June Plant of the Month - Gregg’s Mistflower

Gregg’s Mistflower – Conoclinium greggii

(before 2000 C.E.: Eupatorium greggii)

By Linn Cates

Monarch on Mistflower in Butterfly Garden at HNWR (Photo by Truett Cates)

With great anticipation of what is to come, I sighted the first Gregg’s Mistflower blossom at the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Butterfly Garden on Sunday, June 3rd.

I had seen the first at Austin College’s Idea Center Native Plants Garden 2 days earlier. 

I check daily, but mine hasn’t bloomed yet. 

Photo by Truett Cates

All this excited anticipation because what is to come is amazingly beautiful to behold. Gregg’s Mistflower, to my mind, wins the prize for attracting beautiful butterflies.

Queens on Mistflower (Photo by Truett Cates)

Look for Gregg’s Mistflower in the Hagerman NWR Butterfly Garden, but not on the trails. Gregg’s Mistflower is native to areas in west and south Texas. Our native is Blue Mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum which grows in East, Southeast and North Central Texas.

You will see many pollinator species on this plant; you might see a flock of Queens happily nectaring away during your visit to the garden. It is especially exciting to see the Monarchs nectaring on it in October on their amazing 3000-mile migration south each year.

While Gregg’s Mistflower is not native to North Central Texas,  it performs so nicely here in our Butterfly Garden setting that we have invited it in to stay. Its cousin, Blue Mist Flower (Conoclinium coelestinum), our region’s native, stays in the fields at Hagerman. The Wasowskis caution about Blue Mist in Native Texas Plants writing that “one of these plants is usually enough” to invite into a garden.

Identifying Gregg’s Mistflower

Though you won’t be needing to hone your ID skills to locate Gregg’s Mistflower at Hagerman –it is labelled in the Butterfly Garden-- you may encounter it in the wild on travels south and west.  It grows on chalky, calcareous soils that get seasonally flooded. It grows to a height of 1-3 feet, usually 1 ½’, and because it spreads readily by way of underground rhizomes, it will form a mat or colony and may have spread over vast areas if the moisture and sun conditions were conducive. The leaves are about 2” long and a little less wide, very cut out looking on the leaf margin, and arranged in pairs opposite one another along the stem. The bloom is made up of small purplish-blue flowers clustered together to form cushion like 2” flower heads. This plant tends to seek shade because of its preference for lightly moist soils so you most often encounter it in dappled shade in the wild. On the USDA Plants Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COGR10)  you can zoom in on the range map for this plant to see its native range by county-- something I like to do as I’m learning about a native plant species.

I also like to glean all I can from the common and scientific names of species. Josiah Gregg (1806-1850) was an avid naturalist, who explored Texas and Mexico, in the 1840’s, and then points west to California before he died. The American Botanical Society has added the Latin name “Greggi” to 23 species of plants in his honor. “Mist” in the name is thought to refer to the blurry look of the florescence. “Conoclinium” is from the Latin for “little cone-shaped bed.”

Growing Gregg’s Mistflower in Your Texoma Garden

I’ve enjoyed getting to know this plant over the years in different gardens, therefore in different growing conditions. Some of us gardeners will remember our own, very special plant person, Jesse Stephens who wrote a weekly column in the Sherman Democrat on gardening, published several garden-related books, and ran a garden store called “The Backyard Nature Store” from which she also did landscape consulting. In this capacity, Jesse planned a xeriscape landscape for the front garden of the Belden Street Montessori School where I taught. 

In choosing the perfect plant for a flower bed that bordered the benches where our preschoolers waited to be picked up after school, she chose Gregg’s Mistflower. It was soft, in case a child fell into the flowers; short enough that the children could see over the plants while sitting; and it was often covered in butterflies and other pollinators, so the children could watch nature and contemplate as they unwound after a busy school day. Perfect!,  we decided, but our Gregg’s Mistflower decided otherwise. It found the spot too sunny and over time it grew only in one small shadier triangular corner of the bed and eventually “walked,” as Jesse described it, across the sidewalk to the dappled shade under a newly planted redbud tree! 

