognizing the Buckeye larva
Caterpillar is highly variable in color, but usually mostly black above and white and/or orange along sides with metallic blue-black dorsal spines.
Spines along sides arise from orange wart-like bases.
Head orange above; black & white speckled
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junonia_coenia
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery?page=46
7/6/2013
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Adult food: easy to supply
Males perch on bare ground or low plants, occasionally patrolling in search of females, but they are not territorial.
Adults feed on nectar and also take fluids from mud and damp sand.
Favorite nectar sources are composites including aster, chickory, gumweed, knapweed, tar plant; dogbane, mints, and other flowers also visited
© Project SOUND http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/nymph/buckeye.htm
Larval foods:
require planning
Plantains Plantago erecta
Plantago lanceolata (Eurasian)
Purple Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta)
Monkey flowers (Mimulus spp.)
Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus/ Linaria canadensis
CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
Roving Sailor (Maurandella/ Maurandya antirrhiniflora)
Garden snapdragon (Antirrhinum sp.).
© Project SOUND
By incorporating toxins
(iridoid glycosides) from
these plants, the caterpillars
deter predatory ants
We’ll need a place for annuals in our garden
© Project SOUND
Dotseed Plantain – Plantago erecta Purple Owl’s Clover - Castilleja exserta
We’ll also need to consider including
Lower herbaceous perennials Gumplants (Grindelia)
Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense)
Mints/Salvias
Taller perennials – placement CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia
californica
Perennial Vines? Roving Sailor (Maurandella/
Maurandya antirrhiniflora)
© Project SOUND
7/6/2013
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Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
© Project SOUND http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AD2009Aug01_Vanessa_atalanta_01.jpg
Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
Nymphalidae family (Brush-footed butterflies)
Medium-size - 1 3/4 - 3 inches
Striking dark brown, red, and black wing pattern on upper side Dark wings possess orange bands
that cross the fore wings and on the outer edge of the hind wings;
White spots on the dorsal fore wings near the front margin;
Undersides of hindwings delicately patterned in shades brown; provides excellent camouflage when perch on tree trunks
© Project SOUND
Summer form
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Va
Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
Range: Guatemala north through Mexico and the United States to northern Canada; also Europe
Habitat: Moist woods, yards, parks, marshes, seeps, moist fields.
© Project SOUND http://bugguide.net/node/view/566577/bgimage
Note: will need to provide ‘puddles’ since Red Admirals and others drink from moist soil.
Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
Flight: Two broods from March-October in the north; winters from October-March in warm climates.
Very erratic, rapid flight.
Females lay eggs singly on the tops of host plant leaves.
Caterpillars make a larval shelter, either tying up the leaves of a shoot tip, or usually later in the life cycle rolling a leaf. They live and eat in the shelter
Adults hibernate in cold weather.
© Project SOUND
7/6/2013
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Red Admiral Caterpillar Hosts:
Plants of the nettle family (Urticaceae) including stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), tall wild nettle (U. gracilis), wood nettle (Laportea canadensis), false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), pellitory (Parietoria pennsylvanica)
Babytears (Soleirolia soleirolii)
Adult Food:
Prefer sap flows on trees, fermenting fruit, and bird droppings; visit flowers only when these are not available.
Will nectar at plants in Sunflower family (asters), milkweed, clovers and alfalfa, among others.
© Project SOUND http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Vanessa
We may want to consider adding
Larger Shrubs/sub-shrubs Calliandra eriophylla
Taller perennials – placement CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
Lower herbaceous perennials Gumplants (Grindelia)
Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense)
Mints/Salvias
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Perennial Vines? Roving Sailor (Maurandella/ Maurandya
antirrhiniflora)
Groundcover Babytears - (Soleirolia soleirolii)
© Project SOUND
http://www.clker.com/cliparts/h/H/1/a/j/l/check-list-
outline-md.png
Striated Queen - Danaus gilippus strigosus
© Project SOUND
Recognizing the ‘large orange butterflies’
© Project SOUND
Queen - Danaus gilippus (wing span: 2 5/8 - 3 7/8 inches)
Gulf Fritillary Monarch
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Queen - Danaus gilippus
Family: Nymphalidae (the brush-foots); subtropical relative of the Monarch
Habitat: Open, sunny areas including fields, deserts, roadsides, pastures, dunes, washes.
