Beautiful butterflies 2013 notes

7/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2013 (our 9th year)
© Project SOUND
Beautiful Butterflies:
food and habitat for our
prettiest pollinators (in the
context of a formal garden)
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
July 6 & 9, 2013
You’ve just bought your dream home…
© Project SOUND
… or it’s time to redo your old front yard
http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Redondo-Beach/510-S-Guadalupe-Ave-202_PW13104255.htm
There’s much that’s good about the home
© Project SOUND
 Classic CA Bungalow/ Craftsman style; formal lines
 Nice colors??
 Nice picket fence, gate and arbor
 Good sized front yard
 Brick walkways; infiltrate water
 Seating possible in front yard

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© Project SOUND
…but you’d like to make better use of the front yard You dream of creating a butterfly garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.harvardcommonpress.com/the-
butterfly-garden/
http://www.lindenplantationgardens.com/gardens.htm
But want a garden that is formal
enough to fit with your tastes, home
style and neighborhood
Why use formal/semi-formal design?
 Some house designs need a more
formal garden design
 Some classical/historical home
designs
 Very modern, geometric designs
 Some situations require more formal
look
 Front yards
 Public gardens
 Some plants benefit from a more
formal treatment
 Herbs and vegetables
 Some ornamental grasses, succulents
 ? Native plants
© Project SOUND
http://egardens.blogspot.com/2011/07/im-published.html
© Project SOUND
What do we want in the front yard?
Seating area

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Is it possible to have it all in a small front yard
(semi-formal design; butterflies; seating)?
© Project SOUND
First we need to draw a
rough map of the front
yard
© Project SOUND
22 ft 9 ft
26ft
19ft
Front yard - dimensions
8ft
What makes a formal
garden formal?
 Ancient origins.
 Formal gardens found in many
cultures: Western, Middle
Eastern, and Eastern Cultures
 Order, neatness, geometry, and
symmetry are the defining
characteristics
 Formal gardens create a sense
of peace and stability
 Hardscape often plays an
important role in defining a
‘formal’ look
© Project SOUND
http://www.cotonmanor.co.uk/images/herb_garden_potting_shed_nov_09.jpg
The Parterre garden  Formal garden constructed on a level
surface
 Planting beds arranged to form a
pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern
 Gravel (sometimes stone) paths; beds
edged in stone, brick or tightly
clipped hedging.
 Developed by Claude Mollet in France
~ 1600; classic examples at Versaille,
Kensington Palace
 In and out of style ever since
 Ideas now often used to give a more
formal look to gardens that may
include some ‘informal/unruly’ plants:
 Herb gardens
 Kitchen gardens
 ?? Native plant/habitat gardens
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parterre

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Contemporary Parterre gardens: less formidable
 Symmetric patterns look neat and orderly
– work well with more formal architecture
 Can be adapted to any size; good for even
small front yards
 Can be very formal to semi-formal,
depending on hardscape & plant choices
 Tightly clipped shrubbery and gravel
pathways were the two main requirements
of the first parterres; contemporary
parterre gardens:
 Use a wider range of path materials: brick,
DG, symmetric pavers/stone, even mulch
 Edging is more likely brick/stone – even
concrete or benderboard
 Plants include a wide range of flowering
plants, edibles, etc.
© Project SOUND
http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/article/traditional-garden-and-parterre
http://www.blueplanetgardenblog.com/2008/08/lawn-substitutes-part-3--
-kickin-it-french-style.html
How formal do we want the garden to be?
© Project SOUND
http://carex.tumblr.com/post/29766039352/the-knot-garden-at-the-garden-museum-
in-london
http://rockoakdeer.blogspot.com/2012/06/gardening-on-rocks-new-backyard-
garden.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/grow/primers_projects/annuals.html
http://www.homelife.com.au/gardening/features/inner+city+vegie+garden,15345
What do we like?
 Simple geometric design
 Gravel/crushed rock pathways
 Beds lined with red brick – fits with
existing brick pathways
 Seating included in garden design
 Focal point around which garden is
constructed (classical element) ;
? Water feature
© Project SOUND
http://www.homelife.com.au/gardening/features/inner+city+vegie+garden,15345
http://www.motherearthliving.com/in-the-garden/herbal-travels-visiting-
gardens-during-herbal-vacation.aspx#axzz2VpoD2J1e
http://goodfoodshops.blogspot.com/2011/09/incredible-edible-todmorden.html
© Project SOUND
22 ft 9 ft
26ft
19ft
Let’s try some possibilities using our garden’s layout
8ft

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© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Now, that’s more like it!

