Fall Nectar Plants for Monarch Butterflies in North Georgia

I love having flowers any time of year but fall flowers have a purpose as insects fuel up for a variety of reasons: some of them to create the next generation now while others prepare for migration. I won’t be filling my garden with double-flowered mums; I’ve got to choose the right plants if I want to help certain butterflies - like the monarch butterflies. You see, if you watch what’s going on, you’ll notice that some flowers are more popular than others.

Monarch on swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)

Monarchs Across Georgia, after helping to create a fabulous milkweed resource for Georgia, is now working to create native nectar plant lists by county (in Georgia) for the spring and fall migration seasons. They are encouraging ordinary folks like us to use our observational and investigational skills to take note of what nectar plants monarchs use. For example, turtlehead (Chelone glabra) is blooming now but I don’t think monarchs can take nectar from those flowers.

Observational skills are personal observations. Investigational skills require finding observations reported by other people on sites such as iNaturalist. You don’t even need a login to search iNaturalist, just choose “Explore” and enter your search criteria (be sure to use Georgia, USA). Observations are listed by date (most recent first) and you can scroll through results in the time frame that you want (spring or fall) and then check the location. Plants are not usually identified so you might have to figure that out yourself (most of the reports are on non-native plants because that is what people usually have in their garden: zinnia, tithonia, lantana, etc.).

On goldenrod (Solidago petiolaris)

On blazingstar (Liatris pilosa)

Based on my observations in my own yard as well as Georgia reports that I’ve found in iNaturalist and on Georgia Facebook groups, here is my plant list for late summer/early fall native flowers and I’m going to report these for Cherokee, Fulton, Forsyth, and Cobb counties:

Blazingstar (Liatris spp.) – the later blooming species are absolute magnets for southward migrating monarch butterflies. In my area, the only one left is Liatris pilosa, but I think if I had Liatris microcephala that they’d use it too. I rescued the Liatris pilosa from a nearby construction site, but I see Liatris microcephala for sale at plant sales. Other ones like Liatris spicata and Liatris aspera are done by now.

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) – any species you want to use would be of use to the monarchs (although by now, Solidago odora is mostly finished and Solidago sphacelata might be too). In my area, the following species are blooming: tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima, which is the aggressive one, be warned), gray goldenrod (S. nemoralis), erect goldenrod (S. erecta), showy goldenrod (S. speciosa), wrinkled goldenrod (S. rugosa), woodland goldenrod (S. caesia), and downy goldenrod (S. petiolaris, a personal favorite of mine).

Boneset/Thoroughwort (Eupatorium spp.) – this is one that I hadn’t seen before but several people have reported (with pictures) monarchs on these plants which is fantastic because they are so abundant on roadsides. Boneset (E. perfoliatum) is done for me, but going strong are the thoroughworts: E. serotinum, and E. hyssopifolium are primarily blooming now but earlier flowers of E. album and E. rotundifolium might have been available.

White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) – formerly a Eupatorium, this is blooming nicely in my area now, so I went looking for pictures of Monarch butterflies using it and found plenty!

Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) – unless Joe Pye weed was pinched back, it is likely that using it in Georgia for a migration nectar source would be too late. Mine are done and everything that I see on roadsides is done by now. They would only help the earliest of any monarchs coming through. People have posted pictures of monarchs using it for nectar but I don’t think Georgians should rely on it.

Blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) – also formerly a Eupatorium, I have this in abundance so I was thrilled to see several monarchs using it recently (and then several other people posted monarch pictures with it). This is easy to grow and tough as nails; its only downside would be having too much of it if you don’t manage it.

Thistle (Cirsium altissimum and others) – again, this one is on the edge of being available during the heaviest part of the migration. The earlier ones definitely have an opportunity to use this native thistle. This one I found through posts by other people but I was glad to know they use it because this type of flower is perfect for them.

Aster (Symphyotrichum spp.) – there are many pictures and reports that they do love fall native asters like New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), aromatic aster (S. oblongifolium), late purple aster (S. patens), Georgia aster (S. georgianum), and even some of the small white asters.

On blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

If you’d like to participate in this effort, email your Georgia list (with county/counties listed) to mag@eealliance.org. Your efforts will help other people learn about the best native plants to use for supporting monarch butterfly nectar needs. Bonus: many other butterflies and bees use these same plants so you’re helping more than monarchs.

