native host plants | NurtureNativeNature

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ljmarkson

Apr 216 min read

Native Plants are Not Yard Ornaments

The transition from ornamental gardening (plants as ornaments) to ecological gardening (native plants as a functional part of an...

You Can Only Have a Native Violet Bouquet if You Grow It

ljmarkson

Mar 22, 20212 min read

Native Butterfly & Moth Host Plants

You Can Only Have a Native Violet Bouquet if You Grow It

Non-native roses are widely admired. Native violet’s value is underestimated. But if you grow violets in your yard. Nature will be...

Replace Non-native Shrubs With High Impact Native Shrubs

ljmarkson

Jan 31, 20213 min read

Native Pollinator Plants

Replace Non-native Shrubs With High Impact Native Shrubs

Rewilding a semi-urban yard to create an eco-friendly sanctuary is more emotional than I anticipated. Almost a year and a half ago after...

Plant a Glorious Goldenrod Garden This Year!

ljmarkson

Jan 10, 20213 min read

Native Butterfly & Moth Host Plants

Plant a Glorious Goldenrod Garden This Year!

OR Do You Think Growing 19 Varieties of Goldenrod is Enough?! I currently have more varieties of goldenrod than any other native plant...

ljmarkson

Dec 31, 20202 min read

Native Butterfly & Moth Host Plants

Why Goldenrod is Native Plant Gold

OR Goldenrod's Many Charms. In my previous post I explain why everyone in the native plant world is talking about goldenrod (solidago). A...

ljmarkson

Dec 29, 20202 min read

Native Pollinator Plants

Goldenrod (Solidago) is Trending!

OR If You Only Add One Native Plant to Your Yard, Make it Goldenrod! Keystone plant species are what native plant guru Doug Tallamy calls...

Plant a Birdseed Garden to Nurture a Natural Bird Habitat

ljmarkson

Dec 1, 20202 min read

Native Flowering Vines

Plant a Birdseed Garden to Nurture a Natural Bird Habitat

Butterfly gardens are wildly popular because flowers are not only beautiful but they attract ethereal creatures who create a positive...

Passionflower Vine Drama: Protective Ants, Life-Sucking Soldiers, and Intoxicated Bees

ljmarkson

Nov 28, 20202 min read

Native Flowering Vines

Passionflower Vine Drama: Protective Ants, Life-Sucking Soldiers, and Intoxicated Bees

I’m typically an all-in kind of person when something interests me, and passionflower vine is a striking attention grabber. I won’t be...

Nature's Perfect Harmony: Native Purple Passionflower Vine and Gulf Fritillary Butterflies

ljmarkson

Nov 24, 20202 min read

Native Flowering Vines

Nature's Perfect Harmony: Native Purple Passionflower Vine and Gulf Fritillary Butterflies

There’s a fascinating phenomenon I've noticed but haven't specifically read about between native purple passionflower vines (passiflora...

The Ticket to a Front Row Seat Watching Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar's Become Butterflies

ljmarkson

Nov 23, 20201 min read

Native Flowering Vines

The Ticket to a Front Row Seat Watching Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar's Become Butterflies

Or Why Pollinator Gardens Need Native Host Plants The people who tell me their pollinator garden doesn't need native plants invariably...

The Very Hungry Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar - From Youthful Defoliation to Chrysalis

ljmarkson

Nov 22, 20202 min read

Native Flowering Vines

The Very Hungry Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar - From Youthful Defoliation to Chrysalis

Watching generations of gulf fritillary caterpillars go through multiple stages as they defoliate the native passionflower vines...

The Very Hungry Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar – From Egg to Baby Caterpillar

ljmarkson

Nov 21, 20201 min read

Native Flowering Vines

The Very Hungry Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar – From Egg to Baby Caterpillar

One benefit of creating a wildlife habitat in my yard is I get too see the wonder of nature up close throughout the year. I never tire of...

Saving the Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars One by One

ljmarkson

Nov 20, 20202 min read

Native Flowering Vines

Saving the Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars One by One

When I went to my community garden last month my friend Pat rushed by me with a handful of gulf fritillary caterpillars (cats) crawling...

Passionflower Vines are the Only Game in Town for Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars

ljmarkson

Nov 19, 20202 min read

Passionflower Vines are the Only Game in Town for Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars

I realize I'm starting my Nurture Native Nature blog by writing a handful of short posts on the same subject. I’m a bit obsessive so...

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