We most likely could have kept the plant in our intended place had we met its water requirement; but alas this was a xeriscape landscape and we used a minimum of water in it.

Gregg’s Mistflower spreads by underground stems or rhizomes, putting up new plants all along it or as in the case of the “walking” plant putting up new plants on the other side of the sidewalk. This growth pattern has led some gardeners to call it “aggressive.” My observations in my garden, at HNWR Butterfly Garden, at Austin College’s Idea Center Gardens, and even at the Montessori School garden indicate that it is easy to pull out any strays and that environmental factors, like shade and moisture, naturally limit expansion. And one benefit of this growth pattern is that it yields plants you may want to have in new garden areas. This photo shows plants that have walked under a fence, and I welcomed that. 

Photo by Truett Cates

You may want to share the rhizomes as new plants with friends and neighbors. I have tried directly transplanting and potting up for a while to establish more root hardiness before planting. 

Photo by Truett Cates

Both ways work! This my new Gregg’s mist plot with both potted and directly transplanted individuals.

Photo by Truett Cates

A couple of tips when including this plant in your space: 

• It can be a filler around showier plants. 
• Overwatering makes it more aggressive.

I am curious about the mistflower native to our area, Conoclinium coelestinum (coelestinum for “sky blue.”) I will be looking for it on walks in the area, and plan to invite one, maybe just one, into my garden. I have bought the seeds and will share. Any takers? This queen wants to know.

Photo by Truett Cates

References: World-wide Web

Denton County Master Gardener Association. Article on Gregg’s Mist Flower. https://dcmga.com/north-texas-gardening/perennials/master-gardener-favorites/greggs-mist-flower/

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cogr10 (plant profile for Gregg’s Mist Flower)

Monarch Butterfly Gardens. https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/ (Article on Gregg‘s Mist Flower. Conoclinium greggii)

US Department of Agriculture Plants Data Base.  https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COGR10

Wikivisually. Conoclinium coelestinum. (Article and video on Blue mist-flower, the species native to North Central Texas.) https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Conoclinium_coelestinum. 

References: Books

Diggs, George, et al. 1999. Shiners and Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute of North Texas and Austin College. Ft. Worth, Tx

Wasowski, Sally and Andy Wasowski. 1997. Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region By Region, 2nd edition

Photo Credits

©Truett Cates

@Linn Cates

Beyond the Butterfly Garden – October, 2017

 By Laurie Sheppard

Butterflies can be found at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge during any month or season, and throughout the year, visitors are encouraged to look beyond the Butterfly Garden to find them. The profusion of color that summer and fall flowers bring is over. Now is the time for butterflies to feed on small flowers or late blooms. Migrants are often seen looking for places to spend the night.

Without a doubt, the Monarch is the star of the season! We are fortunate to have these beauties year round but in October, Monarchs from everywhere east of the Rockies are passing through Texas on the way to their wintering grounds in Mexico. You will find them all over the refuge, either looking for food or landing on leaves as they search for a secure place to rest for the night.

The most similar mimic of the Monarch is the Viceroy. The Viceroy is easily identified by the black line through their hindwing. Viceroys do not migrate like Monarchs. Instead, mature caterpillars create a shelter from a rolled Cottonwood or Willow leaf in which to spend the winter.

The Queen is smaller and typically a rich brown color, but also mimics the Monarch. Their behavior is similar as well. Queens sometimes gather to roost communally at night and in Texas, they appear to migrate. The Queen’s caterpillar host is Milkweed, like the Monarch’s, which makes them distasteful to predators. All three of these are seen together in the Butterfly Garden.

The Red-spotted Purple is a strikingly patterned butterfly with an iridescent blue hindwing above. They are not often found nectaring on blooms, instead feeding on tree sap, rotting fruit, or animal dung. Their larvae feed on Oaks and Cottonwoods, and caterpillars over-winter.

The Tawny Emperor is related to but less common than the Hackberry Emperor. They lay their eggs on Hackberry trees and rarely visit flowers, so look for them in the woods on Oil Field Rd. Tawny Emperor caterpillars overwinter in groups of ten (10) or so in a curled dead leaf.

