gardening for moths (1 Viewer)

Surreybirder · Aug 28, 2004

Any suggestions on additional plants I should put in my garden to attract moths?
So far I've got buddleia, verbena, nicotania (wrong sort?), Michaelmas daisies, evening primrose, various herbs, sedums, hebes, fuschias, honeysuckle, but I'm not finding moths on many of them except the buddleia so far. (I've also got hemp agrimony, greater knapweed and field scabious on order--plus chicory which was covered in butterflies when I saw it in Yorkshire.)
There's a post on UKmoths today recommending a tree, Eucryphia Nyman, but as it grows to 50 ft in 10 years I think it's a bit too vigorous for us!
Ken

harry eales · Aug 29, 2004

Surreybirder said:
Any suggestions on additional plants I should put in my garden to attract moths?
So far I've got buddleia, verbena, nicotania (wrong sort?), Michaelmas daisies, evening primrose, various herbs, sedums, hebes, fuschias, honeysuckle, but I'm not finding moths on many of them except the buddleia so far. (I've also got hemp agrimony, greater knapweed and field scabious on order--plus chicory which was covered in butterflies when I saw it in Yorkshire.)
There's a post on UKmoths today recommending a tree, Eucryphia Nyman, but as it grows to 50 ft in 10 years I think it's a bit too vigorous for us!
Ken

Hi Ken,
Take a look at this site,

http://www.butterflygarden.co.uk/index.html

I still think the most productive plant for September/October is Bugbane Cimicifuga simplex or other variety. It's brilliant for late flying Vanessids and is quite happy in shade. Mine have just started to produce their first buds but it will se a few weeks before they come into flower. Also very attractive to moths at night.

Harry

Shell · Aug 29, 2004

Surreybirder said:
Any suggestions on additional plants I should put in my garden to attract moths?
So far I've got buddleia, verbena, nicotania (wrong sort?), Michaelmas daisies, evening primrose, various herbs, sedums, hebes, fuschias, honeysuckle, but I'm not finding moths on many of them except the buddleia so far. (I've also got hemp agrimony, greater knapweed and field scabious on order--plus chicory which was covered in butterflies when I saw it in Yorkshire.)
There's a post on UKmoths today recommending a tree, Eucryphia Nyman, but as it grows to 50 ft in 10 years I think it's a bit too vigorous for us!
Ken

Hey Ken, I didn't plant these for moths on purpose, but it sure turned out to be a moth collector at night!! I have this vine that a friend gave to me as seeds, it's called Moon Vine. It's beautiful greenery and huge white blooms with white centers. The largest flower bloom we've had was 6 1/2 '' wide and also tall. The Pink-spotted Hawk Moth loves this plant. ANd also, we have Rose of Sharons shrubs planted, and these attract the Pink-spotted and the Tomato Hornworm Moth. I put together a few pics for you of the moths in the two different flowers. Hope you enjoy, and consider the two plants. The moonvine will re-seed itself over and over. http://www.pbase.com/shell7/moths_in_flowers

Surreybirder · Aug 29, 2004

Shell said:
Hey Ken, I didn't plant these for moths on purpose, but it sure turned out to be a moth collector at night!! I have this vine that a friend gave to me as seeds, it's called Moon Vine. It's beautiful greenery and huge white blooms with white centers. The largest flower bloom we've had was 6 1/2 '' wide and also tall. The Pink-spotted Hawk Moth loves this plant. ANd also, we have Rose of Sharons shrubs planted, and these attract the Pink-spotted and the Tomato Hornworm Moth. I put together a few pics for you of the moths in the two different flowers. Hope you enjoy, and consider the two plants. The moonvine will re-seed itself over and over. http://www.pbase.com/shell7/moths_in_flowers

Those are spectacular pix! Thanks!
I'll look into those plants but I suspect that they may not do quite so well in our maritime climate.
There's another plant known colloquially as 'the cruel plant' that is brilliant for moths but it is not frost-hardy.
Ken

Surreybirder · Aug 29, 2004

harry eales said:
Hi Ken,
Take a look at this site,

http://www.butterflygarden.co.uk/index.html

I still think the most productive plant for September/October is Bugbane Cimicifuga simplex or other variety. It's brilliant for late flying Vanessids and is quite happy in shade. Mine have just started to produce their first buds but it will se a few weeks before they come into flower. Also very attractive to moths at night.

