butterfly host plants, Black Swallowtail on Rue

ButterflyBushes.com
(Rose Franklin's Perennials)

Butterfly   
Host  Plants

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Our new 'Plant Index' page lists all the plants we expect  to have available for the 2011 shipping season.
During the shipping season (May thru October), our Facebook fans will receive notification of special promotions being offered on our web site. They will also be periodically posted on which plants are especially nice at that particular time (making these plants a better buy at that particular time).
   To significantly increase the butterfly population in your butterfly garden, you should provide food for baby butterflies (caterpillars). For each species in the butterfly kingdom, its larva (caterpillar) can only feed on specific plant species. These specific plant species are referred to as butterfly host plants or caterpillar host plants or butterfly larval plants. One larva's staple is another one's poison.

When they are available, we offer these plants on this page:
~ Artemisia stelleriana 'Silver Brocade'  ('Silver Brocade' Artemisia) ~
~ Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips'  (Turtlehead) ~
~ Dictamnus albus 'Purpureus'  (Gas Plant) ~
~ Helenium  (Helen's Flower or Sneezeweed) ~
~ Hibiscus moscheutos 'Galaxy'  (Hardy Hibiscus) ~
~ Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'  (Beardtongue) ~
~ Lupinus 'Russell Hybrids'  (Lupine) ~
~ Ruta graveolens (Rue) ~

We ship perennials from May through October.
Important Note  We are able to ship plants to the following states within the USA:  Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. We cannot ship to other destinations. Sorry, no exceptions! If you do not live in one of the states we are permitted to ship to, do not place an order. We will not ship your order and will charge you a $3.00 service charge to cancel your order and return your payment.

Butterfly Host Plants Available For
May 2012 Shipping:

Most of our perennials are shipped in 3" to  4" pots. 
A few may be shipped bare root.    Orders are shipped via USPS Priority Mail.
Unless otherwise stated, the plants shown on this page prefers full sun.

caterpillar host plants; turtlehead; Chelone lyonii Pink Turtlehead    (Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips')

Host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly, turtlehead grows 24"-30" high and produces spikes of bright pink flowers over dark green foliage. It prefers a moist soil and blooms August through September. Full sun or part shade. Deer resistant.

Perennial, zones 4-9.      $5.00 each 		 

butterfly larval plants; Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' 'Husker Red' Penstemon
(Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red')

Baltimore checkerspot butterflies seek out turtlehead (above) for egg laying. But half-grown Baltimore checkerspot caterpillars often seek out Penstemon as a food source. 'Husker Red' Penstemon has dark foliage and white to light pink flower spikes in June and July. It grows 30"-36" high. Full sun or part shade. Deer resistant.

Perennial, zones 3-9.       $5.00 each    		 

Read our article on Baltimore Checkerspot butterflies.

'Southern Belle' Hibiscus
(Hibiscus moscheutos 'Southern Belle')

Hibiscus 'Southern Belle' grows 30" - 40" high and produces huge 8" - 10" flowers late August thru frost. It is a host plant for Gray Hairstreak butterflies. Flower color may be white, red, or pink, Sorry, no choice of flower color. Full sun or part shade. Deer resistant.

Perennial, zones 5-9.       $6.00 each    		 

Helen's Flower, Helenium 'Bruno', Sneezeweed, butterfly host plants Helen's Flower  (also known as Sneezeweed)
(Helenium autumnale)

Helen's Flower (Sneezeweed) grows 24"-36" high and produces small, daisy like flowers July thru August. Helenium hoopesii, the variety we offer here, bears yellow, orange, or mahogany-red flowers. Utilized as a host plant by the Dainty Sulphur butterfly. Deer resistant and drought tolerant.
Perennial, zones 4-9.       Should be available by mid June.   		 

caterpillar host plants; rue; Ruta graveolens Rue  (Ruta graveolens)

Rue is a beautiful garden plant, with lacy blue-green leaves and many small but showy bright yellow flowers from June through August. Known as herb o' grace, because its branches were once used by Catholic priests to sprinkle holy water. Rue grows 30"-36" high and is utilized as a host plant by Black Swallowtail and Giant Swallowtail butterflies. Deer resistant.
(Pictured above in our title bar is a Black Swallowtail on Rue.)