Fall is a good time to find southern strays like the Brazilian Skipper. These are very large compared to other skippers and fly spring to fall in south Texas. Look for them in the Butterfly Garden and then see if you can find them elsewhere on the refuge. Present only in small numbers, it’s unlikely they breed in Grayson County.

Other strays you might find in the garden include the Mallow Scrub-hairstreak which could be easily overlooked as being “just another Gray Hairstreak.” These are usually found in the Rio Grande Valley and do not cross the Red River but we’ve found them annually at Hagerman.

 A rare stray seen here is the Tailed Orange. Typically a butterfly of Mexico, in years with heavy rains, these migrate north into Texas. They are very similar to the Sleepy Orange but their hindwing narrows to a distinctive point.

NOTE: Laurie Sheppard is a Texas Master Naturalist.  She will be presenting the program, "Butterflies at HNWR", at the Refuge on Butterfly Day, October 14, and also demonstrate tagging.

Beyond the Butterfly Garden, September, 2017

Text and Photos by Laurie Sheppard


Butterflies can be found at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge during any month or season, and throughout the year, visitors are encouraged to look beyond the Butterfly Garden to find them. With the shorter days and cooler temperatures, the roadways are lined with Sunflowers and Eryngo. Prairie Aster, Saw Leaf Daisy, and Frostweed are popular nectar plants now.

L-R, Pearl, Phaon, and Texan Crescents

The Pearl Crescent is one of the most common small butterflies at Hagerman NWR. It feeds on a wide variety of flowers and it can be seen in many habitats. Its larval hosts are members of the Aster family, so fall is a great time to find Pearl Crescents in all parts of the refuge.

The Phaon Crescent is similar in size and coloring, but can easily be distinguished by the contrasting cream or white band on the forewing, Phaon Crescent and Pearl Crescent often feed on the same nectar plants, but Phaon Crescent will lay eggs only on Frogfruit. Look for both of these on the lakeside ends of pad roads where you find spreading patches of Frogfruit.

The Texan Crescent is similar in size to other crescents and is in the same family, although it is much darker than its orange cousins and has a distinctive white band on its hindwing. A resident of south Texas, it regularly but infrequently strays north to the refuge. Look for it in open areas along roadsides and beside the lake, such as in the Goode Unit and Haller Haven Trail.

The Bordered Patch (shown at right) is slightly larger than

the crescents but is similarly shaped and belongs to the same family. The broad orange band on its hindwing and predominantly dark upper side make it easy to identify, although its coloring can be quite variable. This butterfly lays its eggs on Sunflower and Ragweed plants, which are plentiful on the refuge in the fall. It is found feeding along with crescents regularly but infrequently, as Hagerman NWR is at the edge of its normal range.

On woodside edges or open fields, look for the Common Wood-nymph (below, at left), a larger, brown butterfly, with prominent eye spots on its forewing. These are frequently found in the Sandy Unit between Oil Field Rd and Sandy Point Rd, or near the Goode Picnic Area. They lay their eggs on grasses in the fall. Larvae hatch but do not feed until spring. Instead, they overwinter as dormant caterpillars. Common Wood-nymphs hatch only one brood per year, but the adults are on the wing summer to fall.

In early fall, the Pipevine Swallowtail (above, right) becomes very common on the auto tour roads, especially on Plover, where its larval host plants grow wild. Caterpillars of this species feed on noxious Pipevine plants which makes the adults unpalatable to typical butterfly predators so they are avoided. Several other butterfly species use this to their advantage, which is why most black swallowtail butterflies appear similar. Look for an iridescent blue wash on the upper hindwing of the Pipevine Swallowtail, and a single row of large orange spots edging the hindwing below.

The White M Hairstreak (left, below) is rarely identified at Hagerman NWR but it is so similarly marked to the Gray Hairstreak that it may simply be overlooked. A single white dash on the leading edge of the forewing distinguishes it from other hairstreaks.

Clouded Skippers (above, right) have few distinctive characteristics, being very small and overall brown with just a few small white dots on the forewing. They may be found in open areas or woodside edges feeding on flowers but are also found on grasses, basking with open wings. They are common in fall and at times may congregate to feed.