7/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Reality check – what will it look like? Good points about our proposed design
 Simple, geometric shapes
 Retains the brick walkways and
adds crushed rock paths;
 Brick walkways are echoed by
brick bed edging
 Plenty of planting area
 Deals with ‘awkward’ asymmetry
of the site by:
 Breaking area into three:
 Near house area
 Transition area
 Two areas that are part of the
parterre design
 Having two focal points – one on
either side of entry walk
© Project SOUND
http://www.motherearthliving.com/in-the-garden/herbal-travels-visiting-
gardens-during-herbal-vacation.aspx#axzz2VpoD2J1e
© Project SOUND
Final design: looks like a workable plan
© Project SOUND
* Pink Fairy Duster – Calliandra eriophylla
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAER
http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php?id=Calliandra_eriophylla
http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/i_and_i/flowers/fairy_duster/fairy_duster.html
 Sonoran Desert from CA & Baja to
W. Texas
 Dry, gravelly slopes & mesas ; often
in beds of intermittent streams,
bajadas, washes, etc. - rocky, sandy
 In Spanish, Cabeza de angel refers
to an angel's head or angel's hair

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© Project SOUND
Pink Fairyduster is a nice sized accent shrub
 Size:
 3-5+ ft tall (depends on water)
 4-6+ ft wide
 Growth form:
 Woody shrub
 Mounded/upright to sprawling;
can grow around existing
shrubs
 Light-colored bark
 Foliage:
 Bright to medium green
 Binnately pinnate – small pinna
(like Acacia)
 Roots: nitrogen-fixing bacteria;
rhizomatous – will slowly spread
http://www.public.asu.edu/~camartin/plants/Plant%20html%20files/calliandraeriophylla.html
http://www.fourdir.com/p_fairy_duster.htm
© 2005 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
Shaping Fairydusters
 Have a good natural shape – can
leave as is
 Tip-prune during growing season
to produce fuller shrub
 Lightly prune to shape in late
spring
© Project SOUND
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36517976@N06/4307505066/
http://www.avondale.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=1346&return=b_aC
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/caleri.htm
© Project SOUND
Flowers: ooh-la-la!!
 Blooms:
 Just after the rains - usually
Jan-Apr in Western L.A. Co.
 Will bloom off and on
depending on watering
schedule
 Flowers:
 Pink: bright to very pale
 The long, pink filaments of
the stamens that make the
showy display
 Plant has a fluffy pink
appearance in full bloom
 Big attraction for large
butterflies & hummingbirds!
http://www.sagebud.com/fairyduster-calliandra-eriophylla/
http://www.calflora.net/losangelesarboretum/whatsbloomingmay07C.html
Marine Blue - Leptotes marina
 Caterpillar Hosts:
 Local : Astragalus spp., Lotus
scoparius
 S. CA desert: Amorpha californica,
Acacia greggii, Calliandra
callifornica, Calliandra eriophylla,
Marina (Dalea) parryi , mesquite
(Prosopis spp.).
 Non-native: Plumbago and many
legumes including alfalfa
(Medicago sativa), garden beans,
Sweetpea (Lathyrus odoratus),
Wisteria .
 Adult Food: Flower nectar.
© Project SOUND

7/6/2013
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Elements of a butterfly habitat garden
 Nectar sources (food for adult
butterflies;
 Often generalist; good nectar
sources attract many species
 Often the same as good pollinator
habitat plants – garden serves
many species
 Larval (caterpillar) food sources
– may be quite specific
 Water
 Sunning/perching spots
 Protected areas
© Project SOUND
http://www.axsoris.com/butterfly-garden-plan-with-full-sun-plants-for-a.html
Of course you’ll also want to
design some seating so you can
enjoy the butterfly visitors
We decide to focus on several less
common species…
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/nymph/buckeye.htm
Common Buckeye
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AD2009Aug01_Vanessa_atalanta_01.jpg
Red Admiral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(butterfly)
Queen
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/hesper/checker.htm
Western Checkered Skipper
Sleepy Orange
http://www.carolinanature.com/butterflies/sleepyorange.html
© Project SOUND
Can we provide habitat for all of these species? Common Buckeye - Junonia (Precis) coenia
© Project SOUND

7/6/2013
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Common Buckeye
Junonia (Precis) coenia
 Family Nymphalidae
(brushfoot butterfies)
 Medium-sized butterfly
 Background color
primarily brown with
two large multicolored
eyespots on dorsal
hindwing and one large
eyespot on dorsal
forewing.
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junonia_coenia
http://biology.duke.edu/dukeinsects/Junonia_coenia.php http://biology.duke.edu/dukeinsects/Junonia_coenia.php
 Range: s. Canada, U.S. except
northwest; nearly all of Mexico
except s. Baja California
 Habitat:
 Open areas such as fields, parks,
pastures, meadows, and coastal
dunes.
 Usually encountered in the
undisturbed or semi-disturbed
foothills and lowlands; also
occasionally seen in vacant lots of
cities and towns.
 Often found near their food plants,
and may also feed or drink around
mud puddles
© Project SOUND
Common Buckeye - Junonia (Precis) coenia
Becoming more scarce in
lowland L.A. County with
the destruction of suitable
habitats.
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Common%20Buckeye/index.html
Buckeye life cycle
 Adults live about ten days; most
common in June, Sept.
 Female buckeyes lay eggs individually
on buds and leaves of host plants.
 The larvae (caterpillars) feed and grow
on the host plant, molting several
times.
 Larvae transform into pupae;
metamorphosis is completed in the
pupal case, and fully developed adult
butterflies emerge. They can take
flight after their wings dry.
 Larvae and adults may overwinter in
warm climates (California lowlands, and
regions with similar climate).
© Project SOUND
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/common_buckeye.htm
Recognizing the Buckeye larva
 Caterpillar is highly variable in
color, but usually mostly black
above and white and/or orange
along sides with metallic blue-
black dorsal spines.
 Spines along sides arise from
orange wart-like bases.
 Head orange above; black &
white speckled
© Project SOUND
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery?page=46