On bushy aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum)

Native Landscape Pyramid

Last week I suggested some good basic ideas for native plants to incorporate into your landscape. You still might be wondering: how many should I get? Well, 100% seems like more than most people would be willing to do – and even I still have a gardenia and a tea olive for sentimental reasons – but several years ago I thought about using this graphic to put some structure into the thought process.

I’m not the first one to have this idea, but I have tried to put some regional consideration into what the components might be. You see, regional does matter. In the southeastern part of the US, native trees are generally an important part of the plant communities and that’s why they should make up a significant portion of our landscape (the lowest layer).  Canopy trees include oaks (Quercus), hickory (Carya), maples (Acer), conifers (Pinus and Tsuga), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), ash (Fraxinus), elm (Ulmus), and tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera); their large size might mean that a small yard could have only 1-2 mature ones yet the plants would still represent a large part of the vegetation.

Amelanchier laevis

Shrubs and small-medium trees fill up the next layer of the pyramid. These include viburnum (Viburnum), hydrangea (Hydrangea), blueberry (Vaccinium), cherry/plum (Prunus), sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), dogwood (Cornus), serviceberry (Amelanchier), redbud (Cercis canadensis), hawthorn (Crataegus), azalea (Rhododendron), buckeye (Aesculus) and many others.

Between these two woody layers (canopy trees and shrubs/small trees), your landscape would provide massive amounts of eco-system services in terms of the flowers (pollen/nectar), fruits (both fleshy and seeds), foliage for herbivores and butterflies/moths, as well as shelter for a wide range of animals and insects.

Liatris pilosa with Solidago nemoralis 

With those two layers alone, you could be a real winner with some careful choices (see this link for details on how some plants support more herbivorous insects than others). Let's not stop there. The perennial layer provides some things that woody plants can’t – like milkweed for monarch butterflies! Or perhaps you want some seasonal color after most of the shrubs and trees finish blooming in the spring?

There are many good reasons to have native perennial plants so save some room, but don’t fill up that whole layer. Native grasses and ferns have benefits, both in terms of ecological services and design aesthetics, and deserve some space of their own.

With that third layer filled, we are at the top. If you’re still craving a little something exotic - perhaps those daylilies you love so much or a crape myrtle for that corner by the neighbor’s yard - go right ahead. You can enjoy it all the more knowing that you planned for it.

The Native Plant You Want

In our busy world, sometimes we just want the basics of something. You want me to plant native plants? Just tell me which ones give me the most bang for the time and money spent (or I have a small yard so I can only fit so much). There is no perfect answer to that, and certainly one must consider regionally appropriate answers. Ok, twist my arm, here are a few suggestions that are my personal go-to, must-have plants.

Quercus alba

Oaks (Quercus spp.) – research by Doug Tallamy and his students/colleagues have found data to indicate that well over 500 different species of butterflies and moths use oaks as a host plant so they are very beneficial to wildlife (not to mention the acorn aspect). They are also beautiful and long-lived; many of them have excellent fall color and some species are drought tolerant while others can handle periodic wet conditions.

Viburnums (Viburnum spp.) are versatile shrubs that offer a little something for everyone: beautiful flowers in the spring that are used by early pollinators, fruit for birds and other critters, and awesome fall color.  Twelve different species are found in Georgia and they like a variety of conditions from wet/sun to dry/shade. You should not be surprised to know that I've written about these before.

Native azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) are widely available these days and make beautiful miniature trees in smaller yards. I like to recommend one of the fragrant species (in my area that would be R. canescens or R. austrinum) so that you get more benefit. My earlier blog on native azaleas is here.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) rounds out my woody recommendations as a small tree that deserves more usage. More sun tolerant than the overused flowering dogwoods and redbuds, it has beautiful flowers, tasty fruit, and good fall color. Yep, you guessed it - I've profiled this before.

Trilliums (Trillium spp.) are special spring plants throughout the state (read my earlier blog here), never failing to invoke a sense of wonder as they return each spring. Along with native azaleas, this is one genus that can lure people into a love of native plants. Create a grouping of these and fall in love again every year when they emerge.

Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are a hot plant choice these days and for good reason: they are the host plant for the monarch butterfly, a migrating species whose declining populations has been linked to a decline in available milkweed. Read more about the Georgia choices from my spring blog on them.

Mountain mints (Pycnanthemum spp.) are fantastic perennials for tough, part-sun conditions. Pollinators adore them, but they will spread to fill up the available space. Plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae) can be a boon to a lazy gardener but bedevil the neatnik. Look also into beebalm (Monarda spp.).