Range: from Brazil to Florida and the Gulf Coast. Also prevalent in California, Texas, Arizona, and s. New Mexico.
Local: Sporadic records from many low elevation
localities; flies April-November
Probably more common in desert areas
© Project SOUND
male
female
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(butterfly)
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/danaidae/queen.htm
Adults roost communally.
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Queen
/index.html
Queen - Danaus gilippus
To find females, males patrol all day.
Courtship involves the use of scent cues
Females lay eggs singly on leaves, stems, and flower buds; which the caterpillars eat.
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(butterfly)
http://bugguide.net/node/view/717169/bgimage
http://bugguide.net/node/view/562040
Queen - Danaus gilippus
Caterpillar Hosts:
Milkweeds and milkweed vines.
Some of the milkweeds contain cardiac glycosides which are stored in the bodies of both the caterpillar and adult. These poisons are distasteful and emetic to birds and other vertebrate predators.
Adult Food: nectar from flowers including :
Milkweeds (Asclepias)
Sunflowers (Cliff Aster; Encelia; Rabbitbush).
© Project SOUND
Our growing
list of plants Lower herbaceous perennials
Gumplants (Grindelia)
Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense)
Mints/Salvias
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa )
Taller perennials – placement CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
Perennial Vines? Roving Sailor (Maurandella/ Maurandya
antirrhiniflora)
Groundcover Babytears - (Soleirolia soleirolii)
© Project SOUND
http://www.clker.com/cliparts/h/H/1/a/j/l/check-list-
outline-md.png
7/6/2013
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Sleepy Orange – Abaeis (Eurema) nicippe
© Project SOUND
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/abaeis_nicippe_live3.htm
Sleepy Orange –
Abaeis (Eurema) nicippe
Family: Pieridae (Whites & Sulphers)
Small-medium size: wing span: 1 3/8 - 2 1/4 inches (3.5 - 5.7 cm).
Upperside of wings orange in both sexes; orange-yellow form rare.
Forewing with small black cell spot.
Male with sharply defined black borders on outer and costal margins; female borders not so well-defined.
In winter form, underside of hindwing is brick red, brown, or tan; in summer form it is orange-yellow.
© Project SOUND
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Abaeis-nicippe
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/abaeis_nicippe.htm
Sleepy Orange – Abaeis (Eurema) nicippe
Range:
Central America north to along the United States-Mexico border;
Vagrant to non-mountainous parts of the eastern and central U. S. south of 40 latitude
Habitat: Low elevation areas including pine flats, fields, desert scrub, gardens, vacant lots, road edges, and washes.
© Project SOUND Puddling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eurema_nicippe_clustering.jpg
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Sleepy%20O
range/index.html
Sleepy orange
Life History: Males patrol flats and gullies for
females.
Females lay eggs singly under host plant leaves.
Caterpillars eat leaves.
Dry season form overwinters and lays eggs in spring.
Flight: Four-five flights/all year long, in warm areas of S. CA. Mid- to late summer in cooler areas.
Often encountered passing through backyards. The butterfly is an erratic and often rapid flier when frightened.
© Project SOUND
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Abaeis-nicippe
7/6/2013
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Attracting Sleepy
Orange
Caterpillar Hosts: Cassia/Senna species in the pea family (Fabaceae). Non-native Cassia spp., are likely the most important food sources in S. CA.
Adult Food: nectar from many
species of flowers
© Project SOUND http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/72259
http://www.discoverlife.org/IM/I_DLW/0001/640/
© Project SOUND
*Coues' Cassia/Desert Senna – Senna covesii
© 2005 Gene Wagner, RPh.
