09/02/2026
Nature is amazing! š¦
So many monarchs, swallowtails, sphinx moth caterpillars this year! Itās going to be a beautiful fall!!
Monarchs- love all types of milkweeds to lay their eggs and caterpillars to eat! (donāt be surprised when they eat it all! lol) but need pollinator friendly perennials after they emerge from their chrysalis! Blazing star liatris, bee balms, joe pye weeds, goldenrod, echinacea, Russian sage, catmint, asters, sedums all help give them the energy to fly to Mexico!
Swallowtails- love parsley, dill, meadow rue! But once they emerge will want all the flowering perennials as well!
Sphinx moths- (look like a tomato hornworm caterpillar- but no horn on the end) they love Virginia creeper/engelmann ivy! I have over 50 huge caterpillars in my vines around the house currently! Yes they eat a lot of the vine ( but it doesnāt harm it at all!) remember if something isnāt eating your plants itās not a part of the ecosystem!
They turn into beautiful hummingbird moths!!
They will love all those pollinator friendly perennials as well! They always seem to love the annual vervain we have around the greenhouse blooming in the fall!