Update from Karen Murphy, Stormwater Garden Designer

I’m happy to report that Stormwater’s second grant from the Richland County Conservation Committee has been approved!

Caption: Crescent butterfly on mountain mint.

For this grant, I will continue to work on removing non-native, invasive species and add native trees, shrubs, and understory plants as they become available. The Native Plant Society of the Midlands has been an excellent resource for us.

I will also be organizing and offering at least four workshops for the public on topics related to the Pollinator Garden at Stormwater. (Details to come.)

Today, I am highlighting a plant that is so attractive to pollinators that you often hear the insects buzzing away before you recognize it. Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) is both a source of pollen and nectar. Appalachian mountain mint is the host plant for the Gray hairstreak butterfly and most bumblebees. Think of mountain mint as a welcome mat for beneficial insects.

Caption: The red-banded Hairstreak butterfly is native to the southeastern US.

Karen Murphy
Stormwater Garden Designer
Master Naturalist