Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
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 is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_30.gif)
Friday - July 03, 2009
From: Brighton, TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Wildflowers
Title: Attracting butterflies in Tennessee
Answered by: Janice Kvale
QUESTION:
What flowers and plants do the caterpillars in Tennessee eat? And do you know what butterflies live in Tipton Co. Tennessee?ANSWER:
Those are definitely connected questions; certain plants may attract specific butterflies. The Phyciodes Phaon (Phaon Crescent) is specifically identified for your county and appears across the southern United States. A few of the plants or trees in your area that attract butterflies include Acer rubrum (red maple), Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine), Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed), Asimina triloba (pawpaw), Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed), Carya alba (mockernut hickory), Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry), Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam), Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey tea), Cornus florida (flowering dogwood), Coreopsis lanceolata (lanceleaf tickseed), Comptonia peregrina (sweet fern).
There are many, many more and here is how you may locate which plants attract which butterflies and moths. On the Wildflower website, click on Explore Plants, then Plant Database, and then Recommended Species. This takes you to the 121 species of plants of all types recommended for Tennessee. One by one you click on the plant name, scroll down to the section on Benefits, and you will find which butterflies or moths frequent this plant species, if any. Alternately, cross referenced through Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA) on the Recommended Species page, there is a section under Special Collections just for butterflies and moths. You can reverse your search by clicking on the plant and look for TN (Tennessee) under the distribution of that insect species.
If you are interested in gardening to attract butterflies, you may want to read how to do this in the How To section of the Wildflower website and a butterfly bibliography. A great resource for you is the butterfly section of Birds and Blooms Magazine. Another site (Discover Life) will help you identify different species of butterflies that you may see in your garden. Avian Pursuits lists butterflies NOT seen in Tipton County, Tennessee. If this is a recent interest or hobby for you, you have picked one that will provide you a lifetime of pleasure.
More Wildflowers Questions
Bluebonnets and Texas
March 20, 2004 - Can I plant Bluebonnets outside of Texas?
view the full question and answer
Purchase of Galphimia angustifolia from Austin
June 08, 2014 - I have a Thryallis, Galphimia augustifolia, or Thryallis autustifolia, growing from a limestone ledge in my yard in west Austin TX. I have tried unsuccessfully to buy this native. Do you sell it at t...
view the full question and answer
Bluebonnets in East Texas
April 18, 2009 - I would love to introduce Bluebonnets onto a piece of property in East Texas. We have very sandy soil. Which species should I plant, the Lupinus Texensis or the Lupinus Subcarnosus?
view the full question and answer
More on bluebonnets
January 09, 2007 - My wife has recently contacted and met relatives from Texas (her father was a war baby born in the 1940's). Her new found Aunt Sarah has kindly given me some Bluebonnet seeds to plant "a corner of T...
view the full question and answer
What is wrong with the bluebonnets?
April 04, 2008 - This doesn't seem to be a very good year for bluebonnets. What's up with that?
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |