Intro to Backyard Butterflies - SoCalNPG - Ep.31

This is an introduction to the behaviors of some backyard butterflies common to southern California, what flowers they like, their host plants or food plants, and other interesting details about these fascinating creatures.
It is part of a series on attracting butterflies to our native gardens by planting butterfly host plants -- plants that attract female butterflies to lay eggs on them and support the caterpillars when they hatch. In most cases these are native plants.
You will see these butterflies: Cloudless Sulphur, Grey Hairstreak, Gulf Fritillary, Giant Swallowtail, Monarch, Mournful Duskywing, Mourning Cloak, Painted Lady, and Skippers,
Butterfly behaviors discussed include: migration, nectaring, sunning, sheltering, puddling, perching, patrolling, driving off competitors, mating, laying eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis, pupate, and adult stage.
Native plants & exotics include California buckwheat, California coast sunflower, Cleveland sage, globe gilia, globemallow, grasses, legumes, oaks, thistles, willow, and yarrow, plus asclepias (milkweed), cassia/senna, citrus, lantana, passion vine, Pride of Madeira, and verbena.

[@SeaTurtle515]

Thank you for teaching us more about native plants and wildlife in So Cal. You explain things well.

[@southerncalnativeplantgard3777]

Well, thank you very kindly.

[@kevinmccoy3653]

I'm trying to figure out the difference, at a VERY quick glance, between a Sulphur Butterfly and a California Dogface. I may have both in my garden, but what I think is a Dogface never sits still and never rests with open wings. I see the sulphurs chasing each other like you say, but the Dogface is alone, and very colorful yellow with orange notes.

[@southerncalnativeplantgard3777]

I check my butterfly book and the male dogwood is very distinctive above and completely different from the cloudless sulfur. But like you say, it hardly ever lands with its wings open and so you hardly ever see the distinctive upper wings.
I've never noticed the California Dogwood in my backyard or area. They may be here, but I haven't seen them.
I suspect you are right: you probably have two different butterflies but when the underside of the wings is all you see, they're very difficult to identify or tell apart.

[@user-js3hn7vu1b]

I am very disappointed that you list Pride of Madeira as a plant to attract butterflies considering it's invasive in California. I work in habitat restoration and have spent months removing Pride of Madeira from local habitats. I expected so much more from a group calling itself a Southern Cal Native Plant Gardening.