Luca and Micaela Nursery

With close to 1,000 species worldwide, salvias are members of the mint family which also includes rosemary, thyme, lavender, and basil. Ornamental salvias are also a relative of common sage, the culinary herb used for cooking. Most varieties are native to hot, dry climates and can be grown as perennials. John Whittlesey, author of The Plant Lover's Guide to Salvias, says, "Hardy perennial salvias bring strong color and form to the early summer border." Salvias are a favorite ...of hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Their drought-resistant nature and low maintenance make them a perfect choice for an easy-care garden. We always have a great selection of salvias on hand in 4, 1g and 5g sizes. In now; Salvia white flame, Salvia skyscraper, Salvia greggii, Salvia mystic spires, Salvia munzii, Salvia clevlandii, Salvia bee balm, Russian sage, Mexican sage, Salvia coahuilensis, Salvia clev Baja, Santa Rosa island sage, and more coming in weekly open 10-3 daily

Visitors here will often see butterflies flying around our nursery and ask what they are and why the butterflies are here. Because of the unique mix of butterfly host and nectar plants we grow, we get butterflies visiting us from miles around. We define our plant mix in two categories, nectar and host. Nectar plants are flowering plants that butterflies prefer to use as food when they are in their adult butterfly form. Host plants are the specific plants that butterflies use ...for reproduction and what the caterpillar will consume; caterpillars eat plants and butterflies nectar from them. For the more common butterflies we see here in Encinitas, we grow and make available these host and nectar plants: Butterfly Nectar Plant List Top 10 Mexican Sunflower: Annual with orange blossoms; it's an absolute butterfly magnet. Lantana: Perennial that comes in many colors and blooms for 11 months. Salvia: Sage family of plants. It's enormous and we offer many varieties that butterflies and hummingbirds love. Snapdragons: Many colors to choose from, and it's a favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds. Buddleja: It's a perennial in many varieties, and butterflies love the blossoms that range from deep purple and lavender to pure white. Gillardia: Blanket flower with richly colored, daisy-like flowers that butterflies love. Heliotropium: This is a perennial with deep purple flowers that butterflies adore. Pentas: Small clusters of star-shaped flowers that bloom in red, white, lavender, pink and purple all summer long. Delphinium: Perennial with tall flower spikes in many colors with bell shaped blossoms that butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy. Alyssum: Sweet alyssum is always a favorite of bees and butterflies. Butterfly Host Plants Monarch and Queen Butterflies: Asclepias This is a common milkweed name that we stock several varieties of, both native and tropical. Gulf Fritillary Butterfly: Passiflora Passionvine is a large family; however, only a few work as host for Gulf Fritillary butterflies, and we stock several varieties. Cloudless Sulfur Butterfly: Senna or Cassia family of plants Yellow flowers on all varieties we grow here. The common names are Popcorn Cassia, Christmas Cassia and Gold Medallion. Mourning Cloak Butterfly: Willow, Poplar, Cottonwood and Elm Chinese Elm is a favorite host plant for Mourning Cloaks. Giant Swallowtail Butterfly: Rue, Citrus family and White Sapote Anise Swallowtail Butterfly: Fennel, Parsley, Dill Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly: Pipevine To successfully encourage this butterfly to breed, it requires Aristolochia Californica for spring, and you can use Aristolochia Elegans in the summer. Grey Buckeye Butterfly: Ruellia, Snapdragon, Plantain Cabbage White Butterfly: Cabbage and Bladderpod Painted Lady Butterfly: Various You can use many plants in the Mallow family, Cheeseweed and Hoary Nettle.

