After the Bugs of Summer are Gone

It is Autumn in the MOSI butterfly gardens and although it still feels like summer there are changes to be made to best attract autumn butterflies. In the Fall we start to see different species in greater numbers than in summer. Here is a quick guide to some of the common autumn species for west central Florida and the plants that help attract them to an autumn garden.

Butterfly gardens need to be planted with both host plants and nectar plants to best serve the needs of your butterfly population. Having nectar plants means you have a butterfly garden. Adding host plants almost guarantees you a butterfly factory.

Butterflies of Autumn and their Larval Plants

The Milkweed Butterflies: Monarch and Queens are just as common in the fall as in summer and sometimes fare better with the slightly lower temperatures. Monarchs and Queens both host on milkweeds. Scarlet Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is the most common commercial milkweed to be found in stores and both species will host on it. Aphids can be a problem on milkweeds but instead of using a pesticide, try using your hose nozzle at close range to knock the aphids loose. Monarch caterpillars have fleshy antenna-like tubercles at both ends of their bodies and Queen larvae have three sets of tubercles, one at each end and an extra pair near their head end. You’ll also notice that Queens eat slower than Monarchs who are defiantly the dining champs among the butterflies.

The Heliconians: Zebra Longwings and Gulf Fritillary are both abundant during Autumn in the Tampa Bay Region. Plant passionvine (Passiflora) to attract these species to lay eggs in your garden. I recommend planting at least two plants, one in the sun and one in the shade. Zebra Longwings tend to prefer shaded plants for egg-laying. Avoid red passionvines as their glossy leaves are inedible to these caterpillars and stick with passionvine that have purple or purple and white flowers. Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) is a Florida native variety that is much beloved of these species.

The Sulphurs: Orange Barred Sulphurs, Cloudless Sulphurs and Sleepy Oranges are just a few of the common Autumn sulphur species. These species all host on various plants in the cassia family. In the Fall when these plants flower with bright yellow blossoms, caterpillars that eat the flowers turn yellow instead of their usual green color! Winter Cassia (Cassia bicapsularis) can become a very large shrub, so plant it in a place it can spread or be prepared for pruning. However, the blooms on cassia make it worth the effort every year.

The Whites: There are several species of white butterfly that can be found in the Autumn such as the Cabbage White, Checkered White and Great Florida White. These species host on greens in the mustard family like cabbages, mustard greens and collard greens. Try picking up a few of these greens not for food but for the butterflies. These butterflies can often be seen on roadsides and medians throughout Florida and host on a common weed called Peppergrass (Lepidium virginicum) or Poor Man’s Pepper that you may already have growing in your yard. If you have a fenced yard that your neighbors won’t complain about, consider letting a small patch of peppergrass go wild by mowing around it. It is amazing how many butterflies are drawn to common weeds.

Black Swallowtails: Black swallowtails begin to decline in the autumn but you can still find them through November and early December. Plant parsley, fennel or dill to attract them to lay eggs. Their eggs are tiny whitish globes that will often be found on the freshest growth of the hosts. When you buy plants from a nursery, even kitchen herbs, they have likely been treated with a biological insecticide which will render them inedible to caterpillars for a few weeks. If you have a green thumb, try growing some parsley or dill from seed to ensure that it will be pesticide free.

Polydamas Swallowtails: Polydamas Swallowtails will continue right through Autumn and into Winter and will be found so long as we don’t have a hard freeze. These caterpillars are voracious eaters that host on pipevines (Aristolochia). Pretty much any species of pipevine will satisfy their hunger and you’ll likely find clusters of golden yellow eggs in no time. Pipevines are in a vine and will need somewhere to grow but they are a great cover on a chain link fence and also work well on arbors or trellises. The flowers are really neat too.

Giant Swallowtail: Giants can still be found throughout the Fall. They host on a variety of Citrus like lemon and sour orange and also on Wild Lime (Zanthoxylum fagara) and Hercules Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) , two Florida native trees that can be tricky to find. Both trees have spines so care should be taken when working around them. Giant Swallowtail eggs are orange spheres and their caterpillars look like shiny bird poop.

Autumn Nectar Plants

Try these Florida native Autumn nectar plants: Aster, Beach Sunflower, Black-Eyed Susan, Blazing Star, Blue Porterweed, Dalea, Firebush, Florida Paintbrush, Garberia, Goldenrod, Hibiscus, Lantana, Lobelia, Milkweed, Mistflower, Phlox, Sage, Spanish Needles, Stoke’s Aster, Sunflower, Tick-seed, Verbena

Try these non-native options for nectar plants: Buddliea, Golden Dewdrop, Heliotrope, Marigolds, Mexican Flamevine, Moss Verbena, Penta,

Some are easier to find than others, but take that list with you to the nursery and see what you can come up with. Some nurseries specialize in Florida native plant species and these are often preferred by butterflies. Ask at your nursery for recommendations because if it is blooming this season, chances are butterflies might enjoy it. Also, make sure to watch for which plants are drawing butterflies at your nursery. Those are sure to be winners.

Special thanks to reader Jennifer W. for suggesting this blog topic! If you have a topic you would like to see addressed, drop me a comment with your request!