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is a fun and gorgeous plant to have to support hummingbirds. Sure I have a nectar feeder, but the real thrill is watching hummingbirds sip from a plant that you put there. It’s also a welcome spot of color during the hot days of summer. Mine are still blooming now.

Migrating monarchs need goldenrod

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and boneset (Eupatorium spp.) are happening right now all over roadsides (that haven’t been mowed to oblivion) and the insects are so grateful! These two species are absolute lifesavers during the hot, dry days of late summer, and there are wonderful choices to include in your garden. Read more about the well-behaved species of goldenrod and thoroughwort (aka boneset) that you can be using. And for more year-round pollinator choices, check out this earlier blog of mine.

Hard-working, carefree green stuff: ferns and sedges. Georgia has over 20 native ferns in a variety of shapes and shades of green (read my 2012 blog on ferns for a rundown). There are dozens of sedges (Carex spp.) native to Georgia and some species thrive in dry shade! If you’ve got partial shade and want to do something at least for the moment, check out ferns and sedges. You might just decide you like them for good.

I’ve tried to be general here (e.g., listing “oaks” instead of a specific one); if you’re interested in using some of these plants, find the species most appropriate for you. How to find what species is most appropriate for you? Just follow these steps:

1. Go to USDA plants database website: https://plants.usda.gov/
2. Look for the Name Search box in the upper left section. Enter the Latin name for best results and choose the “Scientific Name” below that; click “Go” [We’ll use Quercus for an example.]
3. In the search results, find the entry that is just the genus, click on that.
4. Now you should be on the genus page. This page has tabs, choose the “Subordinate Taxa” tab to see all the species and hybrids. Each has a mini-map of its distribution. Click one of the ones that has a presence in your state. [We’ll use Quercus alba as an example of species in Georgia.]
5. That should bring you to the species page for what you selected. Now you can expand the map (with your fingers on a mobile device, with the mouse on a desktop) and see the county details. Of course this data is only as good as the people who recorded it; for example, Quercus alba is not shown for my county but it definitely is here and has been for a very long time. Alabama looks like it had more thorough reporting.

Giants in the Garden

Late summer can be a time for bold floral statements, with tall perennials towering over the remains of those that have finished. It’s almost like the garden keeps building on itself, with late summer flowers being the tallest of all. If you’d like to add a little more height to your garden, consider some of these native giants.

Rudbeckia laciniata rises above the fence

In my garden, cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) has had a very good year, reaching heights and flowering stem counts that I’ve haven’t seen before. We must have had good rain right when it needed it. It can reach 8-9 feet tall in ideal conditions, which for this plant is moist and mostly sunny.  Bees and butterflies appreciate the flowerheads which are composed of tiny disk flowers in the center and bright yellow ray flowers at the edges.

A couple of other moisture-lovers are ironweed (Vernonia spp.) and hollow Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum).  Both of these are often found near me in low, wet ditches where they are covered with pollinators. Some of the ditches are so deep that if it wasn’t for their height, I wonder if we'd even notice these two? It is a joy to see them stretching above the other plants, the jewel-like purple of ironweed catching your attention at any speed while the soft, billowy blooms of the Joe Pye weed are almost too airy to notice above 40 mph.

Eutrochium fistulosum

Vernonia gigantea lives up to its name

Some of our perennial sunflowers can be quite big. Blooming now is Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and I drive every year past a wonderful garden full of it at an old house. People still live there and the patch is well-tended, with the plants easily reaching 8 feet tall. Perhaps they harvest a few tubers for pickling. Next month will bring the tall bright blooms of swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius). By the time that the 10-foot stems are blooming, they usually could use a little help with staking (especially if we get a summer thunderstorm). Count on people asking you about your plant if neighbors can see it.

A large stand of Helianthus angustifolius at a nature center

Similar to the sunflowers are the rosinweeds (Silphium spp.). They’ve already finished blooming now, but species like cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) and kidney-leaf rosinweed (S. compositum) can easily reach 8 feet with numerous yellow flowerheads. Kidney-leaf is my favorite because of its handsome foliage.

Cirsium altissimum

Blooming now in my yard is an oft-overlooked group of biennial plants – the native thistles (Cirsium sp.). I have come to love these prickly giants as I watch bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds take delight in their flowerheads. I know the goldfinches are probably equally happy with the seedheads afterwards. Two years ago I had one so tall that I could stand on the deck and take pictures of butterflies on it from above.

