Moths are Ecosystem Main Characters - and They Need Native Plants

Now that we’re finally getting consistent rain, I’ve been trying to plant out my larger native seedlings in between the showers so nature can do the heavy lifting of watering them for me. Yesterday I was on a mission to plant a mixture of common evening primrose seedlings (Oenothera biennis) I winter sowed in January 2025 and forgot about so they never left the container and ones I winter sowed in January. I replanted all of them in a protected community garden bed in April and both are now indistinguishable in size!

Every January no matter how much I say I'm not going to overdo it, I get overly ambitious and ignore the sheer number of seedlings I'll have or that many of them will be in my care for up to a year or more. I inevitably have trays of seedlings from the previous year that don't get my full attention.

Common evening primrose are biennials and complete their lifecycle in two growing seasons. Biennials, like annuals, are pioneer or ruderal (“rubble”) species and are the first plants to appear and thrive in disturbed areas. They tend to fade away once an area becomes more established and the longer-lived perennials take their place. They also have deep tap roots and can be difficult to move. I like to get them settled in my rewilded yard the first year I sow them. This year, the plants sown last year will flower.

One of the rewards of planting out so many common evening primrose seedling is seeing native bees IN the flowers!

Biennials also tend to have lots of seeds and a high germination rate since this is the only way for them to reproduce. There are tons of seedlings and I am planting them everywhere that I think might fit their growing needs - knowing not all of them will survive! I also pot them up to share. (If you’re in Atlanta and don’t use pesticides in your outside space, hit me up in the fall for the seedlings I potted up – by then they’ll have nice strong root systems)

I find places to squeeze seedlings in my abundantly planted rewilded yard. I also spread native plant love by potting up seedlings that I know are ambitious growers to give away to new habitat gardeners or donate to my favorite people doing regeneration work at local parks.

 A movement in the tray where I had the seedlings caught my eye and I realized it was a tiny yellow woolly bear caterpillar that will become a virginian tiger moth. It was thrashing its head about to ward off a predator – me!

You can see where this wee caterpillar has been chomping on the primrose leaves!

This little woolly bear may not make it to adulthood which is okay. My yard is designed to be a caterpillar nursery because of how important caterpillars are to the ecosystem.

Moth caterpillars like my little friend are the main course for birds. Moths and butterflies are both in the lepidoptera order which is made up of 90% moths but only 10% butterflies. In North America there are about 750 butterfly species and 12,000 moth species!

Moths are essential for a healthy ecosystem so offering a safe space for them is imperative!

Yellow woolly bear caterpillars thrive in biodiverse yards - they are generalists and feed on over a couple dozen native plants where I live.

Yellow woolly bear caterpillars are not all that picky about the plants they eat - last fall I found this one chomping away on the native wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) I let ramble wherever it wants as part of the living mulch in my yard. Wild strawberry is a top habitat powerhouse hosting 60 species of butterflies and moths!

Common evening primrose which is a popular habitat support plant and one the yellow woolly bear caterpillar eats. According to the National Wildlife Federation site ranking host plants by zip code, evening primrose is in the top 20 plants and hosts around 19 species of lepidoptera in Georgia zip codes (Check out this article HERE that I wrote a couple years ago with more details about common evening primrose including its value to wildlife such as native bees, moths, goldfinches, woodpeckers, and hummingbirds)

Common evening primrose adds so much to an ecosystem - which is why I continue to propagate it and try to get everyone else to grow it!

Our yards can be a place of wonder and life if we add native plants that will nurture the ecosystem such as common evening primrose. We also need to make it a safe space for the wildlife we are welcoming by not using yard pesticides that might harm them. Using any kind of pesticide is like making an abundant buffet of food for guests then sprinkling it with arsenic!

I found a clever yard sign at a local business called BBuckets where I get my ready made mosquito buckets. I just love that it mimics the look of the warning signs the pesticide companies put on yards after drenching them in poison. This cheeky sign indicates there are NO pesticides and it is a safe space for all living things.

I’m rooting for the little yellow woolly bear caterpillar who tenaciously stayed on the primrose when I planted it. Yet it’s nesting season, so if he doesn’t make it, he’ll be a nutritious meal for a baby bird somewhere in or around my yard…

I'm delighted when I get to see caterpillars, moths, and butterflies in my yard yet I know they are also an important part of the food web. Without them, I also wouldn't be gifted with seeing birds feed their precious babies in my yard!

Note: There are no affiliate links in this blog – I enjoy the freedom that comes from speaking my mind and elevating those helping nature in some way. The highlighted text throughout the post might be references, details, explanations, worthy organizations and businesses, or examples that I think might be helpful 😊