Harry

Thanks for the info, Harry. I remember you mentioning bugbane before. I'll look into it. (We have lots of fleebane down here, but I guess that's quite different.) Our neighbour has loads of ragwort and (giant?) willowherb in his garden so that should help!
The butterflygarden page makes poignant reading as the lady who runs it is in hospital with luekaemia.

Ken

Shell · Aug 29, 2004

Surreybirder said:
Those are spectacular pix! Thanks!
I'll look into those plants but I suspect that they may not do quite so well in our maritime climate.
There's another plant known colloquially as 'the cruel plant' that is brilliant for moths but it is not frost-hardy.
Ken

Thanks so much on the pics! Those moths are hard to get at night. I hope you can find some great moth attracting plants!!

Surreybirder · Aug 29, 2004

Moon vine (Ipomoea alba) is available as seed in the UK--but it sounds quite a tricky one to grow. The seeds have to be soaked for two hours at the right temperature before germination; then the seedlings have to be kept at 70 deg F. I'm afraid I don't have the facilities for that at the moment. Looks a lovely plant though!
I might give bugbane a try though.
I found lots of info at http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=11637
(The thread on 'sugaring')
Thanks for all the advice,
Ken

Surreybirder · Aug 29, 2004

I found a nursery that sells bugbane for £3 (or £3.50 depending on variety). The only snag is that they charge £5.50 p&p. As they're in Scotland it's a little far to collect

(for me at least).
http://www.edromnurseries.co.uk/home.asp
ken

Surreybirder · Aug 29, 2004

I found the following on a 'gardening for moths' site. I have to admit that I don't like seeing bats flying around my moth trap

but has anyone any experience with any of the following flora as moth attracting species? (Evening primrose I've already got.)

Someone batty about bats said:
By growing night-scented plants in your borders you can attract night-flying insects like moths into your garden at dusk, the peak feeding time for bats. A range of night-scented plants can be grown including night scented stock (Matthiola bicornis), evening primrose (Oenothera odorata), Nottingham catchfly (Silene nutans), night-scented catchfly (Silene noctiflora), bladder campion (Silene vulgaris), sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), tobacco plant (Nicotiana sp.), cherry pie (Helliotropum x hybridum) and soapwort (Saponaria officinalis).

Shell · Aug 30, 2004

Surreybirder said:
Moon vine (Ipomoea alba) is available as seed in the UK--but it sounds quite a tricky one to grow. The seeds have to be soaked for two hours at the right temperature before germination; then the seedlings have to be kept at 70 deg F. I'm afraid I don't have the facilities for that at the moment. Looks a lovely plant though!
I might give bugbane a try though.
I found lots of info at http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=11637
(The thread on 'sugaring')
Thanks for all the advice,
Ken

Oh goodness! I didn't soak any of mine. I had about 30 seeds and I dug up and scattered the top of the ground and poked the seeds in there! They took off. And then when winter came, I collected the seeds from the pods when they were ready. The spring, dug up and scattered the ground, and POOF! Moonvines all over again. We may have different moonvine species?

Surreybirder · Aug 30, 2004

Shell said:
Oh goodness! I didn't soak any of mine. I had about 30 seeds and I dug up and scattered the top of the ground and poked the seeds in there! They took off. And then when winter came, I collected the seeds from the pods when they were ready. The spring, dug up and scattered the ground, and POOF! Moonvines all over again. We may have different moonvine species?

I suspect it's the same species but a different climate. We get frosts until May, which would probably prevent the seeds germinating until mid-Summer. Anyway, that's my guess.
When I get a heated greenhouse......

Ken

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