Late Summer 2025 Snapshots From Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Garden

— Written by Debbie Roos | September 22, 2025 (Updated: Sept. 23, 2025, 9:38 a.m.)

Cooperative Extension's Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden was created in late 2008 at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro to provide forage from early spring to late fall for pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, wasps, butterflies, flower flies, hummingbirds, beetles, and other beneficial insects. The garden features over 235 unique species of perennials, 85% of which are native to North Carolina. The garden is a great teaching tool that I use to conduct workshops and tours for hundreds of folks each year. It has taught me so much and I enjoy sharing this knowledge with others. Below you can see photos of the pollinator garden from mid-July through mid-September. There were over 60 species in bloom in early September!

Click here for links to all the seasonal photo collections

Luna moth on joe-pye weed. — Luna moth on joe-pye weed (Eutrochium dubium). Photo by Debbie Roos.

"Trash bug" on common milkweed. — "Trash bug" on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). It's a predatory green lacewing larva that camouflages itself with "trash" it finds - plant seeds or shed insect exoskeletons or the remains of insects that it just devoured. They use their mandibles like a shovel to pick up debris and attach it to the bristles on their back (or on top of the existing trash pile!). You can see the larva's head and mandibles peeking out from the top of the "trash pile" in the photo. Photo by Debbie Roos.

American groundnut vine, also called potato bean (Apios americana), is a native perennial vine with a stunning and unique bloom. It produces edible tubers and pods. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Potter wasp on late figwort (Scrophularia marilandica). Photo by Debbie Roos.

Hummingbird moth nectaring on obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana). Photo by Debbie Roos.

Fresh, recently emerged Asian lady beetle (far left). Photo by Debbie Roos.

Female ruby throated hummingbird nectaring on buttonbush. — Female ruby throated hummingbird nectaring on buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Photo by Debbie Roos.

Eastern giant swallowtail on field thistle (Cirsium discolor). The eastern giant swallowtail is the largest butterfly in the U.S. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Bumble bee on native field thistle (Cirsium discolor). Photo by Debbie Roos.

Giant ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) with cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum). The giant ironweed is about 10 feet tall! — Giant ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) with cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum). The giant ironweed is over 10 feet tall! Photo by Debbie Roos.

Spicebush swallowtail caterpillar peeking out of its rolled spicebush (Lindera benzoin) leaf. Photo by Debbie Roos.

spurred butterfly pea vine (Centrosema virginianum) and green-headed coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata). — Spurred butterfly pea vine (Centrosema virginianum) and green-headed coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata). Photo by Debbie Roos.

Green lynx female on spurred butterfly pea vine (Centrosema virginianum). — Green lynx spider on spurred butterfly pea vine (Centrosema virginianum). Photo by Debbie Roos.

The bee visitor didn't distract the green lynx spider spider from her meal and fortunately she managed to hang on to the wasp while the bee foraged on the flower! Photo by Debbie Roos.

Northern blazing star (Liatris scariosa) backed by tall tickseed, seashore mallow, and joe-pye weed. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Monarch on northern blazing star (Liatris scariosa). This Liatris species is very stout and beefy and blooms later than other species. It starts blooming in late August and continues into fall. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Monarch caterpillar on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). I've seen more monarch caterpillars this year than in my 17 years of managing this garden! Photo by Debbie Roos.

Monarch caterpillar suspended in the J-formation from a wild quinine leaf (the plant was near a bunch of common milkweed). It's preparing to pupate. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Fresh monarch chrysalis. — Fresh monarch chrysalis formed by the caterpillar pictured above. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Goldfinch feeding on green-head coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata). — Goldfinch feeding on green-head coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) seeds. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Big predator catches a small predator: Argiope spider captures a lady beetle. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Soldier beetle on Gaillardia with Rudbeckia. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Field thistle seed caught on obedient plant. — Field thistle (Cirsium discolor) seed caught on obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana). Photo by Debbie Roos.