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Adult food: easy to supply
 Males perch on bare ground or
low plants, occasionally
patrolling in search of females,
but they are not territorial.
 Adults feed on nectar and also
take fluids from mud and damp
sand.
 Favorite nectar sources are
composites including aster,
chickory, gumweed, knapweed,
tar plant; dogbane, mints, and
other flowers also visited
© Project SOUND
Larval foods:
require planning
 Plantains
 Plantago erecta
 Plantago lanceolata (Eurasian)
 Purple Owl’s Clover (Castilleja
exserta)
 Monkey flowers (Mimulus spp.)
 Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus/
Linaria canadensis
 CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia
californica
 Roving Sailor (Maurandella/
Maurandya antirrhiniflora)
 Garden snapdragon (Antirrhinum
sp.).
© Project SOUND
By incorporating toxins
(iridoid glycosides) from
these plants, the caterpillars
deter predatory ants
We’ll need a place for annuals in our garden
© Project SOUND
Dotseed Plantain – Plantago erecta Purple Owl’s Clover - Castilleja exserta
We’ll also need to consider including
 Lower herbaceous perennials
 Gumplants (Grindelia)
 Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster
chilense)
 Mints/Salvias
 Taller perennials – placement
californica
 Perennial Vines?
© Project SOUND

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Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AD2009Aug01_Vanessa_atalanta_01.jpg
 Nymphalidae family (Brush-
footed butterflies)
 Medium-size - 1 3/4 - 3 inches
 Striking dark brown, red, and
black wing pattern on upper side
 Dark wings possess orange bands
that cross the fore wings and on
the outer edge of the hind wings;
 White spots on the dorsal fore
wings near the front margin;
 Undersides of hindwings
delicately patterned in shades
brown; provides excellent
camouflage when perch on tree
trunks
© Project SOUND
Summer form
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Va
 Range: Guatemala north through
Mexico and the United States to
northern Canada; also Europe
 Habitat: Moist woods, yards,
parks, marshes, seeps, moist
fields.
© Project SOUNDhttp://bugguide.net/node/view/566577/bgimage
 Note: will need to provide
‘puddles’ since Red Admirals and
others drink from moist soil.
 Flight: Two broods from March-
October in the north; winters from
October-March in warm climates.
 Very erratic, rapid flight.
 Females lay eggs singly on the tops of
host plant leaves.
 Caterpillars make a larval shelter,
either tying up the leaves of a shoot
tip, or usually later in the life cycle
rolling a leaf. They live and eat in the
shelter
 Adults hibernate in cold weather.
© Project SOUND

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Red Admiral  Caterpillar Hosts:
 Plants of the nettle family
(Urticaceae) including stinging
nettle (Urtica dioica), tall wild
nettle (U. gracilis), wood nettle
(Laportea canadensis), false nettle
(Boehmeria cylindrica), pellitory
(Parietoria pennsylvanica)
 Babytears (Soleirolia soleirolii)
 Adult Food:
 Prefer sap flows on trees,
fermenting fruit, and bird
droppings; visit flowers only when
these are not available.
 Will nectar at plants in Sunflower
family (asters), milkweed, clovers
and alfalfa, among others.
© Project SOUND
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Vanessa
We may want to consider adding
 Larger Shrubs/sub-shrubs
 Calliandra eriophylla
 CA Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
 Asters (Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense)
 Mints/Salvias
 Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
 Roving Sailor (Maurandella/ Maurandya
antirrhiniflora)
 Groundcover
 Babytears - (Soleirolia soleirolii)
© Project SOUND
http://www.clker.com/cliparts/h/H/1/a/j/l/check-list-
outline-md.png
Striated Queen - Danaus gilippus strigosus
© Project SOUND
Recognizing the ‘large orange butterflies’
© Project SOUND
Queen - Danaus gilippus (wing span: 2 5/8 - 3 7/8 inches)
Gulf Fritillary Monarch

