Greetings to all,

In spite of the many changes and challenges we have seen this Spring, we have been quite busy at MBG. We are finishing our spring planting of annuals and some tropical plants in some of our larger beds. The biggest project this spring has been our new overflow parking area. We have done our best to make it as "Botanical" as possible.
We have added several new species of trees, shrubs, and conifers as well as using Red 'Drift' roses as a ground cover in two of the larger areas. I hope you will find it to be a very welcoming space, the next time you visit. One of the spaces we are completing now is a wildflower area on the East end of the parking lot.

Our Online Plant Sale has wound down, now that the bulk of the planting season is past. We will be open for online pickup at the Nursery on Tuesdays and Fridays for now.
We hope to have our usual in person plant racks stocked outside our newly renovated Visitor Center when it reopens.

In this issue of Vine LIne, Jill Maybry will tell you why you may or may not see butterflies when you visit our Butterfly garden or even in your own backyard. Sherri McCalla as usual, will tell more than you ever knew possible to do with Elderberries. I have had Elderberry wine once long ago, but I never knew all the positive aspects of this plant that many consider a roadside weed.

Wishing all of you a productive and relaxing time in your own gardens.
MBG Director of Horticulture
Bring on the Butterflies!
As the Curator of the MBG’s Butterfly Garden, I’ve been asked a lot of questions about the garden this spring. (Which I love! I’m always happy to talk plants and butterflies!) The most common question has been, “So where are all the butterflies?” And I’m always happy to explain that they are on their way! It just takes them a little time, due to their life cycle, to appear in enough numbers to be very noticeable.

Butterflies need strong sunlight and warm air temperatures to heat up their little insect bodies enough to fly, and they need food (typically flower nectar, sometimes fruit juices from wild, overripe fruit) to give them the energy to fly. Winter doesn’t offer much of any of these things. So different butterfly species spend the winter in different ways: perhaps as an egg, attached to a twig in a tree or shrub. Perhaps as a caterpillar, in a form of hibernation called diapause, buried in the leaf litter of a garden bed. Perhaps as a chrysalis, disguised as a dried leaf. Or perhaps even as an adult, whether as one that has migrated to warmer climates for a few months, or one that has stayed right here, taking shelter from the winter weather in loose tree bark.
Once the weather warms in the spring, and fresh new leaves start pushing out on host plants (such as spicebush, the host plant of the spicebush swallowtail, and tulip poplar trees, one of many hosts of the tiger swallowtail, and hackberry trees, which are hosts to several varieties of our local butterflies), things begin to happen: those eggs hatch, and those overwintering caterpillars wake up, and they begin to eat. The pupae warm up, and when the butterflies within have finished their transformation, they emerge, ready to seek food and mates. The overwintering adults creep out of their winter hiding places, also in search of food and mates. The butterfly species that have migrated south begin their journey back north for the summer.
It takes time for these numbers to build. After finding a mate, the adults will lay eggs, which may take 4-10 days to hatch. The resulting caterpillars may spend 2-4 more weeks munching, munching, munching, becoming ever fatter until they have accumulated enough energy to pupate (form a chrysalis). Then yet another waiting game begins: it often takes 10-20 days before the pupae will split open to release the newly formed adult butterfly inside. Then this adult will take flight, again in search of food and a mate, and a fresh set of eggs can be laid. The whole cycle begins again.

The point is, this process takes a while. Many overwintering butterflies, whether egg, larva, pupa, or adult, end up eaten by hungry predators over the winter. It takes time for their numbers to build up again in spring and early summer, as they go about their business of making more butterflies. Fortunately, here we are! Many species are on their second or even third generation by this point, and their numbers have increased enough that they are becoming noticeable! As I walked through the Butterfly Garden this morning, I noted many of the smaller species: orange and brown pearl crescents, skippers in shades of gold and yellow, and tiny blue and gray hairstreaks. The larger species are slowly trickling in, too. Yesterday I saw my first brilliant yellow and black tiger swallowtail of the season, as well as an elusive black and white zebra swallowtail. In the past week I’ve seen a buckeye, a painted lady, a white peacock, and a red-spotted purple. The numbers of all of these species are steadily increasing, and their sightings will increase as well. There are a spicebush swallowtail and a monarch, both in pupa form, in the Caterpillar house, ready to be released outside once they eclose.
We have even more species to look forward to in the near future. Black swallowtails should be apparent soon, as their larvae munch away on our parsley and dill and fennel, before becoming beautiful black and blue adult butterflies. The lovely orange and black gulf fritillary migrates to the gulf states over the winter, and shows up back in Memphis in mid-late summer. They lay a huge number of eggs on our native passionvines, and their adorable orange and black caterpillars waste no time chowing down on those lush leaves. Within a couple of weeks, the air should be swirling with new gulf fritillary adults, eager to mate and lay eggs of their own. Then in the fall, the monarchs will migrate back through our area, stopping to feed at milkweeds and asters and other late summer and fall-blooming plants.
It’s not too late to add butterfly-attracting plants to your yard! Butterfly bushes and coreopsis plants are great nectar sources. (I have found Coreopsis ‘Route 66’ to be especially enjoyed by pollinators of all kinds.) Purple-coneflowers, Echinacea purpurea , purple gayfeather, Liatris , and bee balm, Monarda , are all great perennial choices. Quick-growing annuals from seed, such as zinnias, cosmos and Mexican sunflowers, Tithonia, still have time to grow and flower in time to feed those hungry late summer butterflies.