Perennial, zones 4-9.    $7.00 each      (large plant)

 

  

Gas Plant
(Dictamnus fraxinella 'Rubra')
A favorite at our mail order nursery, Gas Plant grows to about 36" high and produces beautiful pink flower spikes in late spring. The leaves and flowers have a fragrant lemon scent. And as discovered by Rose, a host plant for Giant Swallowtail butterflies. Deer resistant.
Perennial, zones 3-8.       5.00 each  (plants are small)    		 

butterfly host plants; Artemisia stellariana 'Silver Brocade'  'Silver Brocade' Artemisia
(Artemisia stellariana 'Silver Brocade')

Looks very similar to annual dusty miller! Grows 10"-15" high and requires well drained soil. Utilized as a host plant by Painted Ladies and American Ladies....and Painted Ladies and American Ladies seem to prefer this plant over most other plants they utilize as host plants. Deer resistant and drought tolerant.
Perennial, zones 5-8.       $5.00 each  		 

Baptisia australis, False Indigo False Indigo
 (Baptisia australis)

 False Indigo grows 36" - 40" high and produces blue sweet pea-like blossoms. Its flower spikes rise above blue-green foliage on gray stems. Usually blooming the month of June, it produces interesting seed pods after flowering. The foliage of this bold plant is beautiful and lush from spring thru late fall. A beautiful perennial that is hard to find.     Deer resistant.  
Host plant for the Orange Sulphur, the Clouded Sulphur, and the Eastern Tailed Blue. 
Perennial, zones 3-9.      $5.00 each 		  

Wild Senna
 (Cassia hebecarpa)
Wild Senna grows 48" 60" high and produces bright yellow flowers July thru August. A U.S. native.
Utilized as a host plant for the Clouded Sulphur, Cloudless Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, and Southern Dogface.

Perennial, zones 5-8.        $8.00      (large plant)
 

Trifolium rubens 'Red Feathers' 'Red Feathers' Trifolium
 (Trifolium rubens 'Red Feathers')
'Red Feathers' Trifolium grows to about 24" tall and produces pinkish-lavender (not bright pink as in the picture) flowers June thru August. A hard perennial to find, this plant is actually a member of the alfalfa family.
Utilized as a host plant for the Clouded Sulphur, Eastern Tailed Blue, and Gray Hairstreak.

Perennial, zones 5-9.        $5.00 each 		  

Lupinus 'Russell Hybrids', Lupine Lupine 'Russell Hybrids'
(Lupinus polyphyllus 'Russell Hybrids')
A favorite among early blooming perennials, Lupine blooms late May thru June. Growing 30"-36" high, the flower color may be red, pink, purple, lavender, yellow, or white. Many are bi-colored. Sorry, no choice of color.
 Lupine is a host plant for the Silvery Blue butterfly. Deer resistant.

Perennial, zones 4-9.               $5.00 each  

Dutchman's Pipe  (also known as Pipevine)
(Aristolochia macrophylla)

 Dutchman's Pipe is a vigorous perennial vine which grows 15' - 30' long and produces yellowish brown U-shaped flowers which resemble small versions of an old-fashioned smoker's pipe. Its heart shaped leaves are up to 10" wide. Dutchman's Pipe is a woodland native and requires moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Add well-rotted manure or compost to improve drainage.Because of its weight, this vine needs a sturdy trellis to grow on. Water in periods of drought.
Host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail.

Perennial, zones 4-8.               Should be available by mid June.  







Hops  (Humulus lupulus)

 Hops is a vigorous perennial vine which grows 15' - 30' long and produces 3" long greenish-yellow cone like flowers used in making beer.  It requires a trellis or fence to grow on. Old vines can be cut back in winter as the plant produces new ones every spring. 
Host plant for the Question Mark, Comma, Red Admiral, and Gray Hairstreak.

Note: People with allergies may develop a rash, cough, or difficulty in breathing when handling this plant.

Perennial, zones 4-8.              $5.00 each

PawPaw     (Asimina triloba)

 PawPaw trees grow to a height of 25' - 30'. They prefer rich, moist, well-drained soil in partly shaded locations (but will usually thrive in sunny spots too). PawPaw produces fruit which, when ripe, tastes like a blend of banana, mango, and pineapple. 
Host plant for the beautiful long-tailed, black and white striped Zebra Swallowtail.