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Queen - Danaus gilippus
 Family: Nymphalidae (the brush-foots);
subtropical relative of the Monarch
 Habitat: Open, sunny areas including fields,
deserts, roadsides, pastures, dunes, washes.
 Range: from Brazil to Florida and the Gulf
Coast. Also prevalent in California, Texas,
Arizona, and s. New Mexico.
 Local:
 Sporadic records from many low elevation
localities; flies April-November
 Probably more common in desert areas
© Project SOUND
male
female
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/danaidae/queen.htm
Adults roost communally.
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Queen
/index.html
 To find females, males patrol all
day.
 Courtship involves the use of
scent cues
 Females lay eggs singly on
leaves, stems, and flower buds;
which the caterpillars eat.
© Project SOUND
http://bugguide.net/node/view/717169/bgimage
http://bugguide.net/node/view/562040
 Caterpillar Hosts:
 Milkweeds and milkweed vines.
 Some of the milkweeds contain
cardiac glycosides which are stored
in the bodies of both the caterpillar
and adult. These poisons are
distasteful and emetic to birds and
other vertebrate predators.
 Adult Food: nectar from flowers
including :
 Milkweeds (Asclepias)
 Sunflowers (Cliff Aster; Encelia;
Rabbitbush).
© Project SOUND
Our growing
list of plants
 Mints/Salvias
 Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa )
 Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix saxatilis)
 Roving Sailor (Maurandella/ Maurandya
antirrhiniflora)
 Groundcover
© Project SOUND
outline-md.png

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Sleepy Orange – Abaeis (Eurema) nicippe
© Project SOUND
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/abaeis_nicippe_live3.htm
Sleepy Orange –
Abaeis (Eurema) nicippe
 Family: Pieridae (Whites & Sulphers)
 Small-medium size: wing span: 1 3/8 -
2 1/4 inches (3.5 - 5.7 cm).
 Upperside of wings orange in both
sexes; orange-yellow form rare.
 Forewing with small black cell spot.
 Male with sharply defined black
borders on outer and costal margins;
female borders not so well-defined.
 In winter form, underside of hindwing
is brick red, brown, or tan; in summer
form it is orange-yellow.
© Project SOUND
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Abaeis-nicippe
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/abaeis_nicippe.htm
Sleepy Orange – Abaeis (Eurema) nicippe
 Range:
 Central America north to along the
United States-Mexico border;
 Vagrant to non-mountainous parts of
the eastern and central U. S. south
of 40 latitude
 Habitat: Low elevation areas
including pine flats, fields, desert
scrub, gardens, vacant lots, road
edges, and washes.
© Project SOUNDPuddling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eurema_nicippe_clustering.jpg
http://www.gardenswithwings.com/butterfly/Sleepy%20O
range/index.html
Sleepy orange
 Life History:
 Males patrol flats and gullies for
females.
 Females lay eggs singly under host
plant leaves.
 Caterpillars eat leaves.
 Dry season form overwinters and lays
eggs in spring.
 Flight: Four-five flights/all year long,
in warm areas of S. CA. Mid- to late
summer in cooler areas.
 Often encountered passing through
backyards. The butterfly is an erratic
and often rapid flier when frightened.
© Project SOUND
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Abaeis-nicippe

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Attracting Sleepy
Orange
 Caterpillar Hosts: Cassia/Senna
species in the pea family
(Fabaceae). Non-native Cassia
spp., are likely the most
important food sources in S. CA.
 Adult Food: nectar from many
species of flowers
© Project SOUND
http://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/72259
http://www.discoverlife.org/IM/I_DLW/0001/640/
© Project SOUND
*Coues' Cassia/Desert Senna – Senna covesii
© 2005 Gene Wagner, RPh.
© Project SOUND
Desert Senna is a shrubby Pea
 Size:
 4-6+ ft tall
 2-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Upright, part-woody stems from
a woody base
 Stems gray/tan, hairy
 Open appearance
 Quick-growing
 Foliage:
 Bright green to gray green –
depending on water/light
 Pea-like leaves w/ large leaflets
 Larval food for Cloudless Sulphur
& Sleepy Orange butterflies
© 2010 Steve Matson
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/2329/senna-covesii-coves-cassia/
© Project SOUND
Desert Senna in the garden
 Often used as a ‘filler plant’ around
other shrubs/trees and cacti in a
desert-themed garden
 For habitat: flowers, foliage and seeds
 As a filler plant in water-wise
hedgerows, paired with other Sonoran
Desert plants
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Senna_covesii.jpg
http://learningtolivehere.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/vegetation/
http://www.gardeningonthemoon.com/2011/09/14/a-gem-in-the-rough-senna-cassia-covesii/

