Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust Pūrerehua Aotearoa

These seeds are a blend of wildflowers (annuals) which will provide nectar for butterflies and bees, and a block of mixed colour in your garden.

Here’s an example of mixed plantings using these seeds and other plants as well. These plantings are at Te Puna Quarry Park, Tauranga, later summer (April, 2009).

Nectar for butterflies and bees

Great habitat

Birds, butterflies and bees would love this!

A field day for butterflies

Monarch on Mexican marigold bush (annual)
Tithonia speciosa ‘Goldfinger’

Asclepias incarnata

Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, originated in America. There are two varieties – one has white flowers, one has pink flowers. We only have the variety with pink flowers.

Swamp Milkweed is not affected by frost over winter and once established will provide good supplies of feed in the early part of the season while you are getting your Swan plant seedlings up to a reasonable size. But the plant may not be suitable as your sole source of food for Monarch caterpillars as it loses its leaves before the last of the caterpillars have finished feeding.

The plants can be propagated either by seed or by division of the root mass of a mature plant.

Plant seed as soon as possible into seedling pots or seed trays – and then prick seedlings out into larger pots when they have 2-3 true leaves. First year plants will normally only have a single stem but in following years will produce multiple stems as the roots develop. Light browsing by caterpillars is okay in the first year but ensure that there is a reasonable amount of foliage retained to enable the plant to develop a strong healthy root mass.

In late autumn the plant will lose its leaves and stems will die back. It is not dead; just mark the spot with a stake and wait for new shoots to come up in the spring. If the seedling appears to die when planted out into its permanent position do not be hasty in replacing it. In most cases you will find it will resprout.

Contents 20-30 seeds.

Asclepias curassavica or Tropical Milkweed is a native milkweed from America. Monarchs will lay eggs on it – and it makes an attractive addition to the garden, very popular as a nectar source. 20-30 seeds in a packet.

Two varieties available:
* Gold (with yellow petals and centres)
* Scarlet (scarlet-orange petals, gold centres). Sometimes referred to as ‘bloodflower’

Sow directly in the garden when soil is warmer. For earlier sowings use seed mix in egg cartons (or similar) and cover with a light sprinkling of topsoil. Keep moist and warm. Transplant when seedlings are 5-10cm tall.

Also known as Tropical Milkweed

Beautiful, brilliant yellow flowers

Asclepias species are the American milkweeds, and are named after Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, because of the many folk-medicinal uses of the plants.

Pollination is particularly interesting with milkweed.

The pollen is grouped into complex structures called pollinia (or pollen sacs), rather than individual grains typical for most plants.The feet or mouthparts of insects visiting the flowers slip into one of the five slits formed by the adjacent anthers in the flowers.The bases of the pollinia then mechanically attach to the insect, pulling a pair of pollen sacs free when the pollinator flies off. Pollination is effected by the reverse procedure in which one of the pollinia becomes trapped within the anther slit of another flower.

The fruit is interesting too: Seeds develop in cigar-shaped pods which have soft filaments known as either silk or floss. The filaments are attached to individual seeds. When the seed pod ripens, the seeds are blown by the wind, each carried by several filaments.

(25-50 seeds per packet)

Gomphocarpus physocarpus or the ‘Giant Swan Plant‘. More robust, and more resistant to the onslaught of the caterpillars, much more resilient than the Swan Plant (G. fruticosus).

When identifying the two plants, the main difference is that the seedpod of G. physocarpus is not swan-shaped (although it’s often called the Giant Swan Plant) but has round seedpods. The leaves are shorter and wider, and the plant will grow to 2-4 metres, whereas the Swan Plant reaches 1-2 metres.

Sow directly in the garden when soil is warmer. For earlier sowings use seed mix in egg cartons (or similar) and cover with a light sprinkling of topsoil. Keep moist and warm. Transplant when seedlings are 5-10cm tall.

