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Wildflowers & caterpillars

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  • 22-08-2020 12:03pm
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭


    I have a very small garden and I planted climbing wildflowers against one of the fences this year. The wildflowers came in a little box from aldi and I haven't a clue what any of them are but they're lovely :-)

    Now they are being eaten by caterpillars, and I don't have a problem with this, and there are HUNDREDS of them, they're everywhere you look. I think this is kind of exciting as there is then the potential for hundreds of butterflies to emerge from my garden next year.

    My only concern is what happens when I have to cut the wildflowers back, which will have to happen, and they'll all end up collapsing otherwise anyway. My understanding is that the butterfly chrysallis will likely be on the underside of the flowers and I wouldn't like to destroy them. Is it possible to just pick them off and attach them to the underside of trellis or something, so the butterfly can emerge into the sunlight next year?

    I appreciate this might be verging outside of this forums remit but I may get an interesting answer here :-)


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    #2
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,429 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Disclaimer - I have no idea, but that never stopped me offering a view :D

    You don't have to cut them back, do you? Especially if you want them to seed. Why not wait a while and see how many chrysallises are on the flowers and make a decision on it then? Though I have a feeling that most of the plant growth will disappear over the winter, so what would happen to the christallises in that case? I doubt you could move them, how would you attach them?


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    #3
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Why would you cut them ? We need butterflies. Sounds wonderful. The plants will renew next year. I had that with two gooseberry bushes; left them and they fruited with bare stems. as it was early in the season. Then they came back fully the next year


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    #4
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Thanks for the replies. They are perennials and annuals and will all collapse in a soggy mess in the winter, cutting them is tidier and I believe healthier for the flowers.

    So I haven't seen where they build their little cocoons yet, but it's usually on the underside of leaves which leads me to think the butterflies are shagged...


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