PENNY PAWL
UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Here is this week’s plant quiz: What plant genus has square branches, comes in an enormous variety of sizes and flower types and is drought tolerant once established? The answer is salvia, a large group whose members we commonly refer to as sages.
Salvias are found in many locations throughout the world. Some are perennials while others are annuals. Salvia is the largest genus in the Lamiaceae family, which includes a lot of fragrant herbs like mint, thyme and lavender. Botanists estimates that there are anywhere from 700 to 3,000 species of salvia.
Local nurseries offer a wide variety of salvias. I have collected several of them and find tempting new varieties in the stores every year. They bloom in a wide range of colors including red, blue, purple, yellow and white.
I love the story about how Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’ came to the U.S. Richard Turner, the former editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine, noticed the unfamiliar plant in a pot at a friend’s home in Mexico. The friends’ Mexican housekeeper, an avid gardener, had given it to them as a housewarming gift. Turner snipped some cuttings and, on his return to California, gave them to the experts at San Francisco’s Strybing Arboretum for propagation. Christened ‘Hot Lips,’ the variety has enjoyed tremendous success.
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The flowers on this salvia may be all white, all red or a combination. Bees love the nectar, which they gather by drilling a small hole in the back of the flower rather than entering at the opening. I have watched them do this.
I have four different plantings of ‘Hot Lips.’ I started with a 1-gallon can and the plant has spread by itself. It is drought tolerant and a pollinator magnet. It is easy to propagate; I have been spreading it around to my neighbors. On a visit to Dublin, Ireland, I saw ‘Hot Lips’ in a botanical garden, confirming that it is widespread.
Another nice feature of salvias, and one reason why I prize them in my garden, is that deer, rabbits and gophers leave them alone. If you have these critters in your area, you know how important it is to choose plants they don’t like. On more than one occasion I have watched a plant disappear below ground or have found a dead plant completely chewed off at the base.
A note about Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa), which I love. My neighbor has a beautiful stand of this plant, which has furry gray-green leaves and yellow flowers that seem to float above them. However, despite its common name, Jerusalem sage is not a true sage. As the botanical name tells us, it’s in another genus entirely.
Occasionally I dig up some of my ‘Hot Lips,’ divide it and replant the sections in small pots to give away. If you do this, be sure to trim the tops of each division so the disturbed roots have less to support until they reestablish. As the roots take hold in their new home, new leaves will sprout. When you see that new growth, plant in well-draining soil and keep it moist until you know it has settled in.
I have also propagated salvias from cuttings, either in a cloning device or by planting the cuttings in a mixture of sharp sand and perlite. Once they take root I move them to small pots.
Salvias need to be pruned or deadheaded a few times a year. Cut a foot or two off the tops and watch them regrow. Pruning encourages rebloom because it prevents the plant from setting seed.
Many salvias in nurseries are hybrids, created by crossing two different parents. Some of these hybrids have unusual flowers yet still have all the good features of salvias: drought tolerance, continuous bloom, attraction for pollinators. Plant pollinators are in decline and need all the good-tasting nectar they can find.
Most salvia will do fine in our mild Napa Valley winter and don’t need much water. They thrive in the same conditions as lavender and are often planted together.
I would suggest which salvia varieties to buy, but I like them all. Consult local nurseries and online catalogs and just pick the colors you like. With salvias, you can hardly go wrong.
Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for “Succulent/Dry Garden: Double Your Pleasure – Double Your Fun” on Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Las Flores Learning Garden, 4300 Linda Vista Avenue, Napa. Do you know the five most common ways succulents reproduce? Learn their secrets and how you can increase your plant collection or add to your low-water landscape through succulent plant propagation. Register here: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=42963%C2%A0
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County and Napa County Library for a talk on “Fabulous Ferns, Indoors and Out” on Thursday, Aug. 1, from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom. Ferns are an accommodating family of plants ranging in size from tiny to behemoth. Some species grow in air and others in water, as well as in just about any type of soil. Enjoy an overview of these remarkable plants and find the perfect one for your space. Register to receive the Zoom link: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=42811
Fall Faire: Join the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for an entertaining and educational event on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m., outdoors at University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Enjoy exhibits on composting, monarch butterflies, succulents, water conservation, bees and more. The program includes activities for kids, a scarecrow contest, giveaways and music. Admission is free.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.
Become a Master Gardener volunteer: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County is now accepting applications for the class of 2025. Visit us at napamg.ucanr.edu to read the informational brochure and register to attend a mandatory information session for applicants. Applications are due Sept. 25, 2024 at 5 p.m.