© Project SOUND
Desert Senna is a shrubby Pea
Size: 4-6+ ft tall
2-4 ft wide
Growth form: Upright, part-woody stems from
a woody base
Stems gray/tan, hairy
Open appearance
Quick-growing
Foliage: Bright green to gray green –
depending on water/light
Pea-like leaves w/ large leaflets
Larval food for Cloudless Sulphur & Sleepy Orange butterflies
© 2010 Steve Matson
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/2329/senna-covesii-coves-cassia/ © Project SOUND
Desert Senna in the garden
Often used as a ‘filler plant’ around other shrubs/trees and cacti in a desert-themed garden
For habitat: flowers, foliage and seeds
As a filler plant in water-wise hedgerows, paired with other Sonoran Desert plants
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Senna_covesii.jpg
http://learningtolivehere.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/vegetation/
http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2011/09/14/a-gem-in-the-rough-senna-cassia-covesii/
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Common garden Sennas
Winter Cassia/ Butterfly Bush - Cassia bicapsularis
Tropical Northern S. America
Widely available
Large shrub or small tree
Regular water
Lindheimer/Velvet-leaf Senna - Senna lindheimeriana Native to TX, AZ
Available at Tree of Life Nursery
3-6 ft tall shrub
Low water use; sun or part-shade
© Project SOUND
http://butterflies.heuristron.net/plants/cassiabicapsularis.html
http://www.backyardnature.net/n/w/vl-senna.htm
Our growing list of plants
Lower herbaceous perennials Gumplants (Grindelia)
Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense)
Mints/Salvias
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Taller perennials – placement CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
Perennial Vines? Roving Sailor (Maurandella/ Maurandya antirrhiniflora)
Groundcover Babytears - (Soleirolia soleirolii)
Shrubs Calliandra eriophylla
Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa)
? Cassia
© Project SOUND
http://www.clker.com/cliparts/h/H/1/a/j/l/check-list-
outline-md.png
Western (Common) Checkered Skipper
Pyrgus albescens
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/hesper/checker.htm
Western Checkered Skipper Pyrgus albescens
Hesperiidae (Skipper family)
Small-medium size; wing span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm).
Upperside of male is blue-gray; female is black. Mostly gray-brown.
Both sexes have large white spots which form median bands across both wings. Patterns can be quite variable.
Underside is dull white with dark gray bands.
© Project SOUND
http://socalbutterflies.com/hesperiidae_html/white_checkered.htm
7/6/2013
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Western Checkered Skipper Pyrgus albescens
Range: Low altitudes in southern California, southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, west and South Texas; Florida, and Mexico. A rare stray to southwest Utah, and central Texas.
Habitat: Open, sunny places with low vegetation and some bare soil including prairies, fields, roadsides, yards, gardens, and low deserts.
© Project SOUND
http://www.abirdshome.com/resource/usa/655.htm
Pyrgus albescens
Life History: Egg is laid singly on the
foodplant (Malvaceae ).
Larva is translucent bluish-green with fine whitish lateral and dorsal stripes.
Larva makes flimsy shelter constructed by folding over a leaf and fastening it with a few strands of silk.
After each moult it moves and builds another shelter.
Flight: All year in warm climates; most of the year elsewhere.
© Project SOUND
http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/pyrgus_albescens.htm
How will we judge
success? Adults & larva
Adults: Nectaring
Puddling/drinking
Courtship/Egg-laying
Larva Evidence of larva of many
sizes; look for their shelters
Larval food being consumed
Pupae (chrysalis/cocoon)
Adults emerging
© Project SOUND http://www.thedauphins.net/common_white_checkered_skipper_life_cycle.html
Butterfly habitat gardens support the
entire life cycle
Western Checkered Skipper Pyrgus albescens
Caterpillar Hosts: Not reliably reported for L.A. Co. Probably several plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae) including globemallows (Sphaeralcea), velvet-leaf (Abutilon), and poppy mallow (Callirhoe).
Adult Food: Nectar from a variety of plants.
© Project SOUND
7/6/2013
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Our list has grown to two columns:
can we meet the challenge?