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Common garden Sennas
 Winter Cassia/ Butterfly Bush -
Cassia bicapsularis
 Tropical Northern S. America
 Widely available
 Large shrub or small tree
 Regular water
 Lindheimer/Velvet-leaf Senna -
Senna lindheimeriana
 Native to TX, AZ
 Available at Tree of Life Nursery
 3-6 ft tall shrub
 Low water use; sun or part-shade
© Project SOUND
http://butterflies.heuristron.net/plants/cassiabicapsularis.html
http://www.backyardnature.net/n/w/vl-senna.htm
Our growing list of plants
 Mints/Salvias
 Roving Sailor (Maurandella/ Maurandya antirrhiniflora)
 Groundcover
 Shrubs
 Rabbitbush (Ericameria nauseosa)
 ? Cassia © Project SOUND
outline-md.png
Western (Common) Checkered Skipper
Pyrgus albescens
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/hesper/checker.htm
Western Checkered Skipper Pyrgus albescens
 Hesperiidae (Skipper family)
 Small-medium size; wing span: 1 - 1
1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm).
 Upperside of male is blue-gray;
female is black. Mostly gray-brown.
 Both sexes have large white spots
which form median bands across
both wings. Patterns can be quite
variable.
 Underside is dull white with dark
gray bands.
© Project SOUND
http://socalbutterflies.com/hesperiidae_html/white_checkered.htm

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 Range: Low altitudes in
southern California, southern
Arizona, southern New
Mexico, west and South
Texas; Florida, and Mexico. A
rare stray to southwest Utah,
and central Texas.
 Habitat: Open, sunny places
with low vegetation and some
bare soil including prairies,
fields, roadsides, yards,
gardens, and low deserts.
© Project SOUND
http://www.abirdshome.com/resource/usa/655.htm
Pyrgus albescens
 Life History:
 Egg is laid singly on the
foodplant (Malvaceae ).
 Larva is translucent bluish-
green with fine whitish lateral
and dorsal stripes.
 Larva makes flimsy shelter
constructed by folding over a
leaf and fastening it with a
few strands of silk.
 After each moult it moves and
builds another shelter.
 Flight: All year in warm
climates; most of the year
elsewhere.
© Project SOUND
http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/pyrgus_albescens.htm
How will we judge
success? Adults & larva
 Adults:
 Nectaring
 Puddling/drinking
 Courtship/Egg-laying
 Larva
 Evidence of larva of many
sizes; look for their shelters
 Larval food being consumed
 Pupae (chrysalis/cocoon)
 Adults emerging
© Project SOUNDhttp://www.thedauphins.net/common_white_checkered_skipper_life_cycle.html
Butterfly habitat gardens support the
entire life cycle
 Caterpillar Hosts: Not
reliably reported for L.A. Co.
Probably several plants in the
mallow family (Malvaceae)
including globemallows
(Sphaeralcea), velvet-leaf
(Abutilon), and poppy mallow
(Callirhoe).
 Adult Food: Nectar from a
variety of plants.
© Project SOUND

7/6/2013
18
Our list has grown to two columns:
can we meet the challenge?
 Shrubs
 ? Cassia
 Mallow
 ?Abutilon palmeri
 ?Sphaeralcea ambigua
 Groundcover
chilense)
 Mints/Salvias
californica
 Cliff Aster – (Malacothrix
saxatilis)
© Project SOUND
outline-md.png
We also need some good nectar plants
 Larger Shrubs
 ? Cassia
 Abutilon palmeri or
Sphaeralcea ambigua
 Groundcover
 Babytears - (Soleirolia
soleirolii)
 Heliotropium curassavicum
 Symphyotrichum/Aster chilense
 Yarrow – Achillea millefolia
 Mints/Salvias
 Buckwheats
 Eriogonum parvifolium
 Eriogonum cinerium
 Taller perennials/subshrubs
californica
 Mints/Salvias
 Purple Sage – Salvia leucophylla
 Cleveland Sage – Salvia clevelandii
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Calliandra eriophylla
First place the large shrubs
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora
© Project SOUND
* Roving Sailor/Climbing Snapdragon –
Maurandella antirrhiniflora
Patrick J. Alexander @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

7/6/2013
19
© Project SOUND
Roving Sailor is a nice, refined little vine
 Size:
 4-10 ft long & wide
 Growth form:
 Semi-woody vine/sprawling shrub in
our area – grown as an annual in
cold-winter areas – fast growth
 Sprawls and twines through/over
other plants (or trellises, etc.)
 Foliage:
 Fresh, medium to dark green
(woodsy looking with water) – to
gray-green (in hot, dry conditions)
 Dainty – leaves somewhat ivy-like
but more attractive shape
 Dies back almost to ground in
winter (or cut back if needed)
G.A. Cooper @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=maan9
© Project SOUND
Roving Sailor is surprising well suited to
garden conditions…
 Soils:
 Texture: likes a well-drained soil;
sandy soils are great, as are well-
drained clays
 pH: good for alkali soils
 Light: full sun to part-shade;
probably does best in dappled shade
(under trees or climbing up a trellis)
 Water:
 Winter: rainwater often sufficient
 Summer: some supplemental water
(Zone 2 or even 2-3) will extend
bloom season; drought tolerant
 Fertilizer: not needed, but won’t harm
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/htop_1211484777_460.jpg
Roving Sailor can hide a multitude
of ‘sins’
© Project SOUND
English gardeners have
known for years…
 Nice petite vines to
climb up poles, fences,
trellises
 Use it to hide those
ugly chain-link fences
 Excellent (period-
appropriate) climber for
an Edwardian/
Craftsman Garden
 Use to attract Buckeye
butterflies
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-
california/plants/maurandya-antirrhiniflora © Project SOUND
Available through traditional seed companies as
Climbing Snapdragon - Asarina antirrhiniflora
 ‘Mixed’ - available through
several specialty seed sources
online
 ‘Red’ – available through
Summerhill seeds and several
others
http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/7506/1.html