Are mosquitoes ruining your outdoor gatherings? Here are four ways to prevent mosquitoes from invading your garden.
Plants that can attract butterflies
A look at butterfly-attracting plants that are native to the United States
Cultivating a flower garden that serves as a serene landscape while supporting a healthy ecosystem requires the right plants, care, and—perhaps most importantly—pollinators.
Pollinators, from bees to bats, provide essential support for more than one-third of the world’s edible crops by moving pollen between flowers, helping plants reproduce in the process. Among the most beloved pollinators is the butterfly: a symbol of good luck and transformation, beautiful to look at, and a vital part of the ecosystem and food supply. Enticing them doesn’t have to be difficult, either. Filling your garden with the right mix of native plants can do the work for you.
American Home Shield compiled a list of butterfly-attracting plants native to the United States using data from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin. These annuals provide food and safe places for butterflies to lay their eggs.
The plants on this list encourage butterflies to reproduce, lay their eggs, and make a home in your garden. And most are native blooms that can support the environment along the way.
A diverse, native garden is key to making up for habitat loss and encouraging pollination, according to the USDA. That’s because they reduce air pollution, water, and pesticide use by naturally thriving in the area they are planted, meaning you could also save on pricey fertilizers, water bills, and more.
Consider incorporating these blooms into your landscape to attract butterflies and support your local habitat.
juk atrasat // Shutterstock
Agalinis paupercula var. borealis
– Common name(s): Smallflower False Foxglove
– Attracted butterflies: Baltimore checkerspots
– Bloom colors: White, red, pink, yellow
– Bloom time: July-October
– Plant size: Up to about 2 feet tall
– Native states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Wisconsin
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Agalinis paupercula var. paupercula
– Common name(s): Smallflower False Foxglove
– Attracted butterflies: Baltimore checkerspots
– Bloom colors: White, red, pink, yellow
– Bloom time: July-September
– Plant size: Up to about 2 feet tall
– Native states: Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin
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Amaranthus tuberculatus
– Common name(s): Roughfruit Amaranth, Water Hemp
– Attracted butterflies: Common checkered-skipper
– Bloom colors: White, pink, green
– Bloom time: June-November
– Plant size: Up to about 6 feet tall, occasionally taller
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia
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Ambrosia trifida
– Common name(s): Great Ragweed, Giant Ragweed
– Attracted butterflies: Bordered patch
– Bloom colors: Green, brown
– Bloom time: June-October
– Plant size: Up to about 12 feet tall, often shorter
– Native habitat: Waste places, fields, and roadsides.
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Melinda Fawver // Shutterstock
Amphicarpaea bracteata
– Common name(s): American Hogpeanut
– Attracted butterflies: Silver-spotted skipper, northern cloudywing
– Bloom colors: White, pink, purple
– Bloom time: August-September
– Plant size: Stems twining, up to about 5 feet long
– Native habitat: Woodlands
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia
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Arabis glabra
– Common name(s): Tower Rockcress
– Attracted butterflies: Large marble
– Bloom colors: White
– Bloom time: March-July
– Plant size: Up to about 5 feet tall, often shorter
– Native states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Ksenia Lada // Shutterstock
Bidens alba
– Common name(s): Common Beggarticks, Shepherd’s Needles, Spanish Needles, Butterfly Needles, Hairy Beggarticks, Romerillo
– Attracted butterflies: Florida duskywing
– Bloom colors: White, yellow
– Bloom time: January-December
– Plant size: Up to about 8 feet tall, often much shorter
– Native states: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania
Joy Sagar // Shutterstock
Camissonia contorta
– Common name(s): Plains Evening-primrose
– Attracted butterflies: Kern primrose sphinx
– Bloom colors: Red, yellow
– Bloom time: March-July
– Plant size: Up to about 20 inches tall
– Native states: California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington
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Chenopodium album
– Common name(s): Lambsquarters
– Attracted butterflies: Common sootywing, western pygmy-blue
– Bloom colors: Green, brown
– Bloom time: June-October
– Plant size: Stems erect to sprawling, up to about 10 feet long
– Native habitat: Cultivated land, disturbed sites, and roadsides.
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
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Cirsium horridulum
– Common name(s): Bristle Thistle, Yellow Thistle, Horrid Thistle, Purple Thistle, Spiny Thistle, Bull Thistle
– Attracted butterflies: Little metalmark
– Bloom colors: White, red, pink, yellow, purple
– Bloom time: May-August
– Plant size: Up to about 8 feet tall, often much shorter
– Native habitat: Shores, marshes, sandy or peaty fields.