Shrubs Calliandra eriophylla
? Cassia
Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Mallow
?Abutilon palmeri
?Sphaeralcea ambigua
Perennial Vines? Roving Sailor (Maurandella/
Maurandya antirrhiniflora)
Groundcover Babytears - (Soleirolia soleirolii)
Lower herbaceous perennials Gumplants (Grindelia)
Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense)
Mints/Salvias
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Taller perennials – placement CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia
californica
Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
© Project SOUND http://www.clker.com/cliparts/h/H/1/a/j/l/check-list-
outline-md.png
We also need some good nectar plants
Larger Shrubs Calliandra eriophylla
? Cassia
Abutilon palmeri or Sphaeralcea ambigua
Perennial Vines? Roving Sailor (Maurandella/
Maurandya antirrhiniflora)
Groundcover Babytears - (Soleirolia
soleirolii)
Heliotropium curassavicum
Lower herbaceous perennials Gumplants (Grindelia)
Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense
Yarrow – Achillea millefolia
Mints/Salvias
Buckwheats
Eriogonum parvifolium
Eriogonum cinerium
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Taller perennials/subshrubs CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia
californica
Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
Mints/Salvias Purple Sage – Salvia leucophylla
Cleveland Sage – Salvia clevelandii
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
First place the large shrubs
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora
© Project SOUND
* Roving Sailor/Climbing Snapdragon – Maurandella antirrhiniflora
Patrick J. Alexander @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
7/6/2013
19
© Project SOUND
Roving Sailor is a nice, refined little vine
Size:
4-10 ft long & wide
Growth form: Semi-woody vine/sprawling shrub in
our area – grown as an annual in cold-winter areas – fast growth
Sprawls and twines through/over other plants (or trellises, etc.)
Foliage: Fresh, medium to dark green
(woodsy looking with water) – to gray-green (in hot, dry conditions)
Dainty – leaves somewhat ivy-like but more attractive shape
Dies back almost to ground in winter (or cut back if needed)
G.A. Cooper @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=maan9 © Project SOUND
Roving Sailor is surprising well suited to
garden conditions…
Soils: Texture: likes a well-drained soil;
sandy soils are great, as are well-drained clays
pH: good for alkali soils
Light: full sun to part-shade; probably does best in dappled shade (under trees or climbing up a trellis)
Water: Winter: rainwater often sufficient
Summer: some supplemental water (Zone 2 or even 2-3) will extend bloom season; drought tolerant
Fertilizer: not needed, but won’t harm
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/htop_1211484777_460.jpg
Roving Sailor can hide a multitude
of ‘sins’
© Project SOUND
English gardeners have
known for years…
Nice petite vines to climb up poles, fences, trellises
Use it to hide those ugly chain-link fences
Excellent (period-appropriate) climber for an Edwardian/ Craftsman Garden
Use to attract Buckeye butterflies
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-
california/plants/maurandya-antirrhiniflora © Project SOUND
Available through traditional seed companies as
Climbing Snapdragon - Asarina antirrhiniflora
‘Mixed’ - available through several specialty seed sources online
‘Red’ – available through Summerhill seeds and several others
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/7506/1.html
7/6/2013
20
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Let’s use a Mallow in the transition zone
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Which Mallow would work best?
© Project SOUND
Spheralcea ambigua
© Project SOUND
* Indian Mallow – Abutilon palmeri
© Project SOUND
* Indian Mallow – Abutilon palmeri
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Abutilon+palmeri
Native to the low desert of S. California, on the eastern slopes of the peninsular range
Riverside, Orange & San Diego Co. Sonoran Desert
Colorado Desert
San Jacinto Mtns
Dry east-facing mountain slopes, creosote bush scrub, elevation:
1800-2400'
7/6/2013
21
© Project SOUND
Indian Mallow is grown for it’s foliage
Size:
4-8 ft tall 3-5 ft wide
Growth form: sub-shrub Woody base; portion of
branches are herbaceous
Rounded shrub
Foliage: Light green/silvery white
Velvety-soft to the touch
Leaves have attractive, rounded shape
Will die back with very low temperatures, but will recover
© Project SOUND
is well suited to the water-wise garden
Soils: Texture: any well-drained, but
partial to coarser textures
pH: any local
Light: Full sun best: keeps nice,
rounded shape
Tolerates some shade/ afternoon shape
Tolerates reflected heat
Water: Winter: needs winter rains;
plant next to a rock to hold moisture
Summer: Zone 2 (best); tolerates 1-2 to 2-3
Fertilizer: none
© Project SOUND
Desert Mallow – Sphaeralcea ambigua
© Project SOUND
Desert Mallow is really an attractive sub-shrub
Size: to 3 ft tall (to 5 ft. w/water)
to 3 ft wide
Growth form: Sub-shrub – partly woody
Mounded to slightly sprawling form – many thin, wand-like branches
Short-lived – but will reseed
Foliage: Gray-green; velvety soft
Leaf shape is typical mallow.
