Ask the Expert

By Miri Talabac

for flower nectar. These include ripe or rotting fruits that have cracked or fallen off a tree, oozing sap (including from Yellow-bellied Sapsucker wells), and even animal scat. (Yes, eww…but that provides nutrients they likely can’t get elsewhere.) While most fruits are grown in full sun, both Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) and American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) will fare well in varying degrees of shade.

Butterfly Gardening

Q: I want to garden for butterflies but my yard is mostly shaded. How can I attract them? So many of the plant lists I find are for sunny areas.

A: Most butterflies forage in sunny habitats, and many of the top-performing plants for attracting other pollinators are similarly sun-loving, both of which may be reasons such lists focus on species for sun.

There are some pollinator-attracting plants you can try, though, as long as your other yard conditions suit them (soil drainage, deer-browsing issues, etc.). As with many shade-tolerant species, an exposure with some dappled sun or a few hours of direct sun will promote more bloom and denser growth than one with heavy shade. Here are some ideas among native species:

• White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata) and Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)

• Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

• Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

• Scullcap (Scutellaria, several species)

• Pussytoes (Antennaria, several species)— host plant for the American Lady

• Bugbane (Actaea racemosa)—not for nectar, but as a host plant for the Appalachian and Summer Azures

• Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

• Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)

• Allegheny Spurge (Pachysandra procumbens)

• Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

• Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) and several other deciduous species

• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)

Some butterflies that prefer woodland habitats use other sources of nourishment to supplement or substitute

Some butterfly adults will also mudpuddle, where they use damp spots or their own saliva to extract minerals from soil, akin to a salt lick for mammals. If you have a patch of exposed soil in the garden (such as an area attractive to our native ground-nesting solitary bees), you may draw the attention of a passing butterfly. If you’re worried about weed takeover or erosion, you could try making a mud puddle of sorts in a birdbath so it’s contained. Clay-heavy soils are probably more useful to mud-puddlers than sandy soils because they retain more nutrients.

Cherry Laurel Substitutes

Q: I’m getting tired of holes in my Cherry Laurel leaves, which I’ve learned is an infection. I hear they can get scale outbreaks, too, which sounds daunting. What substitutes can I try?

A: We definitely over-plant this shrub, and while nothing is going to look exactly like Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) in all aspects, there are several alternatives to try. In any application where this shrub has proven popular (hedging, screening, foundation planting), using a mix of species instead of a single type will give the planting more resilience in the face of potential pests, diseases, or harsh weather. No plant is immune to problems, but with varied vulnerabilities, no single issue is likely to cause an eyesore or necessitate treatment in a mixed-species planting.

Candidates for replacement will depend on your goals for the planting and what the site conditions are like. While Cherry Laurel are adaptable to full sun or mostly shade, other species might not be that forgiving of such a range in light. If you don’t need the plants to be completely evergreen, your options will broaden.

If you want a relatively compact evergreen for a partially or predomi- nantly shady spot, consider Leucothoe (Leucothoe axillaris, L. fontanesiana, and Agarista populifolia). Several similar-looking species and cultivars are commonly available, with a few blushing maroon-red in winter and others boasting variegation. Deer generally avoid browsing them, and they will tolerate soil with more dampness than Cherry Laurel would. A new variety of an Asian species, Leucothoe keiskei, has been entering the market recently, although I have not heard of any concerns about invasiveness.

Of rising prominence at some area nurseries (especially in Northern Virginia) is Distylium, a non-native Witch Hazel cousin with matte evergreen foliage. Several have a squat growth habit quite similar to ‘Otto Luyken’ Cherry Laurel. The caveat: They are marginally cold-hardy here, and a cold snap or harsh winter could cause winterburn on the foliage or potentially some branch dieback. Locations taking advantage of a favorable microclimate (like siting near a sun-warmed wall) can provide enough of a buffer to avoid the brunt of the damage.

Other ideas: Illicium (several species and hybrids; also cold-sensitive, but great in shade with deer); Glossy Abelia (Linnaea x grandiflora; long-blooming but not reliably evergreen); Holly-leaf Osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus; fragrant blooms and avoided by deer); and Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra; densest in full sun and best unsheared), plus a variety of other hollies. o

Miri Talabac is a Certified Professional Horticulturist who has worked as a horticulture consultant for the University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center since 2019. To ask a gardening or pest question, go to http://extension.umd. edu/hgic and scroll to “connect with us.” Digital photos can be attached.