F LORA & FAUNA
COMMON BUCKEYE
Junonia coenia
The common buckeye is a beautiful butterfly that ranges throughout the South . Its colorful eye spots serve as a defense mechanism , making predators believe they are looking at a larger animal or looking at eyes rather than a juicy butterfly . Given its name , it is no surprise that it lays its caterpillar eggs on Aesculus pavia , or red buckeye , a favorite native shrub . When winter approaches , this butterfly will migrate in large numbers to the Florida peninsula . See if you can spot them as they pass through our area .
CAROLINA CLIMBING ASTER
Ampelaster carolinianus
The lovely Carolina climbing aster flowers in fall and winter . It is a vine-shrub that can reach lengths of ten feet with trellis support or five feet tall and wide if standing alone . As winter approaches , insects need a source of late nectar to see them through their migratory flights or to fatten up safely to winter over . This is the host plant for pearl crescent caterpillars . Songbirds and mammals will also feed on its seeds . Its fragrant flowers are known to attract a variety of late-season pollinators , including bees and butterflies , making it a valuable plant for extending the life of a pollinator garden .
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