Many people are allergic to the Desert Mallow; often called "Hierba Muy Mala" in Spanish
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36764294@N00/13295740
Foliage is good Desert Tortoise food
7/6/2013
22
© Project SOUND
Flowers remind one of
Hollyhocks
Blooms: Spring is usual bloom season
(Mar-May), following rains
May bloom off and on throughout year in garden
Flowers: Showy mallow blooms along
the stems
Color- usually ‘apricot’ (another name is Apricot Mallow), but differs with variety
Nectar & pollen attract butterflies, hummingbirds, any other insects
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/430082786_0b30a88eee.jpg?v=0
© Project SOUND
Flowers of many colors….
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/reds/red05.html
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Sphaeralcea_ambigua_11.jpg
var. rosacea vars ambigua & monticola
© Project SOUND
Desert Mallow is
versatile in the garden
Lovely addition to mixed beds – place appropriate for size
Excellent for water-wise garden, particularly in sandy/rocky soils; most drought-tolerant Sphaeralcea
Good for desert-themed gardens
Good choice for containers
Great on dry slopes, hot gardens; not for very foggy areas
Protect roots from gophers (cage) if present
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/sphaeralcea-ambigua
http://www.bridgerlandaudubon.org/wildaboututah/090407xeri-garden.htm © Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Hopefully we’ve enough mallow for Checkered Skippers
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
7/6/2013
23
© Project SOUND http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
Time for a reality check Seaside Heliotrope
Heliotropium curassavicum
Growth and other characteristics
Fleshy perennial
10-20 inches tall
Color: blue-green to yellow-green
2-10 ft stems branch from base
Spreading, prostrate (low-lying) form with ascending tips
Drought-deciduous
Gardening requirements: Seaside Heleotrope
Full sun to afternoon shade (in hot gardens)
Fine-medium soils (including sandy soils)
Low nutrient requirements
Fine for alkali (high pH) soils and salty soils
Note: may be modestly invasive in very most soils
Goes well with CA Verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) – might mix the two
as a seasonal groundcover
7/6/2013
24
Attracts a variety of butterflies and other
insects
Skippers – including state endangered Wandering Skipper
Fritillaries
Blues – Acmon Blue
Ladies
Others
Other insects
Bees
Lygus bugs
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Place the low-water groundcover plants
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
Several shrubs/perennials not yet included
Medium shrubs/sub-shrubs
CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
Purple Sage – Salvia leucophylla
Cleveland Sage – Salvia clevelandii
Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Coastal Buckwheat - Eriogonum parvifolium
Ashyleaf Buckwheat - Eriogonum cinerium
Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
Smaller sub-shrubs/perennials
Gumplants (Grindelia)
Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense)
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Yarrow – Achillea millefolia
Mints
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
California Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica ssp. floribunda
© 2006 Steve Matson
7/6/2013
25
© Project SOUND
CA Bee Plant
Size: Foliage: 1-2 ft. tall & wide (slowly
spreading to 3-4 ft. wide) Flowering stalk – 2-4 ft tall
Growth form: mounded herbaceous perennial
Foliage: Leaves simple, toothed, bright to
dark green – attractive Stems: square & red with some
sun; even dried stems are interesting
In colder areas (or summer drought) foliage dies back each year ; emerges with winter rains
© Project SOUND
Bee Plant is well suited to garden
conditions…
Soils: Texture: any; best in well-drained pH: neutral to slightly acidic best (5-
7); use a bark mulch
Light: full sun (coastal) to nearly full
shade
Water: Winter: moist soils Summer:
Fairly dry to regular watering (well-drained soils only)
Will spread with summer water – not really invasive
Fertilizer: bark mulch
Other: quite easy to grow; few pests other than deer (who like the foliage)
http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Baird-Harper/Baird-
Harper_Pages/index.html
© Project SOUND
Bee Plant is an excellent filler……
In narrow beds with other water-lovers
In mixed beds with annuals
As quick-growing herbaceous hedge – like along the driveway
Gives a ‘woodland’ feel to the garden
Foliage provides interesting contrast
Attracts Buckeye butterflies