7/6/2013
20
© Project SOUND
Let’s use a Mallow in the transition zone
? Cassia
N
Maurandya antirrhiniflora Maurandya
antirrhiniflora
Which Mallow would work best?
© Project SOUND
Spheralcea ambigua
© Project SOUND
* Indian Mallow – Abutilon palmeri
© Project SOUND
* Indian Mallow – Abutilon palmeri
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Abutilon+palmeri
 Native to the low desert of S.
California, on the eastern slopes
of the peninsular range
 Riverside, Orange & San Diego
Co.
 Sonoran Desert
 Colorado Desert
 San Jacinto Mtns
 Dry east-facing mountain slopes,
creosote bush scrub, elevation:
1800-2400'

7/6/2013
21
© Project SOUND
Indian Mallow is grown for it’s foliage
 Size:
 4-8 ft tall
 3-5 ft wide
 Growth form: sub-shrub
 Woody base; portion of
branches are herbaceous
 Rounded shrub
 Foliage:
 Light green/silvery white
 Velvety-soft to the touch
 Leaves have attractive,
rounded shape
 Will die back with very low
temperatures, but will
recover
© Project SOUND
is well suited to the water-wise garden
 Soils:
 Texture: any well-drained, but
partial to coarser textures
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun best: keeps nice,
rounded shape
 Tolerates some shade/
afternoon shape
 Tolerates reflected heat
 Water:
 Winter: needs winter rains;
plant next to a rock to hold
moisture
 Summer: Zone 2 (best);
tolerates 1-2 to 2-3
 Fertilizer: none
© Project SOUND
Desert Mallow – Sphaeralcea ambigua
© Project SOUND
Desert Mallow is really an attractive sub-shrub
 Size:
 to 3 ft tall (to 5 ft. w/water)
 to 3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Sub-shrub – partly woody
 Mounded to slightly sprawling
form – many thin, wand-like
branches
 Short-lived – but will reseed
 Foliage:
 Gray-green; velvety soft
 Leaf shape is typical mallow.
 Many people are allergic to the
Desert Mallow; often called
"Hierba Muy Mala" in Spanishhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/36764294@N00/13295740
Foliage is good Desert Tortoise food

7/6/2013
22
© Project SOUND
Flowers remind one of
Hollyhocks
 Blooms:
 Spring is usual bloom season
(Mar-May), following rains
 May bloom off and on
throughout year in garden
 Flowers:
 Showy mallow blooms along
the stems
 Color- usually ‘apricot’
(another name is Apricot
Mallow), but differs with
variety
 Nectar & pollen attract
butterflies, hummingbirds,
any other insects
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/430082786_0b30a88eee.jpg?v=0
© Project SOUND
Flowers of many colors….
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/reds/red05.html
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Sphaeralcea_ambigua_11.jpg
var. rosacea
vars ambigua & monticola
© Project SOUND
Desert Mallow is
versatile in the garden
 Lovely addition to mixed beds –
place appropriate for size
 Excellent for water-wise garden,
particularly in sandy/rocky soils;
most drought-tolerant
Sphaeralcea
 Good for desert-themed gardens
 Good choice for containers
 Great on dry slopes, hot gardens;
not for very foggy areas
 Protect roots from gophers
(cage) if present
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/sphaeralcea-ambigua
http://www.bridgerlandaudubon.org/wildaboututah/090407xeri-garden.htm
© Project SOUND
Hopefully we’ve enough mallow for Checkered Skippers
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
Sphaeralcea ambigua Sphaeralcea
ambigua

7/6/2013
23
© Project SOUND
Time for a reality check Seaside Heliotrope
Heliotropium curassavicum
Growth and other characteristics
 Fleshy perennial
 10-20 inches tall
 Color: blue-green to
yellow-green
 2-10 ft stems branch
from base
 Spreading, prostrate
(low-lying) form with
ascending tips
 Drought-deciduous
Gardening requirements: Seaside Heleotrope
 Full sun to afternoon shade
(in hot gardens)
 Fine-medium soils
(including sandy soils)
 Low nutrient requirements
 Fine for alkali (high pH)
soils and salty soils
 Note: may be modestly
invasive in very most soils
Goes well with CA Verbena (Verbena lasiostachys) – might mix the two
as a seasonal groundcover

