Plants + Pollinators

Violets & The Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly

Bird’s Foot Violet

Violets are the host plant of Fritillary Butterflies. Wait…violets, won’t they take over my yard? The Common Violet is a bit vigorous for some, but there are many different kinds of violets that you can use instead. Two of my favorites are the Prairie Violet and the Bird’s Foot Violet, both are a bit more well-behaved than the Common Violet. However, if you have the space to keep those Common Violets, they are an easy and beautiful ground cover in some hard-to-plant areas.

Great Spangled Fritillary Caterpillar

I found this caterpillar in the leaf litter in my garden bed. Another good reason to leave the leaf litter around trees and in garden beds.

Great Spangled Fritillary on Butterfly Weed (Photo Credit: John Blair)