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Sandra M. Austin // Shutterstock
Croton capitatus
– Common name(s): Hogwort, Texas Goatweed
– Attracted butterflies: Goatweed leafwing
– Bloom colors: White
– Bloom time: July-September
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia
GOLAM MOSTOFA BHUIYAN // Shutterstock
Eriogonum abertianum
– Common name(s): Abert’s Buckwheat, Abert’s Wild Buckwheat
– Attracted butterflies: Crescent metalmark
– Bloom colors: White, pink, yellow
– Bloom time: January-December
– Plant size: Up to about 28 inches tall
– Native states: Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas
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Helianthus argophyllus
– Common name(s): Silverleaf Sunflower
– Attracted butterflies: Bordered patch and silvery checkerspot
– Bloom colors: Yellow
– Bloom time: August-November
– Plant size: 3 to 10 feet tall
– Native states: Florida, North Carolina, Texas
Roberto Pascual Gomez // Shutterstock
Lupinus texensis
– Common name(s): Texas Bluebonnet, Bluebonnet, Texas Lupine, Buffalo Clover, Wolf Flower
– Attracted butterflies: Hairstreak butterfly, elfin butterfly
– Bloom colors: White, blue
– Bloom time: March-May
– Plant size: Up to 60 cm tall
– Native habitat: Prairies; open fields; roadsides
– Native states: Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
Leena Robinson // Shutterstock
Peritoma serrulata
– Common name(s): Rocky Mountain Bee-plant, Stinking-clover, Bee Spiderflower, Navajo Spinach, Pink Cleome, Toothed Spiderflower, Skunkweed
– Attracted butterflies: Checkered white
– Bloom colors: White, purple
– Bloom time: May-September
– Plant size: Usually to about 32 in height Can reach 6 feet in height
– Native habitat: Shortgrass and mixed grass prairies, pastures, pinyon pine and juniper woodland, desert scrub, roadsides, stabilized sand dunes
– Native states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Canva
Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium ssp. obtusifolium
– Common name(s): Blunt-leaf Rabbit-tobacco, Rabbit Tobacco, Sweet Everlasting, Fragrant Cudweed
– Attracted butterflies: American lady
– Bloom colors: White
– Bloom time: August-October
– Plant size: Up to about 3 feet tall
– Native habitat: Dry clearings; woodland edges; fields
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia
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Rudbeckia hirta
– Common name(s): Black-eyed Susan, Common Black-eyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, Blackeyed Susan
– Attracted butterflies: Bordered patch
– Bloom colors: Red, orange, yellow
– Bloom time: March-November
– Plant size: Up to about 3 feet tall
– Native habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannas, Woodlands’ edge, Opening
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Christiane Godin // Shutterstock
Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima
– Common name(s): Black-eyed Susan, Blackeyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan, Pinewoods Coneflower
– Attracted butterflies: Silvery checkerspot
– Bloom colors: Red, orange, yellow
– Bloom time: March-November
– Plant size: Up to about 3 feet tall
– Native habitat: Prairie/Meadow/Field
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Canva
Sida rhombifolia
– Common name(s): Cuban Jute, Axocatzin
– Attracted butterflies: Tropical checkered-skipper
– Bloom colors: Yellow
– Bloom time: January-December
– Plant size: Up to about 3 feet tall
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
RMX IMG // Shutterstock
Verbena stricta
– Common name(s): Hoary Verbena, Hoary Vervain, Tall Vervain, Woolly Verbena
– Attracted butterflies: Common buckeye
– Bloom colors: Blue, purple
– Bloom time: June-September
– Plant size: Up to about 6 feet tall
– Native habitat: Fields; prairies
– Native states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Randy Bjorklund // Shutterstock
Viola nephrophylla
– Common name(s): Northern Bog Violet, Wanderer Violet, Entire-leaved Prairie Violet, Small Mottled Blue Violet
– Attracted butterflies: Nokomis fritillary
– Bloom colors: White, purple, violet
– Bloom time: January-September
– Plant size: Up to about 6 inches tall
– Native states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Dominic Gentilcore PhD // Shutterstock
Zizania aquatica
– Common name(s): Annual Wildrice, Wild Rice
– Attracted butterflies: Broad-winged skipper
– Bloom colors: Green
– Bloom time: June-August
– Plant size: Stems up to about 15 feet tall, often much shorter Usually emergent
– Native habitat: Marshes, ponds, lakes, borders of sluggish rivers.
– Native states: Alabama, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin
Data reporting by Elena Cox. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
This story originally appeared on American Home Shield and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Bayu_Prasetyo // Shutterstock
Penny Pawl is a UC Master Gardener of Napa County.
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