In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.
– John Steinbeck

June is the month we honor dads, and on the 21st, summer begins and we will celebrate national pollinator week. Join us for the Pollinator Power Party and Mimosas & Monarchs featured in our Monthly Events section.  Help pollinators by choosing native plants for a butterfly garden--it can be as simple as a container on your porch.  Stop by Little Red Wagon Native Nursery and our staff will help you select plants to attract pollinators and even find something cool for Dad!

Eastern Black Swallowtails

Eastern Black Swallowtails are lovely to behold with rich, blue-black wings that are 2 1/2 - 3 1/2” across. A double row of uninterrupted pumpkin-orange spots on the hindwing (see Photo 1) helps distinguish this butterfly from other dark-colored swallowtails (like the Pipevine Swallowtail (see photo #2) and the Spicebush Swallowtail (see photo #3) that fly in our area.

Females lay round, yellow-green eggs singly on plants in the carrot family. These plants include Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), mock bishop’s weed (Ptilimnium capillaceum), dill (Anethum graveolens), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), fennel (Foeniculm vulgare) and rue (Ruta graveolens). The caterpillar is yellowish-green with thin black stripes and black bands with yellow spots (see Photo 4).

Adult Eastern Black Swallowtails like to nectar on tropical sage (Salvia coccinea), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), and blazing star (Liatris gracilis). With multiple broods throughout the year, why not include some host and nectar plants in your landscape for these beauties?

No animals were harmed in the making of these products.

Woolly Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia tomentosa) is a 20-30 foot, fast-growing vine that has very unusual flowers: its curved trumpet-shaped flowers resemble a tobacco-smoking pipe. With 4-8” heart-shaped leaves, Victorian gardeners in the southern United States frequently used these plants to shade porches and other outdoor areas.

The plant is important for two of our native swallowtails: Polydamas and Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars will only feed on Aristolochia spp. plants. But please avoid planting Aristolochia gigantea. Pipevine Swallowtails will mistakenly lay eggs on this Brazilian native. Unfortunately, the plant is toxic to early instar Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars.

Woolly Dutchman’s pipe was historically found along streams and moist woods in its native range in the southeastern and south-central United States. Listed as a Zone 5-8b perennial, this plant does best in our Tampa gardens with filtered sun or light shade. It’s important to keep the soil moist to mimic its natural habitat.

Please note: all parts of this plant are toxic when ingested, so please avoid planting where children or pets might accidentally ingest it.

 $18.00 / 1 Gallon

UPCOMING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Weekly Summer Day Camps: Now - August 6
Adult and High School-aged volunteers are needed to assist with our nature summer day camp program for children ages 6-10.  This is a great opportunity for high school students to earn community service hours for Bright Future scholarships!  To volunteer, sign up here:  https://volunteersignup.org/4FJKR

TBBF Butterfly Alley Maintenance: June 26
Delia Smith, conservation director of the national organization of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), created the landscape plan for our hell strip to habitat. Volunteers are needed to perform regular maintenance on Butterfly Alley (4110 W. Estrella St.) to help keep this area looking beautiful.

To volunteer, sign up here:  https://volunteersignup.org/PAB8R

Encore! Technology Park:  June 29
Volunteers are needed to help maintain the Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation-sponsored butterfly garden at Encore Park! located at 1210 E. Harrison St. (Corner of Harrison Street and Hank Ballard St.)  
To volunteer, sign up here:  https://volunteersignup.org/WY89P

ABOUT THE TAMPA BAY BUTTERFLY FOUNDATION:

With a focus on Florida butterfly species and native plants, environmental education and local awareness in the Tampa Bay area, Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation was established to support the conservation of butterflies and pollinators and the restoration of their natural wildlife habitats. By working globally with university research partners, providing educational and research opportunities and community outreach programs, and through multi-faceted fundraising efforts, the Foundation aims to elevate public awareness of the importance of butterflies.

The Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3), is an affiliate of the Butterfly Conservatory of Tampa Bay.

June 1: World Reef Day
June 3: The Very Hungry Caterpillar's birthday
June 5: World Environment Day
June 6: National Animal Rights Day, World Oceans' Day
June 6-12: National Gardening Week
June 9: World Swallowtail Day
June 16: World Sea Turtle Day

June 21-27 is pollinator week and we’re celebrating in a big way!

Watch our Facebook page for more details and in the mean time, brush up on all that’s related to our native pollinators. (Hint: think bats, bees, butterflies, flies, moths, wasps and more.)

June 21 & 22:  AMAZON Prime Day.

Please support Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation by adding us as your favorite charity if you have an Amazon account.  Shop at smile.amazon.com and a portion of the sale will be donated (at no cost to you) to help TBBF's conservation efforts.  You shop,  AmazonSmile donates.

June 22: World Rainforest Day
June 30: Social Media Day