Perennial, zones 5-9.              $7.00 each  (small seedlings, 6" - 10" high)


While these host Trees & Shrubs are too large for us to ship,
they can be picked up at the nursery (by appointment only).
Tree/Shrub Size Host Plant For Price
PawPaw
(Asimina triloba)		 24"-30" seedling Zebra Swallowtail  
Hackberry
(Celtis occidentalis)		 30"-36" seedling Hackberry Emperor, Tawny Emperor, Question Mark, Mourning Cloak, Snout  
Spicebush
(Lindera benzoin)		 24"-36" seedling Spicebush Swallowtail  
Weeping Willow
(Salix Babylonica)		 36"-48" seedling Red-Spotted Purple, Viceroy, Mourning Cloak, Tiger Swallowtail  
Pink Flowering Almond
(Prunus glandulosa)		 36"-48" bush Tiger Swallowtail, Viceroy, Red-Spotted Purple, White Admiral  
Arrowwood
(Viburnum dentatum)		 36"-48" bush Hummingbird Moth  


You will find milkweed, the host plant for monarch caterpillars,
on our 'Milkweed Plants' page.

We are a mail order perennial nursery.
To place an order for any of these butterfly host plants:  (1) Utilize our on-line shopping cart  or  (2) print our online order form, fill it out, and then mail it to us, along with your check or money order. Some of the features of our online shopping cart fail to work correctly with some Internet Service Providers. If you have problems using our shopping cart, please print our order form, fill it out, and then mail it to us. Sorry for the inconvenience.
   Quantities are limited on some of our nursery stock. Plants will be reserved to fill orders in the sequence in which orders are received. Please order at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment. Please do not order plants which are not currently posted with a picture, plant description, and price. 

If you don't understand the meaning of 'butterfly host plants', please take the time to read our Save the Butterflies article.

Although We Do Not Have All Of These Plants To Offer,
Here Are Some More Host Plants You May Wish To Locate
For Your Butterfly Garden:
Butterfly: Host Plants:
Monarch Milkweed
Black Swallowtail Dill, Parsley, Fennel, Rue, Queen Anne's Lace
Tiger Swallowtail Wild Cherry, Yellow Poplar, Tulip Tree
Spicebush Swallowtail Spicebush, Sassafras
Giant Swallowtail Citrus Trees, Prickly Ash, Gas Plant (Dictamnus)
Pipevine Swallowtail Pipevine, Dutchman's Pipe
Zebra Swallowtail Pawpaw (tree)
Great-Spangled Fritillary Violets
Meadow Fritillary Violets
Question Mark Nettle, Hops, False Nettle, Elm, Hackberry
Comma (Hop Merchant) Nettle, Hops. False Nettle, Elm, Hackberry
Red Admiral Nettle, Hops
Milbert's Tortoiseshell Nettle
Mourning Cloak Willow, Birch, Elm, Hackberry
Painted Lady Hollyhock, Pearly Everlasting, 'Silver Brocade' Artemisia
American Lady Pearly Everlasting, Hollyhock, Artemisia 'Silver Brocade', Balsam
Common Buckeye Snapdragon, Heliotrope, Verbena (offered on our 'Butterfly Nectar Plants' page.)
Viceroy Willow, Aspen, Poplar, Cherry
White Admiral Wild Cherry, Birch, Poplar
Red-Spotted Purple Wild Cherry, Poplar, Birch, Aspen
Hackberry Emperor Hackberry
Tawny Emperor Hackberry
Baltimore Checkerspot Turtlehead, Penstemon, Plantain
Pearl Crescent Aster
Buckeye Plantain, Snapdragon, Verbena
Orange Sulphur Alfalfa, False Indigo
Clouded Sulphur Clover, Alfalfa, False Indigo, Wild Senna
Sleepy Orange Wild Senna
Gray Hairstreak Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, Hollyhock
Silvery Blue Lupine

Rose Franklin's Perennials
 107 Butterfly Lane      Spring Mills, PA  16875

(814) 422-8968        Email:  RoseFranklin@aol.com

 

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Revised: November 17, 2011