Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2B
August 3, 2016
Monroe Outdoors
^Reporter
Plant Turk’s cap & lantana for summer visitors
BY TERRY W.
JOHNSON
tjwoodduck@bellsouth.
net
T here is a lot
of fast-paced
action tak
ing place in
my backyard
nowadays and
it is mainly
centered around
what I call my
dynamic duo.
No, it doesn’t
involve the most
famous dynamic
duo of all time
- Batman and
Robin. I am
referring to two
tough peren
nials that are
attracting more
butterflies and hum
mingbirds than the rest
of the nectar plants
growing in my backyard
wildlife haven.
These hummingbird
and butterfly magnets
are lantana and Turk’s
cap. From morning until
almost dark, butter
flies and ruby-throated
hummingbirds make
countless visits to these
plants. While most of
the butterflies are visit
ing the lantana, more
hummingbirds visit the
Turk’s cap.
As we all know, the
superheroes Batman
and Robin use their
superhuman abilities
to thwart the diabolical
plots perpetrated by a
host of comic book vil
lains. In my backyard,
both Turk’s cap and
lantana use their special
abilities to seemingly
thrive during a summer
when most of my other
butterfly and hum
mingbird food plants
struggle just to survive.
Consequently, in spite
Terry W. Johnson
of the fact that my yard
has received less than
two inches of rain in the
past 30 days, daily tem
peratures reach into the
90s, and heat indexes
routinely soar past 100,
both of these hardy
plants are covered with
attractive,
nectar-rich
blossoms.
For some
reason,
Monroe
Countians
have been
slow to
embrace
Turk’s cap.
In spite of
the fact that
it thrives in
the county,
requires little water or
care, and is blessed with
both attractive flowers
and foliage, I rarely see
it growing here.
Turk’s cap, also known
as Turk’s turban and
fireman’s helmet, is a
woody perennial native
to West Texas, Florida
and Mexico.
It grows best in full
sun to partial shade.
Although most varieties
grow three to four feet
tall, others will attain
a height of nine feet.
When grown in partial
shade, it rarely exceeds
a height of
two to three
feet.
Much to
the delight
of those
of us that
enjoy its
dark green
foliage,
shiny red
blossoms
and the
humming
birds and
butterflies
that it
attracts,
Turk’s cap
blooms all
the way
from late
spring until
frost.
Nowadays,
far more
humming
birds are
visiting my
Turk’s cap
than but
terflies.
They just
can’t seem
to keep
their bills
out of the
plant’s odd,
showy blos
soms. I see
rubythroats
nectaring at
Turk’s cap
from the
first light of
dawn until
it is almost dark in the
late afternoon.
However, by late sum
mer, large cloudless
sulphur butterflies will
greatly outnumber the
hummingbirds visiting
the plant. Many of these
sulphur yellow butter
flies will be refueling
during their annual fall
migration. Believe me,
scores of bright yellow
A female ruby-throated hummingbird enjoys
nectar from Turk’s Cap.
A whirlabout feasts on lantana in Monroe
cloudless sulphur but
terflies swirling around
a large Turk’s cap is a
breathtaking sight.
I have two of the
more than 150 species
of lantana growing in
my yard. One is yel
low, spreads across
the ground, and rarely
exceeds two feet in
height. Although but
terflies feed at its tiny
yellow blooms, far and
away, the butter
flies in my neck of
the woods prefer
a lantana named
Miss Huff.
If you want to
attract butterflies
and hummingbirds
to your yard, this
is the lantana you
need to plant. This
variety of lantana
can withstand tem
peratures as low
as 0°F. This plant
grows upwards of
County. (Photos/Terry Johnson)
six feet tall.
Miss Huffs blossoms
are arranged in tiny
bouquets of orange and
pink blossoms. These
petite flowers adorn the
plant from June through
the middle of September
and beyond.
Remarkably Miss
Huff actually produces
more blooms when it is
extremely dry. As such,
if you regularly water
the plant, it will grow
more stems and foliage
than flowers.
Right now, my large
Miss Huff is the main
feeding spot for a host
of butterflies including
pipevine swallowtails,
eastern tiger swallow
tails, gulf fritillaries,
pearl crescents, hoary
edge skippers, fiery
skippers, long-tailed
skippers, fiery skippers,
ocola skippers, whir-
abouts, silver-spotted
skippers,
both southern
and northern
cloudywings,
Horace’s
duskywings,
sleepy orang
es, cloudless
sulphurs and
others.
While the
butterflies
outnumber the
hummingbirds
at my lantana,
I don’t want
to leave you
with impres
sion that
rubythroats
don’t use it,
too. Far from
it. Throughout
the day the
hummingbirds
residing in my
backyard regu
larly make fre
quent visits to
Miss Huff. It,
is indeed one of the most,
important, hummingbird
food plants growing in
my yard.
As you can tell, I am
sold on these two plants.
With that, in mind, if
you are looking for two
can’t-miss hummingbird
and butterfly nectar
plants to add to your
home landscape, you
cannot, go wrong with
Turk’s cap and Miss
Huff lantana.
Don’t, let, the Penguin
or Poison Ivy tell you
otherwise.
Terry Johnson is
the retired Program
Manager of the Georgia
Nongame-Endangered
Wildlife Program. Pie
has written an infor
mative column for the
Reporter for many years.
The Monroe County Reporter’s
Wellness Directory
Cardiology
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Meyer Cardiology, PC
Dr. Thomas Meyer, Cardiologist
Monroe Regional Medical Complex
120 N. Lee Street • Forsyth, GA 31029
Comprehensive Cardiac Services
Call (478) 745-7456
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Walker Chiropractic Clinic
Dr. Steven Walker
255 Tift College Dr • Forsyth, GA
Mon - Wed, Fri: 9-6 • Thu, Sat by Apt
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205 Medical Court • Forsyth, GA 31029
Mon - Thu: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
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Dr. Thomas Meyer, Cardiologist
Monroe Regional Medical Complex
120 N. Lee Street • Forsyth, GA 31029
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Call (478) 745-7456
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Deborah Moore, PA-C
101 Martin Luther Kingjr Drive
Forsyth, GA 31029
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Call (478) 994-5281
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Monroe County
Hospital
88 Martin Luther Kingjr Drive
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monroehospital.org
Call (478) 994-2521
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Walmart Vision Center
6020 Harrison Rd • Macon, GA
(across from Eisenhower Shoppes)
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Call (478) 785-2240
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Orthopedics
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Macon, GA 31210
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Call (478) 474-2114
Toll Free (800) 338-5141J
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Call (478) 994-2051
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Brandon S. Pinson, DVM
Animal Medical Clinic of Forsyth
60 South Jackson St • Forsyth, GA 31029
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animalmedicalclinicforsyth.com
Call (478) 994-4986
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Hospital, LLC
Butler Caldwell, DVM
951 Hwy41 South • Forsyth, GA 31029
butlercaldwell@bellsouth.net
caldwellvet.com
Call (478) 994-8228
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Plantation Centre
Animal Hospital
"Big & small, we treat them all."
6411 Peake Road • Macon, GA 31210
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