Saddleback Caterpillar, beautiful to look at but don’t touch! These caterpillars can inflict a very painful sting. Photo © Carole Sevilla Brown
If you’ve been reading Beautiful Wildlife Garden for a while, you’ve gotten to see some of the most amazing critters that have been observed in our wildlife gardens.
We’ve set the stage. We’ve planted a wide variety of native plants that attract lots of different kinds of wildlife. And we’ve been blessed by an amazing variety of wildlife species who have chosen to share our space with us.
Gardening for wildlife is truly one of the few things that you can do in this world that has such immediate benefits for wildlife, and for you too as you begin to notice the wonders of nature that can be found right in your own backyard wildlife garden.
Creating a wildlife garden is really an If You Build It, They Will Come activity.
The Saddleback caterpillar pictured above was observed during a visit to my friend Pat Sutton’s beautiful wildlife garden in Cape May, NJ.
Pipevine Swallowtail on Bee Balm © Pat Sutton
Speaking of Pat Sutton, patience has finally paid off for her. After 11 years of waiting and hoping, she has finally discovered Pipevine Swallowtails in her wildlife garden.
Goldenrod Crab Spider © Donna Donabella
When you take the time to slow down and really look, you may discover a beautiful goldenrod spider waiting patiently for a tasty snack to wander by.
Zebra Longwing Butterfly © Loret T. Setters
If you’re in Florida, you may notice the stunningly beautiful Zebra Longwing butterfly laying eggs on your passionvine (Passiflora incarnata) in your wildlife garden.
Cecropia Moth Caterpillar © Ellen Sousa
Want to try your hand at raising a Cecropia Moth caterpillar? Ellen Sousa has a great story about raising Czech in her Massachusetts wildlife garden
The truth is, these wonders of nature are all around us, but especially in your wildlife garden. But we need to slow down from our busy lives and really look.
So pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and spend some time looking closely at your wildlife garden. You may be amazed at the beautiful critters you will find! And now that you’ve found some amazing wildlife in your garden, please tell us all about it by leaving a comment below.
Carole Sevilla Brown lives in Philadelphia, PA, and she travels the country speaking about Ecosystem Gardening for Wildlife. Check out her new free online course Ecosystem Gardening Essentials, 15 free lessons delivered to your inbox every week.
© 2012, Carole Sevilla Brown. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Carole Sevilla Brown
That Saddleback caterpillar is so amazing to look at! I sometimes use a photo of them in my classes just for the sheer WOW factor when people see this little guy. We have many of their host plants here (buttonbush, aster, maple, oak) so I’m hoping to spot one of these on our farm some time..they are pretty well camouflaged!
Ellen, I love the Saddleback caterpillars! They’re so beautiful, and strange
But your Cecropia cat is pretty amazing, too, especially since they turn into such incredibly gorgeous moths.
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..The 5 Pillars of Ecosystem Gardening
Hi,
I currently grow a native Thoroughwort(Eupatorium hyssopifollium) and find it to be relished by pollinators. It’s about 3 feet high and is nestled in between goldenrod. The flowers are white and clustered. The ‘critters’ are numerous, led by the various bees, and small butterflies do seek the nectar. Some will dismiss it as a ‘boring’ plant, but for tried and true native plant gardeners, it is a welcome sight to see. There a many varieties of Thoroughwort, so you can probably find a native for your particular area.
Yes, it’s true. The Saddleback caterpillar WILL sting you. More than once in N. GA. I have brushed up against some greenery and gotten stung, not immediately what it was, until a careful examination revealed this critter; although I don’t specifically remember the saddle, I recognized it immediately from your picture. Thanks.
Carole what fun…that caterpillar is so cool…if I saw that I would be jumping for joy…literally jumping, running and grabbing my camera…
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