See what a pearl crescent butterfly and caterpillar looks like, and learn which flowers will attract them to your garden.
A pearl crescent butterfly is a delightful visitor to your yard or garden. Here are answers to the most common questions asked about these beautiful pollinators.
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What Does a Pearl Crescent Butterfly Look Like?
Courtesy James HousleyPearl crescent on black-eyed Susan
The upperside of each wing is orange with large black patches and stripes. A small, pale crescent moon-shaped marking is on the underside of each wing. Their wingspan measures only about 1 1/4 inches wide.
Look for pearl crescents in most of the U.S. east of the Rockies and parts of southern Canada. They’re commonly spotted in gardens, fields, roadsides and near woodlands.
Courtesy Paul HogsettPurple aster blooms attracted this pearl crescent.
Asters are their favorite nectar source and your best bet for attracting adult pearl crescents. But you can attract these butterflies with almost any nectar producing flowers.
Best Host Plants to Grow
Adults lay minuscule white-green eggs in clusters on a variety of asters, which are their host plants. Try growing North American native heath aster (Aster ericoides), which flowers in late summer and early fall, making it a great source of nectar for late-season pollinators. Other good choices are frost aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum var. pilosum) and Drummond’s aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii var. texanum).
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