NOTE: Laurie Sheppard is a Texas Master Naturalist and regularly volunteers in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman NWR.  This year she has written a monthly edition of Beyond the Butterfly Garden, for the Friends of Hagerman. She will be a presenter at Butterfly Day, October 14.

Beyond the Butterfly Garden – August, 2017

Text and Photos by Laurie Sheppard

Butterflies can be found at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge during any month or season, and throughout the year, visitors are encouraged to look beyond the Butterfly Garden to find them. Although it seems the heat will never end, the blooming of Snow-on-the-Prairie signals a change. Thistle still blooms and Frostweed is a popular nectar plant on roadside edges.

Some butterflies can be found throughout the United States, while others are only seen in a localized area. A few stray into a different geographic area to feed but not to deposit eggs. While climate is a key factor in where a species is found, more important is the presence of a preferred food source for caterpillars and adults.

In Grayson County, butterfly watchers have documented 87 different species and most of those have been found on the refuge. The Painted Lady, at right, 

is a frequent visitor to all parts of the refuge because the adults are willing to nectar from a wide variety of blooms. They lay eggs on Thistle, Mallow, and many other plants. As you might imagine, this makes them one of the most common butterflies found, not only in the U.S. but around the world!

The American Lady, at left, looks very similar but it has a smaller range because of its nectaring habits and larval food sources.  You might find both feeding in the same location, especially if there is thistle in the area. The two primary ways to tell them apart are the number and size of the spots on the hindwing (Painted Lady has four equally sized spots) and the presence of a white dot in the orange area near the forewing’s edge on the American Lady. Look for “ladies” wherever you see flowers.

The Southern Broken-dash, shown at right,  is an uncommon butterfly in Grayson County. As its name implies, it is found in southern states and only in the east. It is one of the many skippers found on the refuge but may be difficult to identify without a photo. The adults feed on low flowers and their caterpillars feed on grasses. Look for them in the Sandy Point unit where grasses are not mowed and fall flowers grow undisturbed.

The Skipper family is widely varied in color and characteristics. The Common Checkered-skipper, shown at left,  is the most widespread because it adapts well to any environment. These are found in nearly all habitats but their larval food source is Mallow. Look for them in disturbed areas along roadsides, especially on any of the pad roads off of Oil Field Road. 

Reakirt’s Blue, at right,  is common throughout Texas and northward into Oklahoma and Kansas. Its range extends somewhat westward but is primarily found in the center of the country. It is in the family of Gossamer-winged butterflies and is easily identified by the four dark spots on its forewing. As with many hairstreaks and blues, look for these anywhere Frog Fruit and other low flowers grow, including along the Auto Tour. 

Another western blue is the Marine Blue, at right. These are found from Texas to California, but

since Hagerman NWR is near the eastern edge of their range, they are not always seen. However, they are far from rare and it’s worth a close look at every small grayish butterfly to see how many varieties you can find. As with most hairstreaks and blues, the pad roads are good places to look, where low flowers are abundant.

The strikingly colored Great Purple Hairstreak, shown at left, is also a Gossamer-winged butterfly, although it could never be mistaken for its gray cousins. It is only found in the south, from coast to coast, because its larval host is Mistletoe. Look up in the trees to catch a glimpse of one laying her eggs. 

Laurie Sheppard is a Texas Master Naturalist and regular blogger for Friends of Hagerman.

Please note:  Butterfly Garden Walks are set for August 19, September 2, 16, and 30 -  AND  - October 14 is Butterfly Day at Hagerman NWR, a full day of butterfly themed activities, talks and more!

Beyond the Butterfly Garden - June, 2017

Text and photos by Laurie Sheppard

Butterflies can be found at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge during any month or season, and throughout the year, visitors are encouraged to look beyond the Butterfly Garden to find them. Summer heat has arrived and with it, large flowering plants like native Texas Thistle, Basket Flower, and Buttonbush have bloomed. Tiny Frog Fruit is also in flower and will be through fall.