http://norenes5percent.blogspot.com/2006/03/native-plants-of-california.html
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
CA Bee Plant will serve as a nice screen
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
Scro
phula
ria c
alifo
rnic
a
7/6/2013
26
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Now for some medium-size shrubs
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
Scro
phula
ria c
alifo
rnic
a
Shrubs/perennials not yet placed
Medium shrubs/sub-shrubs
CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
Purple Sage – Salvia leucophylla
Cleveland Sage – Salvia clevelandii
Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Coastal Buckwheat - Eriogonum parvifolium
Ashyleaf Buckwheat - Eriogonum cinerium
Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
Smaller sub-shrubs/perennials
Gumplants (Grindelia)
Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense)
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Yarrow – Achillea millefolia
Mints
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Proposed layout: medium-size shrubs
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
Purple Sage
Cleveland Sage Ashy Buckwheat
Coast Buckwheat
Rabbitbush
Scro
phula
ria c
alifo
rnic
a
© Project SOUND http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
Time for another reality check
A more mounded form
might look better
7/6/2013
27
© Project SOUND
Ashy-leaf Buckwheat – Eriogonum cinereum
© Project SOUND
Special features of Ashy-leaf Buckwheat
Size: 2-4 ft tall
to 6 ft wide
Growth form: Many-branched perennial
shrub
Mounding or cascading form
Medium to fast growth (depends on water availability)
Foliage: Large gray-green to white
leaves
Nice color year-round
© Project SOUND
Ashy-leaf Buckwheat adds
a touch of class…
Excellent plant for the natural, wildlife garden.
Interesting ground cover
Blends well with other gray-leaved natives
Good for erosion control on slopes
Excellent for seaside/ coastal areas
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/ashyleafbuckwheat.html
Although the species has long been in
cultivation, it is only infrequently found
in the garden today
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Final placement: medium-size shrubs
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
Purple Sage
Cleveland Sage Ashy Buckwheat
CA Buckwheat
‘Dana Point’
Rabbitbush
Scro
phula
ria c
alifo
rnic
a
7/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Managing shrubby
buckwheats
Most are low maintenance
By fall, the flowers turn a reddish-brown Easily deadheaded, if desired
Or (better) retained for the change of color and for bird habitat.
Cut back in late fall to mid-winter to encourage herbaceous growth over woody look Leave several inches of woody
growth
Cutting it back to 6” in late fall keeps the woody growth to a minimum and the plant looking its best the year round.
When the shrub is becoming too leggy, it needs to be replaced.
Shrubs/perennials not yet placed
Medium shrubs/sub-shrubs
CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
Purple Sage – Salvia leucophylla
Cleveland Sage – Salvia clevelandii
Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Coastal Buckwheat - Eriogonum parvifolium
Ashyleaf Buckwheat - Eriogonum cinerium
Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
Smaller sub-shrubs/perennials
Gumplants (Grindelia hirsutula)
Pacific Aster (Symphyotrichum/ Aster chilense)
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Yarrow – Achillea millefolia
Mints (Stachys bullata)
© Project SOUND
Smaller sub-shrubs/perennials
Babytears - (Soleirolia soleirolii) - needs regular water
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Fill in with perennials for color and habitat
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
Purple Sage
Cleveland Sage Ashy Buckwheat
CA Buckwheat
‘Dana Point’
Rabbitbush
Scro
phula
ria c
alifo
rnic
a
Baby Tears
Stachys
bullata
Stachys
bullata
Yarrow Yarrow
Water Zone 2-3 to 3
Pellitory
Achieving adequate floral coverage in each
season: it takes some thought if space is limited
Flower patches: at least 3 ft x 3 ft per species – the bigger the better A few well-chosen plant species
might be better than many
Most bang for buck: shrubs vs. annual wildflowers (depends on situation)
Likely will need to use vertical space Some shrubs and trees are quite
adaptable to small/narrow spaces
Lots of ‘flowering area’ with a small footprint
One yard/garden can’t do it all - “it takes a neighborhood”
© Project SOUND
http://www.northwestbotanicals.com/portfolio_chcraftsman.htm
7/6/2013
29
How are we doing for seasonal coverage?
