On Sun, 31 Jul 2005 22:15:47 -0700, "Dana Schultz"
wrote:

I would say wait on the moving till you research what butterfly's frequent
your area.

Good idea, but even better would be to watch the butterfly bush and
identify the butterflies you see on it and build to support and
attract those butterflies. The reason I suggest this is because the
Spicebush and Pipevine swallowtails are both in my "area," but I have
5 year old spicebush and pipevine with no cats ever. I suppose the
neighborhoods around me are not conducive to their migration and they
just don't make it to my place.

I have an extensive butterfly garden and I have not seen them on cannas, or
my daylillies, nor the dianthus.

The canna supports one of the most interesting and aggravating of the
butterflies, if you want neat looking canna leaves. The Brazilian
Skipper has a long proboscis for reaching the nectar in the canna lily
and he scrolls it up like a clock spring. The larvae (AKA Leaf
Rollers) are laid on the canna leaf, which the larvae glues/webs in a
roll and hides in the roll while coming up and down the roll eating
the leaf and making it look nasty.

Where I have seen them is gathering heat by hanging in the cedar trees or
larger rocks.
Feeding on black eyed Susan, purple cone flower, gloriosa daisy, butterfly
weed, swamp milkweed or regular milkweed (if you dare).

Why would one dare to plant regular milkweed? It attracts lots of
insects, some known and unknown to me, but it sure has been
interesting. I have swamp, regular and Hello Yellow. I live in
Middle Georgia and have to wait until September before the Monarch
arrive here.

I would recommend 'The Butterfly Book' by Donald Stokes.
It has an excellent reference to the types of flowers certain butterfly
prefer and the caterpillar food sources. Find out which ones frequent your
area and gear the garden to them.

I have had a successful crop of Monarchs this year and currently have many
swallowtail caterpillars. I can't wait!

I'm jealous! The afternoon storms and thundershowers seem to have had
a bad effect on butterflies migrating to my place and I have only seen
a small portion of what I usually see. My most popular visitor is
the Gulf Fritillary and this year I have very healthy uneaten
maypop's(Passion Flower). I'm beginning to see Black Swallowtails
hanging around the fennel and hope things will get better.

--
Dana
www3.sympatico.ca/lostmermaid
"junkyardcat" wrote in message
...
I've decided to redo the butterfly garden, but I don't want to kill any
flowers that are growing in it right now. I have Cannas, Daylillies,

Canna and daylilies can be moved and separated any time. They are
tough. The butterfly bush can be rooted by taking a branch and
burying half of it in a moist shady spot. Moving one should be done
in the Spring or Fall and keep it watered well while it is making the
adjustment.

Amaryllis, Dianthus, Carnations, and a Butterfly Bush in it right now. The
Canna, Dianthus, Carnation, and butterfly bush are the only things
blooming
right now. Can I safely dig them up and transplant them somewhere else? Or
should I wait until Fall when they are no longer blooming?

Regards,

Hal