Texas Thistle is a drought tolerant plant that can easily be found along roadways and in open fields all over the refuge. Its purple blooms are an excellent nectar source for bees, butterflies, and other insects. If you sit by a thistle, you may be rewarded with a Giant Swallowtail (shown below) sighting. These large tailed butterflies are yellow on the underside but viewed from above, they are black with a trailing row of yellow spots and a second row that stretches from wingtip to wingtip.

Buttonbush blooms best near water, and many grow along the pad roads. They thrive in very wet soil, so high water levels are of no concern. Common Buckeyes (shown below) are frequent visitors to Buttonbush, but they will also feed on many other plants. In addition, Buckeyes are found pulling minerals from white rock roads and trails. They likely are the most common butterfly seen by hikers.

Many butterflies look different above and below, but few use camouflage as effectively as the American Snout (shown below). The Snout is so named because of the long palpi extending from its face. The underside of its hindwing is brown; when it folds in its forewing and hangs on a twig, it looks like a leaf. 

In contrast, the upperside  (shown above) of the Snout shares the colors of the Monarch, with orange patches bordered by dark brown, and white spots on the wing tips. American Snout are often found in flowering trees, but they also feed on Buttonbush and other plants.

Skippers are the most populous family of butterflies in the U.S. Most are yellow or brown and characteristically perch upright with wings closed or partially open in a so-called “jet-plane position”. They can be quite challenging to identify because they are very small and the differences between species are subtle. The most common skipper found here is the Fiery Skipper (below), shown here on Frog Fruit. This plant grows as ground cover on roads to the oil pumper pads and along other roadside edges. Look down as you are driving or walking and watch for butterflies’ movement.

Also common on the refuge is the Sachem (above). These are very similar to the Fiery Skipper but rather than tiny dark spots on the wings the Sachem has larger softly contrasting areas on their wings. On the upper side, the males have a large black “stigma” that is obvious in flight. That dark area is slightly smaller in the females.

Some skippers have no visible markings at all on the underside of their wings and identification can only be done by noting the color of the wings, face, and body, or by viewing them in flight or on the occasions when they open their wings. One of these unmarked butterflies is the orange Delaware Skipper (below).

Others, like the Zabulon Skippers (above) have bold contrasting areas on their hind wings. This latter butterfly is seen from spring through fall and may be found along Oil Field Rd as well as in some more open areas. The female Zabulon Skipper is dark brown.

Note:  Some of these butterflies may also be seen in the Butterfly Garden at the Refuge.  Garden walks with docents on hand to interpret the garden are held on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of the month, through September, 9:30 - 11:30 am. Visitors are also welcome in the garden at any time during Refuge hours. Mark October 14 "Butterfly Day at HNWR" on your calendar and look forward to a day-long slate of butterfly related activities!

Beyond the Butterfly Garden – May, 2017

By Laurie Sheppard

Butterflies can be found at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge during any month or season, and throughout the year, visitors are encouraged to look beyond the Butterfly Garden to find them. As April slides into May, leaves on trees have formed a shady canopy. Native Texas spring flowers like Texas Dandelion and Texas Vervain are blooming and attracting many different butterfly species.

The west side of the refuge (Sandy Point Unit) features many roads through riparian forest and open fields as well as many points of lake access. Throughout that area, there is a wide variety of butterflies to enjoy. Look along the forest edges and in the low growing flowers on the pad roads for dark butterflies in the Skipper family.

Largest and most common of these is the Funereal Duskywing (below, left), easily identified by the white fringe trailing its hindwing. The Northern Cloudywing (below, right) is very similar in size but less distinctly marked above and has shorter brown fringe on its hindwing. Each measures about an inch and a half with wings open.

Two smaller butterflies have recently been added to the list of species found on the refuge. These two have probably always been there but because they are so tiny (less than 3/4 inch) they may have been overlooked. Bell’s Roadside-skippers (below, left)  fly low and fast and generally stay close to the ground. They perch with their wings closed. The fringe edging both the forewing and the hindwing is checkered. Unless faded, the row of spots near the edge of the hindwing appears connected.

