How did you handle that stinging nettle, Aggie? LOL!

I am so envious of your Spicebush Swallowtails! I unrolled a tiny False Nettle leaf today and yes, indeedy, there was a tiny caterpillar curled up inside. So, I guess I have at least one RA!

My False Nettle (the sting-less kind) should be producing seeds next month if anyone would like some. Best method of germinating them is to just scatter them on the ground. It took a GOOD LONG WHILE for them to come up - in fact, it was last month when they first ventured to appear - and as MissSherry will confirm, I thought for sure they were gone so I went and purchased 4 more plants from a local source. Aren't we lucky to have local sources?

How's the weather up there, BTW? Is it starting to warm up a bit at night?

Congrats on your eggs!

Susan

I would like to get in like for those seeds if you don't mind..I love the butterflies that use this host plant.

Actually I use a sock, my sock-I take it off and then touch the plants. After a while I get use to being stung..

I am so curious to know about your local source-that is really cool..I was thinking last night..why don't some plant places have a section that is full of Butterfly host plants? Now that would be a neat idea-some place that you can go and look them over like you do the rest of the plants. A special section just for butterflies..

The weather has been really nice but then again I love the warm weather. It was over 90 a few times this week and then down to 70 at night. It's gonna cool off a bit..

Aggie

Wow, that is great, Aggie! I am green with envy. My book shows pictures of the spicebush caterpillar and all its difference stages and I would love to raise some. Of course, I really cant plant a bush on my balcony!

I wish the local nurseries had more butterfly host plants too. Although I read somewhere that butterfly gardening is becoming popular, they must be talking about someplace else!

I finally ordered false nettle from Shady Oak Butterfly Farm. I should be getting them this week along with GST eggs and Gulf Frit eggs.

Susan, I dont suppose you can germinate seeds in a planter?

Congrats, Aggie! I'm glad to hear you're having good luck and fun!
MissSherry

I don't know why you couldn't Gwynne. Want to try some? Believe me, I'll be inundated with seed. They should start flowering here soon (by flowering, I don't mean anything that could be considered ornamental at all; the flowers are very inconspicuous). Once the seed is ripe, I'll send some out to anyone who wants some.

Our local source is called Wild Things Nursery. This husband and wife team travel to various Farmer's Markets in the spring months. I heard about them from Linda who posts here? I went for the first time last year and picked up some native plants then. This year, I picked up 4 FN plants, astragalus crassicarpus (sulphurs), echinacea pallida (pale purple coneflower), a Ribes odoratum (don't think it hosts anything, but I wanted to add some native shrubs and food for the birds), and several other things I don't even recall.

What is really cool about this team is that they always show up with caterpillars on their host plants, too; books for people to look at, like Judy Burris and Wayne Richards book, and lots of information on raising caterpillars.

When people can actually "see" what these caterpillars look like and what they will become, it truly makes a difference in their appreciation of nature.

Susan

Sure, I would love some seeds. Is there a certain time of the year to germinate seed?

That sounds really cool, about the husband and wife team. As far as I know, we dont have anything like that around here.

Google "native plants Pennsylvania" and see what you come up with, if you haven't already done so.

False Nettle needs stratification (cold) in order to germinate. That's why I suggest either winter sowing or scattering them on the ground. They're pretty prolific, so just throwing some out will probably be as effective as winter sowing.

Susan

Boy do we need more people like that around. I wish we had a place like that here, sounds great.

When you get some of the False Nettle seeds Susan, I'll send you postage for them-I really want to start a little patch of this stuff..these are one of my favorite butterflies host plant~**

Aggie

That sound okay - but no need for postage. I'll just send you some. I noticed a few starting to send out the little flowering stems, but it will be awhile before I have any ripe seed.

Susan