Desert Gardening Guides Desert Botanical Garden

PLANTS FOR CREATING A LOW-DESERT BUTTERFLY GARDEN Many visitors have experienced the magic of the Garden’s Marshall Butterfly Pavilion. Gardening to attract butterflies to your own desert garden can be a magical and rewarding experience and with over 250 butterfly species found in the Sonoran Desert, you will be able to attract many different varieties to your garden by following these butterfly gardening basics.   • • • • • •

Plant both larval (caterpillars) and adult food plants. Avoid using pesticides. Provide moisture. Butterflies extract water and minerals from damp soil. Locate your butterfly garden in a sunny site, but provide shade. Many butterflies will retreat to a shady location during the hottest days of summer and early fall. Provide hiding places as some butterflies may undergo a period of inactivity (diapause) during unsuitable climatic conditions, such as drought. Group plants together to create a mass of color. This will help butterflies find your garden. Annuals: • • • • • • • •

Fiddlenecks (Amsinckia spp.) Owlclover (Castilljea exserta) Desert Pincushion (Chaenactis stevioides) Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Arizona Poppy (Kallstroemia grandiflora) Lupines (Lupinus spp.) Emory’s Rock Daisy (Perityle emoryi) Golden Crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides)

Adult Larval Adult Larval & Adult Adult Larval & Adult Adult Larval & Adult

Herbaceous Perennials: • • • • • • • • • •

Brownfoot (Acourtia wrightii) Butterfly Mist (Ageratum corymbosum) Yellow Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha) Bloodflower (Asclepias curassavica) Pine-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias linaria) Desert Milkweed (Asclepias subulata) Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea) Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata) Blue Mist (Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Dark Knight’)

Adult Larval Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Adult Larval & Adult Adult Adult

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Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana) Mistflower (Conoclinium dissectum) Arizona Foldwing (Dicliptera resupinata) Hummingbird Trumpet (Epilobium canum) Fleabane (Erigeron divergens) Gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) Desert Verbena (Glandularia gooddingii) Desert Rosemallow (Hibiscus coulteri) Red Justicia (Justicia candicans) Lavenders (Lavandula spp.) Mexican Lobelia (Lobelia laxiflora) Deer Vetch (Lotus rigidus) Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) Penstemons (Penstemon spp.) Desert Plumbago (Plumbago scandens) Odora (Porophyllum gracile) Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea) Mealy-cup Sage (Salvia farinacea) Desert Senna (Senna covesii) Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) Rodney’s Aster (Symphyotrichum praealtum) Angelita Daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis) Rough Zexmenia (Wedelia texana)

Adult Adult Larval & Adult Larval Adult Adult Adult Larval Larval Adult Adult Larval Adult Larval Larval & Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Adult Adult Larval & Adult

Queen’s Wreath (Antigonon leptopus) Old Man’s Beard (Clematis drummondii) Slender Janusia (Janusia gracilis) Passionflowers (Passiflora spp.)

Adult Laval Larval Larval

Vines: • • • •

Groundcovers: • • • • • • • • • • •

Raspberry Fuzzies TM (Acalypha monostachya) Hearts and Flowers (Aptenia cordifolia) Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia fimbriata) Southwestern Pipevine (Aristolochia watsonii) Bahia (Bahia absinthifolia) Winecups (Callirhoe involucrata) Sundrops (Calylophus hartwegii) Lemon Dalea (Dalea capitata) Trailing Smokebush (Dalea greggii) Trailing Lantana (Lantana montevidensis) Frog-fruit (Phyla nodiflora)

Adult Adult Larval Larval Adult Larval Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult

• • • • •

Blue Dwarf Ruellia (Ruellia brittoniana ‘Katie’) Dyssodia, Dogweed (Thymophylla pentachaeta) Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys ‘Prostratum’) Desert Zinnia (Zinnia acerosa) Prairie Zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora)

Adult Larval & Adult Adult Adult Adult

Grasses: • • • • • • • •

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) Purple Threeawn (Aristida purpurea) Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) Pink Mist (Muhlenbergia capillaris) Bamboo Muhley (Muhlenbergia dumosa) Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval

