Red Admiral on Mistflower Pictures by all members

Red Admiral on Mistflower

This is a Red Admiral butterfly nectaring on Mistflower, a wild eupatorium that comes up in my yard. Red Admiral's host plant is Nettles. I grow Wood Nettle, Stinging Nettle and False Nettle for this butterfly. Date=Sept. 4th

Photo 7440 of 49887

Diohio

[11]

By Diohio

Uploaded on 19 Mar, 2008

Featured on: Garden butterfly

Comments on this photo

Lori

19 Mar, 2008

I will never forget my first brush with stinging nettles..lol. I'm a hand weeder...gloves are for sissies...hahaha...till I pulled a nettle. Ever after that the phrase "she was feeling somewhat nettled"...took on another dimension for me!! Perhaps I could overcome my aversion if a few of these were to visit my garden. Does their range extend into southern Canada?

Diohio

19 Mar, 2008

Yes it does Lori, they do go into Canada but I'm not sure how high up.
That's why I have my nettles in pots........I don't want to have to deal with them in the yard. Wood Nettle doesn't cause as bad of a reaction as Stinging Nettle, at least with me. I only itch for a few minutes with the Wood. I've read that if you rub fern fronds that have the spores on the back of the frond, all over the area that stings, it'll help.