So get excited, and get ready to enjoy our wonderful butterfly season! We’ve just gotten started.

By Jill Maybry, MBG Butterfly & Delta Heritage Gardens Curator
Elderflowers as Food and Medicine
Have you noticed the large, white, fragrant flowers on plants on the edges of roads and woodlands? It is highly likely the flower in question is an elder flower from an Elderberry Shrub. Sambucus canadensis, is a large shrub native to North America. It has preference for moist, well-drained soils and full sun, but it will thrive in bright shade. Elders will produce more flowers – which will turn into berries- in locations with more sun. Allow a minimum of 6 hours of full sun for best flower/berry production. This plant can easily grow up to 10’ high and wide. It can be a loose, sprawling creature that can sucker easily and form large colonies. This is a plant that can be planted near black walnut trees: it can withstand black walnut toxicity. Elderberries are great pollinator plants, as well a food sources for birds. Elders can withstand a bit of drought, once established, but will perform better with about an inch of water a week. The Mid-south weather has offered Elderberry shrubs the optimum conditions for growth this year and the result, in my opinion is extraordinary! Creamy clusters of sweet-smelling flowers sway in the breeze all over my pasture at home and in chosen places in the Herb Garden. Traditionally, this plant is purported to have antiseptic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Elderflowers may help reduce blood glucose levels and are rich in bioflavonoids. The largest quantities of flavanols in the flowers are the antiviral quercetin and anthocyanins. The flowers also contain triterpenoids that offer the benefits of being analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer. The anti-inflammatory effects are purported to be especially effective for the upper respiratory system when taxed by colds, flu, and sinus issues. 
Medicinal uses aside, elderflowers have lovely uses, although the elderberry leaves, stems, and green berries are toxic and should not be eaten. The black berries are considered safe, but best once heated lightly. The flowers and the small bits of stems holding the flowers are considered safe-avoid the larger stems which have had time to form the toxic alkaloids.
One of my first memories from when I joined the Memphis Herb Society is a lively, fragrant, sparkling beverage that they called Elderflower Cordial. Here is the recipe from Today’s Herbal Kitchen (a cookbook produced by and can be purchased from the Memphis Herb Society. Email them at [email protected] for pricing and more information.) 
Elderberry Syrup (author’s note: this seems to be a misnomer)
  • 60 large elderberry blossoms
  • 6 lemons, sliced
  • 6 oranges, sliced
  • 4 ounces citric acid
  • 5 quarts water
  • 2 ½ pounds sugar

1.  Combine blossoms and next 4 ingredients in a plastic container. Let stand 24 hours.
2. P ut mixture through a sieve to remove blossoms and fruit. Add sugar to strained mixture, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3.   Pour into bottles and store in a cool place, refrigerate if possible. Use within 2 to 3 months for peak flavor. Yield about 5 quarts.  

Mix with sparkling water for a refreshing and unusual drink. Place springs of fresh lemon balm or lemon verbena in glass when served.
In eastern Austria, the syrup is mixed with sparkling water and considered a drink to good health.

If a resulting 5 quarts seems to be daunting, I would bet this recipe could be halved (though I have NOT tried doing so!). have seen recipes for dipping the flowerheads in batter, frying them, and eating the resulting fritters.
I have not tried this, but it would have to be tasty. I searched online and found many interesting recipes using the Elder’s flower: a variation of the MHS recipe from above, produces an “Elder Flower Evening Beverage.” A little difference of ingredients, a smaller resulting batch, and incorporates some alcoholic libation (hmmmm…). I saw recipes for Elderflower teas, sorbets, vinegars, and wines. Another recipe made a smaller batch, included a bit longer cooking time, and the resultant syrup was used over pancakes; I am guessing the recipe I am giving you could be used as pancake syrup, too, though a bit of cooking prior to use might make a thicker syrup. This recipe could be used as sweetener for tea, drizzled over cakes and cookies, or where ever sugar would normally be used (be sure to allow for the liquid in this syrup if you use it in a recipe calling for dry sugar as this will change your results). You could add the sparkling water and a splash of vodka, wine, tequila, etc., or even use sparkling wine instead of the sparkling water.

While social distancing, why not get out into the sunshine, get your daily quota of vitamin D, and make something that is refreshing as well as good for you?

By Sherri McCalla, Herb Garden Curator at Memphis Botanic Garden
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Something you want to see or learn more about? Email our Horticulture Director [email protected] .

To read past issues of The Vine Line, click here.