Once common, the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly has become a rare sight in Maryland.
Its decline reflects changes in the environment. There has been a loss and degradation of its habitat. Heavy browsing by large deer populations has depleted host and nectar plants on which the butterfly depends. A loss of wetlands has also reduced its habitat.
Butterflies lay their eggs on host plants. The emerging caterpillars eat the host plant’s leaves. Although they may eat many leaves, the plants are built to survive. Most caterpillar species are highly selective about the type(s) of plant they can eat. The monarch caterpillar, for example, will only eat milkweed, Asclepias spp., leaves.
A beautiful, medium-sized butterfly, the Checkerspot has black wings with orange and white markings. Its wings span about 2 1/2 inches.
White Turtleheads Brighten Late Summer Gardens
The White turtlehead, Chelone glabra, with its regal stems and inch-long, snapdragon like white flowers, should win a ribbon in any flower show. And a spot in most Piedmont gardens.
A great, late-summer bloomer, it flowers from August to October. The blossoms, which may be tinged with pink, combine well with Joe Pye, Eutrochium purpureum; False goat’s beard, Astilbe Biternata; ferns; and other plants
A favorite of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, they are a key host plant for the rare Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, Maryland’s state butterfly. Continue reading White Turtleheads Brighten Late Summer Gardens
Violets, Friends of the Fritillaries
Violets creep into my gardens every year. While I never considered them one of the worst weeds, I would remove them when cleaning up the garden.
No longer.
I recently discovered that native violets are the prime host plant for many of the Fritillary caterpillars. Fritillary butterflies are marvelous members of any garden being both beautiful and good pollinators.