Open 10-3 daily. We are loaded with color. Native milkweed for monarch butterflies, Passiflora for Gulf fritillary and over a dozen salvia choices for all butterflies. We have plenty of native narrowleaf milkweed in 1g for $10 ready for your garden now all grown from seed, pesticide free. We have seed for native milkweed on sale for the more adventurous @ $2 for 100 seeds

We have big healthy 1g milkweed in three varieties. Asclepias speciosa (Showy milkweed) large 1g plants $12. Asclepias fascicularis, (California Narrowleaf Milkweed) large 1g plants $10. Asclepias Curassavica, (Tropical Milkweed) large 1g plants $10. We grow from seed pesticide free. Open daily 10-4 @ 441 Saxony Road Encinitas 92024

Our paint a rock workshop starts this Saturday with workshops at 10-11 and noon. Cost is $10 and includes all materials for the workshop and a wrist band for all day access to our butterfly free flight house. Details on our Facebook page or message here

For our friends that enjoy growing Gulf fritillary butterflies or maybe you just love the stunning blossom colors and structure of the passiflora family of vines. We are excited to announce we will be offering passiflora in four varieties starting next month! *Passiflora caerulea blue *Passiflora incense lavender *Passiflora lavender lady *Passiflora lady Margaret red ... Plants are in our grow yard getting big and ready for your garden soon

https://www.unr.edu/nevada-tod//butterflies-and-pesticides

https://www.goodearthplants.com/dont-be-a-buzz-kill-its-na/

https://lbpost.com//monarch-butterflies-have-been-all/amp/

Hollyleaf Cherry, Prunus ilicifolia. Host plant for western giant swallowtail. We have large 1g in stock now for $15

Good news the Asclepias Californica has arrived and looks fantastic. Established 1g plants $15. We have a limited supply and once it’s gone it’s gone for this year. Those that emailed please try and come tomorrow or over the weekend or email again with a contact number and we can process an order over the phone and hold for pick up. We are open 10-3 daily. Email is [email protected]

We are open and stocked with color, nectar and plants for butterflies. Open 10-3

Happy Memorial Day. We are open 10-3 today. We are well stocked with milkweed for monarch butterflies in either tropical or native. We have California pipevine in stock now. Loaded with 4 color and we have veggie starts plus we have Mexican sunflower in 4

We are open 10-3 today. We are extra super heavily stocked on native narrow leaf milkweed, (Asclepias fascicularis). We have huge 1g plants for $10. We have narrow leaf in 4 for $5 and we have narrow leaf in 32 count liners for $64. We also have Aristolochia californica, the California pipevine in 1g size for $15. California pipevine is the host plant for Pipevine swallowtail. We have root stock from last season that overwintered and is coming on strong now. Come see us for all your butterfly plant needs.

We are shipping Asclepias fascicularis, (narrow leaf milkweed) orders for western states @monarch_watch customers look for shipments starting this week. For ordering info email us @ [email protected] 32 count trays of Asclepias fascicularis $64 plus tax plus shipping western states only milkweedformonarchs

Aristolochia californica, the California pipevine, California Dutchman's-pipe, or California snakeroot is a perennial woody vine of western North America. California Pipevine is a fascinating plant because of it's intriguing flowers and unique relationship to the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly, who's larvae feed exclusively on the leaves of this plant. We have 1g California Pipevine coming in late this week in 1g @ $15

Pollinator friendly plants is what we do 7 days a week

Prunus ilicifolia is native to the chaparral areas of coastal California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. as well as the desert chaparral areas of the Mojave desert. A long list of Lepidoptera nectar on Hollyleaf cherry including Western Tiger Swallowtail, Anise Swallowtail, and Pale Swallowtail, California Sister, Lorquin's Admiral, Red Admiral, California Tortoiseshell, Variable Checkerspot, Edith's Checkerspot, Brown Elfin, and Hedgerow Hairstreak and many other...s. Moths visit the plant for nectar at night. Many butterflies and moths have evolved to use the plant as a host plant. Butterflies include Western Tiger Swallowtail, Pale Swallowtail, Echo Blue, and Coral Hairstreak. A very long list of moths use Prunus as a host plant. Ants, flies, lacewings, and wasps all visit Prunus blooms. Beneficial insects all visit Prunus looking for prey. We have located a few hundred in 1g and will have available staring later this week for $10. See more