Silverplume grass (Saccharum alopecuroides) can be spotted on the side of the road now. The flowering spikes can reach up to 10 feet tall and a small group of them is a very pleasing sight. The wide, strappy blades can be a very attractive and bold statement as well. It likes lean, well-drained soil – you know, like a roadside!

Silverplume towers above the field (Saccharum alopecuroides)

Another good native grass is Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) which might only reach 7 feet. It would pair nicely with big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), no shrimp itself at 8 feet. I love how the Mimsie Lanier Center for Native Plant Studies at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia grows some of these native grass from seed for their Connect to Protect Native Plant Sale in the fall.

So, if you're looking for some plants with late-season oomph, look for some of these.

Georgia Grows Native for Birds

Our Georgia birds definitely need the services that Georgia native plants provide. Some people think that if we provide berry-producing plants (native or not) that birds will be fine. Not all birds eat berries, and, for those that do, not all berries are equal when it comes to nutrition.

Having a landscape full of native plants supports all birds much more effectively, and I was pleased to hear last year that the National Audubon Society is now putting emphasis on educating people about why native plants matter to birds. Locally, Atlanta Audubon’s awareness efforts on the topic have been wonderful, and recently they spearheaded an effort to have September declared as ‘Georgia Grows Native for Birds Month.’

I have written about how much native plants support birds before; here are a few of those blogs (click on the links to read them):

Black Cherry: A Perfect Plant for Birds in Georgia

The Insect Diet: Natural Bird Food

Native Shrubs for Supporting Birds

What Birds Like: Native Birds Like Native Plants

If you're interested in supporting birds in your landscape, look into why and how our native plants are really in their best interest.

And if you're near Atlanta, check out the events that Atlanta Audubon has planned for this month, including their upcoming garden tour of homes that use native plants in the landscape.

Caterpillar Tales 2

A couple of years ago I wrote about finding caterpillars this time of year. I decided to make another dedicated effort this year and found some amazing things. When I read the post from 2016, I found it interesting that I didn’t find any one of those caterpillars – this year’s finds were completely new!

The caterpillars above are all stinging caterpillars. On the left is the white flannel moth, found on redbud (Cercis canadensis). In the center is the puss caterpillar (Southern flannel moth), found on boxelder (Acer negundo). On the right is Nason's slug moth, found on persimmon (Diospyros virginiana).

The caterpillars above: white furcula on the left on black cherry (Prunus serotina), red-washed prominent on redbud (Cercis canadensis) in the center, and the rose hooktip on viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium). The prominent and the hooktip are wonderful 'deadleaf edge' mimics, often nestled close to the edge they are eating to fool predators.

The caterpillars above: on the left is the red-humped caterpillar on sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), tuliptree moth in the center on tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), and on the right is the question mark butterfly caterpillar on winged elm (Ulmus alata) - the last one being one that I've wanted to find for a long time and it was on a seedling elm that I have in a pot.

Finding caterpillars is a fun and challenging summer activity. Anybody can find plenty of those black and orange-striped oakworms (they seem to be everywhere for a 2 week period, don’t they?) as well those fall webworms mucking up the trees with their protective webs. You might wonder how does one go about finding these other caterpillars? Here are the tips that I’ve picked up from my own experience and what I’ve heard from others.

Look for damage – caterpillars chew leaves, so look for signs of them being eaten. They might be eaten from the edge inward, or straight across the tip or you might just see a bunch of petioles with no leaves.

Look for poop – on the ground, on other leaves, it could be big or small but that’s your clue that someone’s been there (and might still be).

Look underneath – most caterpillars feed from the underside of the leaf; it’s where they feel safe. If it’s a tree, stand under the tree and look up. If the plant is lower, carefully raise up branches or flip individual leaves to look for them. Watch out for stinging caterpillars! I am careful to not directly touch the leaf if I can help it.

Leaf damage

Caterpillar poop

One consideration is timing. Sometimes caterpillars move away from the eaten leaves to take a break or at night, so check the stems and branches while you’re looking. Some caterpillars eat at night so they might be curled up in a leaf or resting elsewhere. If they’re rolled up in a leaf, be considerate about exposing them to predators.

The best plants to check for caterpillars are native plants, of course, and woody plants in particular: oaks, sweetgum, persimmon, elm, maple, boxelder, cherry, hawthorn, sassafras, birch. I highly recommend the book I reviewed in this blog to help you identify them; always take note of the plant on which you found them (take a picture of the leaf if you don't know it). The Caterpillar Identification Facebook group is also very helpful.

