Master Gardeners work to maintain Moraine’s butterfly trail
A trip to Moraine State Park is not complete without a walk through the Native Plant and Butterfly Trail.
Working in conjunction with Moraine, Penn State Master Gardeners of Butler County are the trail’s chief caretakers. Their goal is to educate park visitors on plants and pollinators native to the area. Since the establishment of the trail in association with several organizations and multiple volunteers in the fall of 1995, Master Gardeners have planted native perennials, shrubs and trees with an eye to enhancing habitat for insect pollinators and other wildlife.
To find the trail, start out on the North Country Trail Head near McDanel’s Boat Launch on the North Shore. Walk 0.3 miles to reach two access points. There is a network of short interconnecting trails for you to explore the 13 acres of mixed habitat and natural areas.
A major focus of the trail is to create and maintain a butterfly habitat. Native pollinators in general are in decline and butterflies are no exception. Many adult butterflies need nectar for food. Butterflies also need host plants on which to lay eggs and provide food for the growing caterpillars after hatching.
Adult butterflies are not particular about their nectar sources, and most will feed from a variety of flowers throughout spring, summer, and fall. The Trail has many perennials that provide food for adult butterflies. Make plans to visit the Trail in the spring, summer, and fall to view the various butterflies as they nectar.
Spring brings flowers of the golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), Jacob’s ladder/Greek valerian (Polemonium reptans), and native columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). In May, pinxterbloom azaleas (Rhododendron periclymenoides) reward walkers in the woodland area with a gorgeous vision of pink blooms. Butterflies such as spring azure (Celastrina ladon), question mark (Polygonia interrogationis), eastern comma (P. Polygonia comma), and mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) can be spotted along the trail. The question mark, comma, and mourning cloak butterflies overwinter as adults, and their caterpillars use early leafing trees like dogwood (Cornus florida), elm (Ulmus spp.) and black cherry (Prunus serotina) for food.
As spring turns to early summer, the blooms of golden ragwort (Packera aurea) make their appearances. Common blue violet (Viola sororia) is the host plant for the fritillary butterflies. You may spot the soft, brown wild indigo duskywing butterfly (Erynnis baptisiae), and least skipper (Ancyloxpha numitor), as well as clouded sulphurs (Colias philodice).
Through summer and into fall, there is an ever-changing panorama of color at the Trail, especially in the prairie area. The milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) bloom with their bright orange and pink colors. Pink wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) and red bee balm (M. didyma) create a glorious show. If your timing is right, you might find the prairie area covered in a magical veil of white: the tiny blooms of flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata). Their peak bloom time is between June and July.
As autumn approaches, the mauve purple Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) gives way to the deeper purple of giant ironweed (Vernonia spp). Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-anglia) show their blooms and provide a lovely backdrop to the goldenrods (Solidago spp.). These flowers provide a feast for adult butterflies.
Other butterflies you may spot during the summer and early fall include the monarch (Danaus plexippus) and its look-alike cousin, the viceroy (Limenitis archippus). You could come across great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele), red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), American or painted ladies (V. virginiensis and V. virginiensis), eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), or pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos) as they feed on the flowers. The silver spotted skipper (Epargyreus clarus) can be seen from April into October.
At the southern end of the trail, you can relax near a gazebo surrounded by native plants. The gazebo has a stunning display of handcrafted wooden butterflies on its ceiling. This display represents some of the butterflies that you may see around the trails. They are numbered, and a chart provides identification information. See how many you can find on your hike!
In addition to maintaining and enhancing the native habitats, the Master Gardeners work to keep invasive species under control. These include oriental bittersweet vines (Celastrus orbiculatus), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), crownvetch (Securigera varia) and autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata). These non-native species can outcompete native species and reduce the diversity of natural plant communities.
Come visit the butterfly trail at any season to marvel at the native plants and the insects that love them! Penn State Extension provides information about native pollinator plants, such as https://extension.psu.edu/why-use-native-plants. There are also excellent articles on invasive species management, including https://extension.psu.edu/how-growth-form-affects-invasive-plant-management. Visit the trail’s website for a downloadable map (https://www.morainepreservationfund.org/activities/butterfly-trail/).
For more information about pollinator-friendly and native plants contact the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Butler County’s Garden Hotline at 724-287-4761, ext. 7, or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.
Mary Shannon is a Penn State Extension Butler County Master Gardener.
