Swallowtails are easy to identify for their hind wing shape, but their bold colors are what makes them favorites in the garden. Plant phlox, gaillardia, butterfly weed, and zinnia in your garden to attract and feed them. The photo on the left was taken at Trap Pond State Park, Laurel, DE.
Spotting a black swallowtail against colorful flowers in the garden is such a thrill, but catching it on camera is a wow moment because they move so very fast!
(Giant Swallowtail, Charleston, SC photo to left)
American Lady and Painted Lady butterflies are very similar and are often misidentified. The difference is in the hind wing spot design. The underside of their wings is absolutely amazing! If you want to attract them to your garden, plant thistle!
(Painted lady in photo to left)
The Common Buckeye is a joy to spot in the garden and easy to photograph especially when feeding on ground flowers. All the photos were taken in my yard in Selbyville, DE.
There are many varieties of skippers and it is often hard to identify them, but one thing I know for sure is that they are the cutest butterfly! Their small size, big eyes and furry heads make them irresistible to me. They love drinking the nectar from the salvia and lantana in my garden and I love watching them.
There are two types of Sulphur Butterflies that I have seen in the garden -Clouded and Cloudless (see spots). They are both small, pretty, yellow butterflies with expressive faces! They love the blanket flowers - together they make a very colorful photo!
A clouded Sulphur in photo to left