7/6/2013
24
Attracts a variety of butterflies and other
insects
 Skippers – including state
endangered Wandering Skipper
 Fritillaries
 Blues – Acmon Blue
 Ladies
 Others
 Other insects
 Bees
 Lygus bugs
© Project SOUND
Place the low-water groundcover plants
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
Heliotropium curassavicum +
? Verbena lasiostachys
ambigua
Several shrubs/perennials not yet included
Medium shrubs/sub-shrubs
californica
 Cleveland Sage – Salvia
clevelandii
 Rabbitbush (Ericameria
nauseosa)
 Coastal Buckwheat - Eriogonum
parvifolium
 Ashyleaf Buckwheat - Eriogonum
cinerium
saxatilis)
Smaller sub-shrubs/perennials
chilense)
 Mints
California Bee Plant - Scrophularia californica
ssp. floribunda
© 2006 Steve Matson

7/6/2013
25
© Project SOUND
CA Bee Plant
 Size:
 Foliage: 1-2 ft. tall & wide (slowly
spreading to 3-4 ft. wide)
 Flowering stalk – 2-4 ft tall
 Growth form: mounded
herbaceous perennial
 Foliage:
 Leaves simple, toothed, bright to
dark green – attractive
 Stems: square & red with some
sun; even dried stems are
interesting
 In colder areas (or summer
drought) foliage dies back each
year ; emerges with winter rains
© Project SOUND
Bee Plant is well suited to garden
conditions…
 Soils:
 Texture: any; best in well-drained
 pH: neutral to slightly acidic best (5-
7); use a bark mulch
 Light:
 full sun (coastal) to nearly full
shade
 Water:
 Winter: moist soils
 Summer:
 Fairly dry to regular watering (well-
drained soils only)
 Will spread with summer water – not
really invasive
 Fertilizer: bark mulch
 Other: quite easy to grow; few pests
other than deer (who like the foliage)
http://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/slides/Baird-Harper/Baird-
Harper_Pages/index.html
© Project SOUND
Bee Plant is an excellent filler……
 In narrow beds with
other water-lovers
 In mixed beds with
annuals
 As quick-growing
herbaceous hedge – like
along the driveway
 Gives a ‘woodland’ feel to
the garden
 Foliage provides
interesting contrast
 Attracts Buckeye
butterflies
http://norenes5percent.blogspot.com/2006/03/native-plants-of-california.html
© Project SOUND
CA Bee Plant will serve as a nice screen
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
ambigua
Scrophulariacalifornica

7/6/2013
26
© Project SOUND
Now for some medium-size shrubs
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
ambigua
Shrubs/perennials not yet placed
californica
clevelandii
nauseosa)
parvifolium
 Ashyleaf Buckwheat -
Eriogonum cinerium
saxatilis)
chilense)
 Mints
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Proposed layout: medium-size shrubs
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
ambigua
Purple Sage
Cleveland SageAshy Buckwheat
Coast Buckwheat
Rabbitbush
© Project SOUND
Time for another reality check
A more mounded form
might look better

7/6/2013
27
© Project SOUND
Ashy-leaf Buckwheat – Eriogonum cinereum
© Project SOUND
Special features of Ashy-leaf Buckwheat
 Size:
 2-4 ft tall
 to 6 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Many-branched perennial
shrub
 Mounding or cascading form
 Medium to fast growth
(depends on water availability)
 Foliage:
 Large gray-green to white
leaves
 Nice color year-round
© Project SOUND
Ashy-leaf Buckwheat adds
a touch of class…
 Excellent plant for the
natural, wildlife garden.
 Interesting ground cover
 Blends well with other gray-
leaved natives
 Good for erosion control on
slopes
 Excellent for seaside/
coastal areas
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/ashyleafbuckwheat.html
Although the species has long been in
cultivation, it is only infrequently found
in the garden today
© Project SOUND
Final placement: medium-size shrubs
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
ambigua
Purple Sage
CA Buckwheat
‘Dana Point’
Rabbitbush

