Flowers – especially native plants – are wonderful sources of nectar for monarch butterflies but milkweed leaves are the only food that monarch caterpillars eat. This is an important relationship in the natural world!
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November 8, 2023
Caterpillars at the Nursery
The nursery at the Holden Arboretum takes care of a great number of species. One polyhouse alone currently contains between 300 and 400 species and cultivars. Among all these plants,...
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August 11, 2023
It’s Poppin’: August 11th
The beginning of school is near- how is that possible? We’ve reached the summer peak! Our gardens that attract pollinators across our campuses are THE places to be as summer...
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July 18, 2023
Butterfly Garden Bed Renovation
Pollinator gardening has become a popular hobby for many people. Where pollinator gardens are both beautiful and beneficial it doesn’t take long for things to get out of control. Plants...
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March 27, 2023
Behind the Scenes with Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Butterflies
By Matt Edwards, Animal Care Specialist It’s that time of year, the Return of the Butterflies. Have you ever wondered where Cleveland Botanical Garden’s biome butterflies come from, how they...
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January 4, 2023
Season Extending Plants for Pollinators
Some of the best pollinator gardens include just a few key features that make them work well. Food, water, shelter and host plants. One way to have the most food...
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August 24, 2022
Milkweed: Beneficial and Beautiful
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are beneficial host plants for the Monarch butterflies. The plant provides the adult female Monarch with a place to lay her eggs. Once those eggs hatch the...
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August 24, 2022
Lip Sumac-ing Good: Wonderful, and Edible Sumac
Peeking up above the Echinacea, Phlox, and turtlehead in the Holden Arboretum’s, Arlene and Arthur S. Holden Jr. Butterfly Garden are the bright red, cone-shape infructescence of the staghorn sumac....
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May 17, 2022
Blue false indigo & Clouded Sulphur
Blue false indigo (Baptisia australis) is a flowering plant in the pea family (Fabaceae). This plant grows upright and makes an excellent border plant for your pollinator garden. It’s deep blue...
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May 17, 2022
Prairie ironweed & American Lady
Prairie ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) is a staple meadow plant, growing tall and blooming in late summer and fall. It is self-seeding as seeds fall to the ground at the end of...
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