Shrubs: • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Superstition Mallow (Abutilon palmeri) Prairie Acacia (Acaciella angustissima syn. Acacia angustissima) Bee Brush (Aloysia gratissima) False Indigo (Amorpha fruiticosa) Flame Anisacanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus) Desert Honeysuckle (Anisacanthus thurberi) Saltbushes (Atriplex spp.) Desert Broom (Baccharis sarothroides) Woolly Butterfly Bush (Buddleja marrubiifolia) Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) Texas Mountain Laurel (Calia secundiflora syn. Sophora secundiflora) Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica) Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla) Desert Hackberry (Celtis ehrenbergiana syn. Celtis pallida) Little-leaf Cordia (Cordia parvifolia) Silver Dalea (Dalea bicolor) Black Dalea (Dalea frutescens) Bush Dalea (Dalea pulchra) Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) Turpentine Bush (Ericameria laricifolia) Rabbit Brush (Ericameria nauseousus syn. Chrysothamnus nauseosus) Flattop Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) Wright’s Buckwheat (Eriogonum wrightii)

Larval Larval & Adult Adult Larval Adult Larval & Adult Larval Adult Adult Adult Adult  

Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Larval Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Adult Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Larval & Adult

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Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) Desert Cotton (Gossypium thurberi) Guayacan (Guaiacum angustifolium) Fire Bush (Hamelia patens) Desert Lavender (Hyptis emoryi) Chuparosa (Justicia californica) Lantana (Lantana camara) Texas Rangers (Leucophyllum spp.) Mexican Oregano (Lippia graveolens) Wolfberries (Lycium spp.) Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) Sugar Bush (Rhus ovata) Desert Ruellia (Ruellia peninsularis) Chaparral Sage (Salvia clevelandii) Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) Slim-pod Senna (Senna hirsuta var. glaberrima) Velvet-leaf Senna (Senna lindheimeriana) Shrubby Senna (Senna wislizeni) Mount Lemmon Marigold (Tagetes lemmonii) Turpentine Broom (Thamnosma montana) Trixis (Trixis californica) Parish Goldeneye (Viguiera parishii) Skeleton-leaf Goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba)

Adult Larval Larval Adult Adult Larval & Adult Adult Larval Adult Adult Adult Adult Larval Adult Adult Adult Larval Larval Larval Adult Larval Adult Larval & Adult Adult

Canyon Hackberry (Celtis laevigata var. reticulata) Mexican Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. mexicana) Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) Texas Olive (Cordia boissieri) Baby Bonnets (Coursetia glandulosa) Texas Ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia orthocarpa) Golden Leadball Tree (Leucaena retusa) Desert Fern (Lysiloma watsonii) Ironwood (Olneya tesota) Mesquites (Prosopis spp.) Catclaw Acacia (Senegalia greggii syn. Acacia greggii) Blackbrush Acacia (Vachellia rigidula syn. Acacia rigidula) Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)

Larval Larval & Adult Adult Adult Larval Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Adult Larval & Adult Larval Larval & Adult Larval & Adult Adult Adult

Trees: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Succulents: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Golden-flowered Agave (Agave chrysantha) Desert Agave (Agave deserti) Palmer’s Agave (Agave palmeri) Parry’s Agave (Agave parryi) Schott’s Agave (Agave schottii) Toumey’s Agave (Agave toumeyana) Utah Agave (Agave utahensis) Texas Tuberose (Manfreda maculosa) Arizona Yucca (Yucca arizonica) Banana Yucca (Yucca baccata) Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata) Schott’s Yucca (Yucca schottii)

Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval Larval

For more information about particular desert plants or problems, call the Desert Botanical Garden’s Plant Hotline, 480-481-8120, Monday through Friday, from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. or email your questions to [email protected]

The Desert Botanical Garden provides a range of services to homeowners including a desert Plant Hotline, a variety of classes about landscaping and gardening in the desert, an onsite library, and an extensive selection of resources in the Garden Shop.

©Desert Botanical Garden – 08/11

Desert Botanical Garden 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008 480-941-1225 dbg.org