7/6/2013
28
© Project SOUND
Managing shrubby
buckwheats
 Most are low maintenance
 By fall, the flowers turn a
reddish-brown
 Easily deadheaded, if desired
 Or (better) retained for the
change of color and for bird
habitat.
 Cut back in late fall to mid-winter
to encourage herbaceous growth
over woody look
 Leave several inches of woody
growth
 Cutting it back to 6” in late fall
keeps the woody growth to a
minimum and the plant looking its
best the year round.
 When the shrub is becoming too
leggy, it needs to be replaced.
Shrubs/perennials not yet placed
californica
clevelandii
nauseosa)
parvifolium
cinerium
saxatilis)
 Gumplants (Grindelia hirsutula)
 Pacific Aster (Symphyotrichum/
Aster chilense)
 Mints (Stachys bullata)
© Project SOUND
 Babytears - (Soleirolia
soleirolii) - needs regular water
© Project SOUND
Fill in with perennials for color and habitat
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
ambigua
Purple Sage
CA Buckwheat
‘Dana Point’
Rabbitbush
Baby Tears
Stachys
bullata
Stachys
bullata
Yarrow Yarrow
Water Zone 2-3 to 3
Pellitory
Achieving adequate floral coverage in each
season: it takes some thought if space is limited
 Flower patches: at least 3 ft x 3 ft
per species – the bigger the better
 A few well-chosen plant species
might be better than many
 Most bang for buck: shrubs vs. annual
wildflowers (depends on situation)
 Likely will need to use vertical space
 Some shrubs and trees are quite
adaptable to small/narrow spaces
 Lots of ‘flowering area’ with a small
footprint
 One yard/garden can’t do it all - “it
takes a neighborhood”
© Project SOUND
http://www.northwestbotanicals.com/portfolio_chcraftsman.htm

7/6/2013
29
How are we doing for seasonal coverage?
californica
clevelandii
nauseosa)
 CA Buckwheat - Eriogonum
fasciculatum
cinerium
saxatilis)
 Gumplants (Grindelia hirsutula)
 Pacific Aster (Symphyotrichum/
Aster chilense)
 Mints (Stachys bullata)
Mass perennials for color and habitat
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
ambigua
Purple Sage
CA Buckwheat
‘Dana Point’
Rabbitbush
Baby Tears
Stachys
bullata
Stachys
bullata
Coast
Gumplant
Yarrow
Pacific
Aster
Narrowleaf
Milkweed
Yarrow Yarrow
pellitory
© Project SOUND
Hairy (Coastal) Gumplant – Grindelia hirsutula
Grindelia hirsutula var. maritima
© 2008 Jorg Fleige
http://www.coestatepark.com/grindelia_hirsutula.htm
© 2008 Jorg Fleige
© Project SOUND
Hairy Gumplant - an herbaceous perennial
 Size:
 1-3 ft tall (v. maritima 1-2 ft)
 1-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial; dies
back in fall
 Many slender stems from
woody rootstock
 May be upright or more leaning
(maritima)
 Foliage:
 Blue-green, tinged with red,
purple or yellow
 More refined-looking than
other Grindelia species
© 2000 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org

7/6/2013
30
© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: sandy is best, but
really tolerant
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun (or at least 4-6 hrs in
summer)
 Water:
 Winter: fine with winter rains –
takes some flooding
 Summer: does well in very little
to occasional water ( Zone 1-2
to 2 or 2-3); very adaptable
 Fertilizer: none needed, but fine
with organic mulches
 Other: deadhead to keep it looking
nice.
http://www.coestatepark.com/grindelia_hirsutula.htm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2478/3719674868_1148dc805b.jpg?v=0 © Project SOUND
Hairy Gumplant – a natural
for the perennial bed
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/grindella-hirsutula
 At back of mixed flowers
beds
 Along walls, fences
 Fine on slopes
 Easy, adaptable & hardy
http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/2009/06/mmmmm-food.html
© Project SOUND
Coastal Groundcover Gum Plant
- Grindelia stricta venulosa
 A.K.A Grindelia arenicola, G.a.
pachyphylla, G.s. procumbens
 Coastal bluff plant from the
bay area.
 Low growing - < 1 ft.
 Spreads nicely as a ground
cover
 Likes some summer water –
Zone 2 to 2-3
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/grindelia-stricta-venulosa
© Project SOUND
Though simple, it’s not half bad – let’s go with it!

7/6/2013
31
© Project SOUND
Final plan: provides color and habitat
? Cassia
N
antirrhiniflora
ambigua
Purple Sage
CA Buckwheat
‘Dana Point’
Rabbitbush
Baby Tears
Stachys
bullata
Stachys
bullata
Coast
Gumplant
Yarrow
Pacific
Aster
Narrowleaf
Milkweed
Yarrow
Where can we plant some annuals?
moist
pellitory
In summary: yes we can have (most) of it!
 Formal gardens are appropriate
in certain situations
 Formal gardens can be
simple/small; they just need to
have the basic elements: order,
neatness, geometry, and
symmetry
 Hardscape plays an important
role in formal garden design – in
contemporary gardens, it may
be the most important element
in making a garden look ‘formal’
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutmygarden.com/2012/08/an-herb-garden-to-die-for/
In summary: yes we can have (most) of it!
 Butterfly habitat gardens must
supply adult & larval food, water as
well as perching and sheltered
places
 Adult food is often the same as the
‘pollinator magnet’ plants we
discussed last month
 Larval food is often specific; need
to choose plants based on specific
butterflies and their needs
 Size and bloom duration matter
when providing butterfly food
© Project SOUND
It takes a neighborhood to
provide butterfly habitat;
get out and spread the news
Get out and observe butterflies and other
insects in local gardens this month
© Project SOUND
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