Throughout the millennia, the astounding beauty of the butterfly has inspired the imagination, the arts, literature, and poetry. Attracting these magnificent creatures into our own yards requires just three basic ingredients:larval host plants, nectar plants, and sheltering habitat.Read More

Seen here sipping nectar from wild bergamot, the great spangled fritillary butterfly is a welcome visitor to our gardens. Great spangled fritillary caterpillars hatch in the fall and immediately go dormant without eating. When they awaken hungry in the spring, these offspring search for violets to eat. Without violets, the great spangled fritillary caterpillar will...Read More

After World War II, suburbs sprang up across America. These new landscapes often included Chinese and European ornamental flowers, trees, and shrubs that were (and still are) available at local garden centers. Unfortunately, because these plants came from afar, they contributed very little to local foodwebs. The backbone of all foodwebs is native plants. Think...Read More