One blog is not enough to show you all the ones I've found, but these were the most interesting and they are mostly moths (there are 11,000+ moths in North America compared to 800+ butterflies so you will mostly find moths). However, lest you think that caterpillars are taking over, let me assure you that I usually only find one or two of any species at once.

Two other blogs from this summer include pictures of interesting caterpillars I've found: this one on Virginia Creeper and this one about hiking the trails at Elachee in Gainesville. Now, go forth and search!

Hiking Trails at Elachee Nature Center

Elephantopus tomentosus was one of the few flowers

This nature destination in Gainesville has been on my list of things to do for years and recently I used an available Sunday to give it a look. With 12 miles of hiking trails amid 1400+ acres, you won’t be surprised to learn that my slow pace only covered part of this north Georgia treasure on that day.

From their website:  "Elachee is a regional environmental education center and recreation destination to unplug, reconnect with nature and learn. For nearly four decades, Elachee and its devoted community partners have worked tirelessly to build a sustainable legacy for future generations to enjoy."

I started from the parking lot at the Aquatic Studies Center (2100 Calvary Church Road, Gainesville, GA 30504), hiking on the Eastlake Trail, turning onto Dunlap Trail and then crossing over the suspension bridge to the southbound part of the Westlake Trail for the return to the Aquatic Studies Center. I crossed five creeks in the process and passed through thick woodlands, packed with Piedmont plants that included an incredible array of plant species.

The number of woody plant species that I saw on my hike was phenomenal and almost every corner brought something new: maples (Acer sp.), multiple oak species (Quercus sp.), hickories (Carya sp.), sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), ash (Fraxinus sp.), beech (Fagus grandifolia), and pine (Pinus sp.) were the canopy, at times providing thick cover and dense shade. Other areas were more open, sometimes due to recent storms, and large debris was on the ground, fungi blooming in their decaying carcasses. With all the recent rain, it was a great day for finding mushrooms. These six pictures are only a portion of what I photographed:

The understory layer of small trees and shrubs varied based on whether I was walking through moist low places or drier ridges. Some of the many things I saw were at least 3 species of blueberry (Vaccinium sp.), musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana), hawthorn (Crataegus sp.), horsesugar (Symplocos tinctoria), azalea (Rhododendron sp.), a huge grove of snowbell (Styrax grandifolius), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), dwarf pawpaw (Asimina parviflora), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana), hobblebush (Leucothoe sp.), hazelnut (Corylus americana), alder (Alnus sp.) and so much more. I just kept thinking: “That too?!”

While the trails were well-marked, I carried a paper copy of the map with me so that I could anticipate the turn towards the suspension bridge. Another distraction along the way was an attempt to spot caterpillars. The many young sweetgums that sprout along the trail are perfect places to find some of our large moths and I was thrilled to spot one with a regal moth caterpillar.

Regal moth on sweetgum

Tiger swallowtail on ash

As I crossed the bridge, I spotted another caterpillar high up in the canopy of an ash tree next to the bridge. Resting on a silken hammock, it was the caterpillar of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. This was my first time seeing this caterpillar in the wild and I must admit that I squealed a bit. After a few pictures, I hurried on my way because raindrops showed up and I was only halfway through my hike.

A carpet of ground cedar (Diphasiastrum digitatum)

As I approached Chicopee Lake at the end, the herbaceous layer was especially rich, with several kinds of ferns and thick carpets of ground cedar (Diphasiastrum digitatum syn. Lycopodium digitatum). I even found a small population of groundpine (Lycopodium dendroideum perhaps and it probably has a new name too). This seems to be a good area for bird watching. The last part of the trail crossed over the dam by the lake, a hot and sunny stretch of meadow-like growth full of blooming plants like thoroughwort and partridge pea. Down at the water’s edge, I could see huge stands of Joe pye weed (Eutrochium sp.). Butterflies swirled around the area. At the parking lot, blooming plants included downy sunflower (Helianthus mollis) and ironweed (Vernonia sp.) and there was good butterfly watching there too.

Joe pye weed at lake's edge

Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)

Viceroy on Helianthus mollis

According to their website, they have recorded “38 species of upper story trees, 18 species of mid-story trees, 44 species of shrubs, 25 species of vines and 197 herbaceous plants” and the preserve is “one of Georgia’s largest, protected green spaces”.

I certainly plan several trips back there. I need to hike the other side of the trails as well as visit in the spring to see more of the herbaceous plants in bloom (although the fall goldenrods and asters look promising for a good show along with great leaf color). Don’t wait much longer to visit this woodland treasure.