Introduction to the Eastern Comma Butterfly The Eastern Comma butterfly is located throughout eastern North America from North Dakota south to northeast Colorado and east, except for peninsular Florida. Host plants include members of the Urticaceae (Nettle Family), and Ulmaceae (Elm Family) and the Hemps (Cannabaceae). The name… Read More »A Comprehensive Guide to the Eastern Comma Butterfly (Polygonia comma)
The Question Mark butterfly is located throughout eastern North America from North Dakota and Texas and east. Host plants include members of the Urticaceae (Nettle Family) and Ulmaceae (Elm Family) and hackberry (Celtis sp.). The name comes from a question mark shape on the wings.
Sweet Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is a herbaceous perennial that grows in open areas such as fields, meadows, gardens, woodland edges, and roadsides, where there is moist soil. The pink flowers bloom in the summer to early fall. It is not a host plant, but is a common nectar plant for many insects. This plant can be purchased in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast Garden Shop.
Introduction Oval-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia) is a herbaceous perennial found in the northern parts of the midwest United States and Canada from British Columbia to Ontario. This plant grows in prairies, open woods, and roadsides that have sandy soil and is a host for the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus… Read More »Oval-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia), a Comprehensive Guide in 10 Sections
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a herbaceous perennial vine that grows in a variety of habitats including fields, woods, gardens, fencerows, and disturbed areas. It is the host plant for the Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth (Darapsa myron). The non-showy greenish-white flowers come out in the spring and summer and the blue to black fruits in the late summer and fall. The fruits of this plant contain a high amount of oxalic acid and are poisonous to humans. Birds, however,
Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria) is a herbaceous perennial that grows in sandy open places that are dry and have full sun. It is a host plant for the Monarch Butterfly and a nectar plant for other insects. The greenish-white flowers bloom from the late spring to early… Read More »Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria), a Comprehensive Guide in 9 Sections
Introduction to the Red Admiral Butterfly The Red Admiral butterfly is well distributed and found on five different continents in temperate regions. This butterfly was described by Carl Von Linnaeus in 1758 in Systema Naturae. Host plants include members of the Urticaceae (Nettle Family). In Pennsylvania and the… Read More »The High Ranking, Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a herbaceous perennial that grows in places with full sun or part shade. It is the host plant for three species of butterflies and a nectar source for other insects and the fruits are a food source for birds. The multi-colored flowers bloom in the summer and the fruits mature in the fall. Numerous horticultural varieties of this plant are found in the horticultural trade. This plant can be purchased in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast Garden shop.
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a shrub that grows on the shores of lakes, ponds, streams and in swamps. It is the host plant for three species of moths and a nectar source for other insects and the fruits are a food source for birds. The white to yellowish… Read More »The Wet-Footed Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), a Sustaining and Tasty Shrub for Moths
The Queen butterfly is found in North America around Texas and the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Rarely, individuals will go north and in 2002 and 2003, some individuals were located in the Philadelphia and Reading areas of Pennsylvania (Monroe, James and David Wright. 2017. Butterflies of Pennsylvania, a field guide. University of Pittsburgh Press). It is part of the same genus as the Monarch butterfly, Danaus, and has seven recognized subspecies (Wikipedia).