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Red Admiral on Mistflower

DiOhio

By Diohio


Red Admiral on Mistflower (Laportea canadensis)

This is a Red Admiral butterfly nectaring on Mistflower, a wild eupatorium that comes up in my yard. Red Admiral's host plant is Nettles. I grow Wood Nettle, Stinging Nettle and False Nettle for this butterfly. Date=Sept. 4th



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I will never forget my first brush with stinging nettles..lol. I'm a hand weeder...gloves are for sissies...hahaha...till I pulled a nettle. Ever after that the phrase "she was feeling somewhat nettled"...took on another dimension for me!! Perhaps I could overcome my aversion if a few of these were to visit my garden. Does their range extend into southern Canada?

19 Mar, 2008

 

Yes it does Lori, they do go into Canada but I'm not sure how high up.
That's why I have my nettles in pots........I don't want to have to deal with them in the yard. Wood Nettle doesn't cause as bad of a reaction as Stinging Nettle, at least with me. I only itch for a few minutes with the Wood. I've read that if you rub fern fronds that have the spores on the back of the frond, all over the area that stings, it'll help.

19 Mar, 2008

 

Beautiful picture!
(Doc leaves are what i have always rubbed on nettle stings).

20 Mar, 2008

 

This picture is just about as good as you can get

23 Apr, 2008

 

I just found a white admiral in my garden, nectaring on a white eupatorium that has also come into my yard...I think it came as a hitchhiker in a 4"pot of antirrhinums...lol... It is huge...about 3 ft tall ...and I lopped about a foot off the height earlier in the season cause it was crowding and shading...it just branched out and kept on going! now I'm glad I didn't just yank it out! it smells gorgeous and the butterflies, flies and bees are so grateful!

24 Aug, 2009

 

Oh I'd love to see a White Admiral Lori ! How exciting. I'll bet your white eupatorium is either White Snakeroot or Boneset. They're both blooming now and both get pretty tall (and both are white)

I spent the afternoon admiring the butterflies and hummers in the yard. I've had the lovliest intermediate Tiger swallowtail in the yard for 2 days now........and a Red-spotted Purple stepped onto my hand and stayed there for a good 6-7 minutes ! That's a first for me. So I guess I'm still a 'Butterfly Whisperer' LOL !

25 Aug, 2009

 

How wonderful! congratulations, Di.
About the plant...Boneset? that is really interesting...didn't it get it's common name because it has been used to help with the knitting of broken bones?
The aroma is just sweet and seductive...mmm.. can see why it brings in the butterflies, bees, wasps and flies! Watched a hummer sizing it up but the flowers don't seem to be to his liking! he was staking out an oenothera..! I have come to wonder how it is people can have gardens and not want wildlife? It just completes the picture, don't you think?

25 Aug, 2009

 

Thanks Lori, I'll post some pics soon.

The plant Eupatorium perfoliatum was given the common name Boneset because for one, it relieved "the deep-seated pain in the limbs" caused by influenza. Native Americans and settlers used leaves and flowers to induce nausea and vomiting and also to treat fevers, epilepsy, arthritis, malaria and other problems. The second reason given that name is because some healers believed the odd leaf growth meant that the plant was useful for setting bones (perfoliate).

My Boneset in the yard is always busy with life. All of the little flies, bees and butterflies love it, as well as some of the bigger guys. I couldn't even imagine a garden without wildlife. In fact I don't think there'd be a picture at all..........without it.

27 Aug, 2009



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This photo is of "Nettle, Wood" in Diohio's garden

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