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Tuesday - May 19, 2009

From: Lampasas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Wildlife Gardens
Title: Native plants for butterflies and birds in a park in Lampasas, Texas
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

There is an area along a creek in Lampasas, Texas that I want to establish as a butterfly and bird park. There are various native plants there now, but I want to add plants that are hosts for butterflies and birds. One area on the property remains very wet most of the time and has mostly reed-like plants growing in it now. What other plants would do well in this constantly wet area?

ANSWER:

The following native plants serve as hosts (adult nectar or larval food) to one or more butterfly or moth species and most are also attractive to birds. All are known to occur in or adjacent to Lampasas County.

SHRUBS/TREES

Acacia angustissima (prairie acacia)

Allowissadula holosericea (Chisos Mountain false Indianmallow)

Ceanothus herbaceus (Jersey tea)

Cercis canadensis var. texensis (Texas redbud)

Celtis laevigata (sugarberry)

Cornus drummondii (roughleaf dogwood)

Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon)

Fraxinus texensis (Texas ash)

Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas barometer bush)

Lindera benzoin (northern spicebush)

Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite)

Prunus serotina (black cherry)

Ptelea trifoliata (common hoptree)

Quercus fusiformis (plateau oak)

Quercus muehlenbergii (chinkapin oak)

Rhus lanceolata (prairie sumac)

Salix nigra (black willow)

Sapindus saponaria (wingleaf soapberry)

Senna lindheimeriana (velvet leaf senna)

Ungnadia speciosa (Mexican buckeye)

Zanthoxylum hirsutum (Tickle tongue)

GRASS/GRASS-LIKE

Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem)

Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama)

Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama)

Nolina texana (Texas sacahuista)

Panicum virgatum (switchgrass)

Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem)

Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass)

Tripsacum dactyloides (eastern gamagrass)

Tridens flavus (purpletop tridens)

HERBACEOUS WILDFLOWERS

Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine)

Asclepias asperula (spider milkweed)

Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed)

Callirhoe involucrata (purple poppymallow)

Cirsium texanum (Texas thistle)

Erigeron philadelphicus (Philadelphia fleabane)

Lupinus texensis (Texas bluebonnet)

Penstemon cobaea (cobaea beardtongue)

Phyla nodiflora (turkey tangle fogfruit)

Ruellia drummondiana (Drummond's wild petunia)

Ruellia nudiflora (violet wild petunia)

Thamnosma texana (rue of the mountains)

Wedelia texana (hairy wedelia)

YUCCAS/SUCCULENTS

Manfreda maculosa (spice lily)

Yucca pallida (twistleaf yucca)

Yucca rupicola (Texas yucca)

VINES

Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper)

Maurandella antirrhiniflora (roving sailor)

Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)

PLANTS FOR THE WET MARSHY AREA

Note: Not all the plants listed for this area are butterfly or bird host plants but are interesting plants that will grow in an area that stays wet year round.

Andropogon glomeratus (bushy bluestem)

Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed)

Bacopa monnieri (herb of grace)

Cephalanthus occidentalis (common buttonbush)

Eleocharis montevidensis (sand spikerush)

Hibiscus lasiocarpos (rosemallow)

Hydrocotyle umbellata (manyflower marshpennywort)

Justicia americana (American water-willow)

Juncus torreyi (Torrey's rush)

Oenothera jamesii (trumpet evening-primrose)

Sagittaria platyphylla (delta arrowhead)

Typha latifolia (broadleaf cattail)