Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Saturday - October 31, 2009
From: Richmond, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Wildlife Gardens
Title: Larval host plants for Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I am looking for a list of larval host plants for Painted Lady butterflies. Could you provide such a list?ANSWER:
Native larval host plants for Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) are thistles, mallows and various legumes such as Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine). They are four thistles that are native to Virginia: Cirsium discolor (field thistle), Cirsium horridulum (yellow thistle), Cirsium muticum (swamp thistle), and Cirsium pumilum (pasture thistle). We show twelve mallows (from the Family Malvaceae) native to Virginia. Some notable attractives ones are: Callirhoe involucrata (purple poppymallow), Gossypium hirsutum (upland cotton), Hibiscus coccineus (scarlet rosemallow), Hibiscus moscheutos (crimsoneyed rosemallow), and Kosteletzkya virginica (Virginia saltmarsh mallow). You can see more by searching in the Native Plant Database under the Family category for Malvaceae Family and using the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option to choose Virginia from the Select State or Province category.
More Wildlife Gardens Questions
Shrubs and small trees for a slope in NY
May 21, 2012 - We are looking for a living wall made of shrubs / small trees - no more than 25' for the top of a steep creek bed. We are looking for the best erosion preventing types.
view the full question and answer
Plants for pollinators in Brown County, Texas
July 23, 2013 - I am attempting to plant on our family property a wide range of native plants for the central Texas area (May, TX). The flowers, bushes and trees that rely on pollinators, in particular bees, in order...
view the full question and answer
Little birds for Little Rock
March 21, 2005 - I would like to plant flowers that hummingbirds and butterflies like. I live in Little Rock, Arkansas. What do you suggest?
view the full question and answer
Importance of native plants for wildlife.
March 04, 2008 - I just read Donald Tellamy's new book,Bringing Nature Home. He documents how native plants provide more nourishment for wildlife than introduced plants. The definition of native plants that I use is ...
view the full question and answer
Replacing Nandina with natives for a schoolyard in Washington DC
May 11, 2011 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
Our schoolyard now has some invasive plants in the landscaping that we would like to replace with native plants. We have four clumps of Nandina planted at each pillar along a...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |