I bet your zinnia's will bring them in. I found this site and it will tell you what butterflys are in your region and plants they want to eat. I love it, it is helpful. http://www.thebutterflysite.com/arizona ... lies.shtml Enjoy! :-D
Thank you Jo. Very neat site. I have discovered my butterfly is actually a Two-tailed Swallowtail --- Papilio multicaudatus. Uncommon in this dry valley, however I do have two ponds and a large water trough with water lillies. Maybe that is why it ended up here. It says they are usually found along creeks and are usually outnumbered by western tiger swallowtails. I feel very lucky to have seen this beauty and capture it on my trusty cell phone. I actually made a butterfly house years ago but don't think anything used it. Maybe I will do some serious research, plant the right things and get some to hang out here. And zinnias are one of their favorites.
Don't forget to research what their caterpillars eat and plant those, otherwise you won't have any future generations. All the swallowtail caterpillars in my yard chow down on the Fennel and Rue. Right now I have 8 large caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail on the Fennel along with about 6 of the larvae.
Thanks! I am really excited about this. Hope I have some luck. What Rue are you refering to? Is there more to the name?
Yep that is it. It has several different common names....Rue, Common rue, garden rue, German rue, herb-of-grace, countryman's treacle, herbygrass,Aruta, Somalata, Sadab. But is sold in garden centers as just Rue, the latin is Ruta graveolens. It is an evergreen perennial, needs full sun or will tolerate part shade. I don't see them on the Rue as much now as I did back in the spring, but they certainly do love the Fennel.