Medium shrubs/sub-shrubs
CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
Purple Sage – Salvia leucophylla
Cleveland Sage – Salvia clevelandii
Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa)
CA Buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum
Ashyleaf Buckwheat - Eriogonum cinerium
Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
Smaller sub-shrubs/perennials
Gumplants (Grindelia hirsutula)
Pacific Aster (Symphyotrichum/ Aster chilense)
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
Yarrow – Achillea millefolia
Mints (Stachys bullata)
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Mass perennials for color and habitat
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
Purple Sage
Cleveland Sage Ashy Buckwheat
CA Buckwheat
‘Dana Point’
Rabbitbush
Scro
phula
ria c
alifo
rnic
a
Baby Tears
Stachys
bullata
Stachys
bullata
Coast
Gumplant
Yarrow
Pacific
Aster
Narrowleaf
Milkweed
Yarrow Yarrow
pellitory
© Project SOUND
Hairy (Coastal) Gumplant – Grindelia hirsutula
Grindelia hirsutula var. maritima
© 2008 Jorg Fleige
http://www.coestatepark.com/grindelia_hirsutula.htm
© 2008 Jorg Fleige
© Project SOUND
Hairy Gumplant - an herbaceous perennial
Size: 1-3 ft tall (v. maritima 1-2 ft)
1-3 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial; dies
back in fall
Many slender stems from woody rootstock
May be upright or more leaning (maritima)
Foliage: Blue-green, tinged with red,
purple or yellow
More refined-looking than other Grindelia species
© 2000 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org
7/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements Soils: Texture: sandy is best, but
really tolerant
pH: any local
Light: Full sun (or at least 4-6 hrs in
summer)
Water: Winter: fine with winter rains –
takes some flooding
Summer: does well in very little to occasional water ( Zone 1-2 to 2 or 2-3); very adaptable
Fertilizer: none needed, but fine with organic mulches
Other: deadhead to keep it looking nice.
http://www.coestatepark.com/grindelia_hirsutula.htm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2478/3719674868_1148dc805b.jpg?v=0 © Project SOUND
Hairy Gumplant – a natural
for the perennial bed
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/grindella-hirsutula
At back of mixed flowers beds
Along walls, fences
Fine on slopes
Easy, adaptable & hardy
http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/2009/06/mmmmm-food.html
© Project SOUND
Coastal Groundcover Gum Plant
- Grindelia stricta venulosa
A.K.A Grindelia arenicola, G.a. pachyphylla, G.s. procumbens
Coastal bluff plant from the bay area.
Low growing - < 1 ft.
Spreads nicely as a ground cover
Likes some summer water – Zone 2 to 2-3
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/grindelia-stricta-venulosa © Project SOUND
http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
Though simple, it’s not half bad – let’s go with it!
7/6/2013
31
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
Final plan: provides color and habitat
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua
Purple Sage
Cleveland Sage Ashy Buckwheat
CA Buckwheat
‘Dana Point’
Rabbitbush
Scro
phula
ria c
alifo
rnic
a
Baby Tears
Stachys
bullata
Stachys
bullata
Coast
Gumplant
Yarrow
Pacific
Aster
Narrowleaf
Milkweed
Yarrow
Where can we plant some annuals?
moist
pellitory
In summary: yes we can have (most) of it!
Formal gardens are appropriate in certain situations
Formal gardens can be simple/small; they just need to have the basic elements: order, neatness, geometry, and symmetry
Hardscape plays an important role in formal garden design – in contemporary gardens, it may be the most important element in making a garden look ‘formal’
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutmygarden.com/2012/08/an-herb-garden-to-die-for/
In summary: yes we can have (most) of it!
Butterfly habitat gardens must supply adult & larval food, water as well as perching and sheltered places
Adult food is often the same as the ‘pollinator magnet’ plants we discussed last month
Larval food is often specific; need to choose plants based on specific butterflies and their needs
Size and bloom duration matter when providing butterfly food
© Project SOUND
It takes a neighborhood to provide butterfly habitat; get out and spread the news
Get out and observe butterflies and other insects in local gardens this month
© Project SOUND
Funereal Duskywing - Erynnis funeralis
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Participate in special butterfly events
© Project SOUND