Hayhurst’s Scallopwing (above, right) visits flowers with its wings open but unless it catches the sun, it appears solid black. In the right light, especially the female shows bands of darker and lighter brown. As its name implies, the edges of its hindwing are uneven, giving a scalloped appearance. Both of these butterflies stay close to the edges of the forest, especially in moist areas, but they do venture out to nectar on the flowers growing along the pad roads.

One larger and more distinctly patterned butterfly that is found almost exclusively in the woods is the Hackberry Emperor (above). You may find it open or closed and each side is distinctive. It generally feeds with its wings closed, showing off its white underside with its many spots and lines. If disturbed, it will frequently escape to the bark of a tree, where it may open its wings to bask in the sun.

Also frequently found in the woods is the Red Admiral (below). These have bold orange stripes on a dark brown background, and may also be seen in fields or gardens. They sometimes appear fearless, as they will often let humans get quite close before flying.

A popular visitor to home gardens, the Gulf Fritillary (below) is equally happy on the back roads and fields of the refuge. These are warm weather butterflies and are rarely seen north of Oklahoma. They nectar on many flowers and visit all types of thistle, but will lay their eggs on various species of Passion Vine.

A related butterfly frequenting open fields of wildflowers on the refuge now through fall is the Variegated Fritillary (below). More subdued in coloring, these are common throughout much of the eastern United States. They, too, will lay their eggs on Passion Vine, but also on flax, violets, and other plants. 

NOTE: A Pollinator Photo Shoot, sponsored by the Friends of Hagerman Nature Photography Club, is set for 9 - 10 am and Noon - 1 pm, Saturday, May 13, in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman NWR, weather permitting.  Come out and join in,  photographing butterflies, bees and more!

Beyond the Butterfly Garden – April, 2017

By Laurie Sheppard

Butterflies can be found at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge during any month or season, and throughout the year, visitors are encouraged to look beyond the Butterfly Garden to find them. As April begins, trees are leafing out and small yellow and white flowers cover the ground. By the end of the month, wildflowers will be showing up along the roadways. It’s a time of great change.

Butterflies that have spent the winter as adults have mated and are laying eggs to create the next generation. This makes adult Goatweed Leafwings (below left) more commonly seen at the edges of the woods. Often all you will see is a fluttering orange butterfly, but if you patiently watch, it will land and you will see how plain the upper side is compared to the Question Mark (below, right) that is also active now.

A common spring butterfly among the trees on the pad roads on Oil Field Road or out toward Sandy Point is the Little Wood-satyr. You will see them bouncing along close to the ground, blending in with the dead leaves. They do not typically visit flowers. This species has two broods but only flies in mid-late spring through early summer. You might also find two similar appearing butterflies in the woods near Meadow Pond: Carolina Satyr (below left) and Northern Pearly-eye (below right). These are much less common but have been found on the refuge. Notice the differences in the eyespots at the outer edge of the wings.

Another group of very similar looking (and tiny) butterflies become very common at this time of year. One is seen almost year-round and one is only seen for about six weeks in late spring. Others may be seen occasionally throughout the spring, summer, and fall. The common Gray Hairstreak is found everywhere, feeding on many different flowers and can be used as the standard by which to compare others in the Gossamer-winged family. 

Soapberry Hairstreak is nearly identical to Gray Hairstreak but is seen only in spring. Rarely found far from their larval food source, Soapberry trees, they will feed on flowers like Rough-leaf Dogwood. Note the additional white dash on both fore– and hindwing.

A frequent sight this spring on Oil Field Rd has been the Red-banded Hairstreak. As you pass slowly through the woods toward the lake, watch for movement in the leaf litter. These are smaller than Gray Hairstreak and often stay close to the ground.

In flight, the Eastern Tailed-blue (right) will show its

bright blue upper side, but when closed, it is very similar to the hairstreaks. Watch for these feeding on low flowers in mowed areas like Goode picnic area or near oil wells away from the lake. 

Finally, not all hairstreaks are gray or gray-brown. Look for the green Juniper Hairstreak (at left) and other unusual hairstreaks in open fields around the refuge.