PS Yes, the seeds USED to be classified as Asclepias physocarpa and A. fruticosa, but the herbarium at Kew Gardens and other botanists tell us the plants were reclassified in 2001 as the African family of milkweed, Gomphocarpus species.

*** CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK

Pureora (Urtica sykesii). Also known as scrub nettle. It is a host plant for red and yellow admiral butterflies. It is native to New Zealand and SE Australia.

U. sykesii is the species previously treated (incorrectly it transpires see Grosse-Veldmann et al. 2016) by NZ botanists as U. incisa Poir., an Australian species that is sparingly naturalised in NZ (where it had previously, incorrectly, been treated as U. dioica subsp. gracilis (Webb et al. 1988)). More information NZ Plant Conservation Network,

U. sykesii dies back during the Winter and regenerates again in Spring. Height variously reported between 40cm and 2m. Leaves 5-12 cm. Likes shade or mild sun and a sheltered spot. 40-50 seeds.

Urtica australis also known as southern nettle and onga.

It is a host plant for red and yellow admiral butterflies, endemic to the SW Fiordland Coast, and subantarctic islands including Stewart island and Chatham Islands. U. australis forms dense bushes up to 1m by 1m. Semi-succulent, leaves can be 200 mm diameter.

SORRY OUT OF STOCK

Liatris spicata, Blazing Star or Gayfeather, is a perennial in the sunflower/daisy family. Native to North America, it grows in moist prairies and meadows. Tall spikes of purple flowers resemble bottlebrushes/feathers up to 2 metres tall. Loved by bees and butterflies. 20-30 seeds. Seeds are $5 a packet, which includes postage and packaging.

* Pay by internet banking into the MBNZT bank account with Kiwibank  38-9009-0654693-00 .
* Send an email to  treasurer@nzbutterflies.org.nz  with details of your purchase, your name and delivery address.

Click below to be surrounded by Liatris spicata, courtesy of Prairie Moon Nursery, in Texas… imagine running through this wonderful scene!

A fascinating plant, the flowers form along the tall spikes, and these fuzzy, thistle-like blossoms form from the top to the bottom rather than in the traditional bottom to top blooming of most plants! Order items by paying into the MBNZT bank account at Kiwibank 38-9009-0654693-00 and sending an email to treasurer@nzbutterflies.org.nz with details of your purchase, your name and delivery address.

Courtesy of Prairie Moon Nursery in Texas, take a look at

*** OUT OF STOCK

Eutrochium purpureum, Joe Pye Weed, (Jopi), SYN Eupatorium purpureum is a perennial in the aster family. Native to North America, Joe Pye Weed grows well in damp settings and has many pale pink to purple flowers. Will grow to 1-2.5 metres tall. Loved by butterflies. 20-30 seeds.

Oxypetalum caeruleum has stunning sky blue, star-shaped flowers. Native to South America it can be grown as an annual of perennial. Prefers full sun and moist soils. It is said to be an alternative host plant for the monarch but as it is slow-growing and monarchs are not keen to lay on it it is better kept as a nectar source and a bright addition to the garden. 20-30 seeds

Snail vine is an attractive evergreen vine. This beautiful tropical vine, with lavender and white flowers, is native to Central and South America and thrives in full sun and high humidity.

It is also known as a snail bean or corkscrew plant and makes a very pretty addition in a hanging basket or container, where it will dangle up to 14.5 m if permitted. A member of the pea family, it will play host to the long-tailed blue butterfly, Lampides boeticus.

Botanical name is Vigna caracalla SYN Phaseolus caracalla

Growing this vine from seed is relatively easy as long as you plant the seed in full sun and loamy, moist, and slightly acidic soil. Soaking seeds overnight in warm water will aid germination. They can be directly sown outdoors in suitable climates or you can also start seeds early inside, in cooler regions. Be sure that the indoor temperature is no cooler than 22 C.. Keep the seeds damp and in indirect light. Transplant as soon as the ground warms outside or grow them in containers year round.