McMullen House Bed & Breakfast LLC

10/23/2023

Whorled Milkw**d (Asclepias verticillata) is native to the eastern, mid-western, and south-central United States and the mid-western provinces in Canada. This milkw**d is a host to the Monarch Butterfly and a nectar plant to other insects. It grows from 1 to 3 feet tall and has green to white flowers with hints of purple that bloom from April to September. In a garden this plant likes medium to dry well-drained soil in places of full sun to part shade. Image credit: Mason Brock (Masebrock), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Whorled Milkw**d (Asclepias verticillata), hardy in zones 3-9, is a herbaceous perennial native to most of North America except the far west.

09/25/2023

https://shop.mcmullenhouse.com/purple-milkw**d-asclepias-purpurascens/

Purple milkw**d is native to the eastern, mid-western, and south-central United States and Ontario in Canada and is a host to the Monarch Butterfly and a nectar plant to other insects. It grows from 2 to 6 feet tall and has purple to pink flowers that bloom from May to July. Image credit: Steepcone, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Purple Milkw**d (Asclepias purpurascens), hardy in zones 3-8, is a herbaceous perennial that is native from the mid-west to eastern North America.

09/18/2023

https://shop.mcmullenhouse.com/clasping-milkw**d-asclepias-amplexicaulis/

This post is from the McMullen House Garden Shop Blog and is about Clasping Milkw**d (Asclepias amplexicaulis). Clasping milkw**d is native to the eastern United States except for the state of Maine and is a host to the Monarch Butterfly and a nectar plant to othe insects. It grows up to 3 feet tall and has clasping leaves that are the reason for the name. The greenish-pink, red, brown to purple flowers bloom from March to September. Image credit: Mason Brock (Masebrock), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Clasping Milkw**d (Asclepias amplexicaulis), hardy in zones 3-9, is native to the eastern half of the United States except for Maine.

07/28/2022

Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) is one of the common plants in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast garden. It is a host to the Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata), Glenn's Plume Moth (Hellinsia glenni), a fruit fly (Procecidochares atra) and several leaf beetles (Trirhabda spp.) and (Exema spp.). For many insects, goldenrods are an important source of nectar as they bloom towards the end of the season. In August and September, the goldenrods will be a blaze of yellow in the garden and along the roadsides around Titusville, Pa. More information on Canada goldenrod can be found at https://shop.mcmullenhouse.com/goldenrod-solidago-canadensis/.

Book your stay at McMullen House Bed & Breakfast to see the nine different species of goldenrods planted in the garden. We still have rooms available for the Titusville Oil Festival (August 12-14, 2022) for minimum two night stay.

07/24/2022

Swamp milkw**d (Asclepias incarnata) is another milkw**d that is blooming in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast garden. This milkw**d, which is one of 79 species of milkw**d in North America, is most commonly associated with and is a host to the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). As the name suggests, this plant is found in places with moist soil, but it can grow in most garden conditions. Swamp milkw**d also hosts a number of other insects and is a nectar source to many others. Swamp milkw**d has narrower pods and leaves than the common milkw**d. More information about swamp milkw**d can be found at https://shop.mcmullenhouse.com/swamp-milkw**d-asclepias-incarnata/.
Be sure to book (814-775-0005) your room at McMullen House Bed & Breakfast to see the gardens and the pollinators visiting them. We still have rooms available during the Titusville Oil Festival (August 12-14, 2022) for a minimum two-night stay.

07/19/2022

Common milkw**d (Asclepias syriaca) is currently in bloom in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast garden. This milkw**d, which is one of 79 species of milkw**d in North America, is most commonly associated with and is a host to the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on the east coast of the US. This plant is found in open areas including fields and roadsides and has declined due to herbicides and conversion to agriculture. Common milkw**d also hosts a number of other insects and is a nectar source to many. More information about common milkw**d can be found at https://shop.mcmullenhouse.com/common-milkw**d-asclepias-syriaca/.

Be sure to book (814-775-0005) your room at McMullen House Bed & Breakfast to see the gardens and the pollinators visiting them. We still have rooms available during Oil Festival (August 12-14, 2022) for a minimum two-night stay.

07/16/2022

One of the trees in the gardens of McMullen House Bed & Breakfast is the wild black cherry (Prunus serotina). This tree is a host to many species of butterflies including the Coral Hairstreak, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Spring Azure, Viceroy, and the Red-Spotted Purple. It is one of the best host trees in the area in terms of the number of hosted species. The fruits, which mature in the summer, are eaten by many species of birds and mammals. Pictured below are the fruits, flowers, and the collection of trees in the McMullen House garden.

Be sure to book (814-775-0005) your room at McMullen House Bed & Breakfast to see the gardens and the pollinators visiting them. We still have rooms available during Oil Festival (August 12-14, 2022) for a minimum two-night stay.

04/04/2022

McMullen House Bed & Breakfast LLC will be having a "Day in the Garden" on May 21, 2022, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, and a Wildflower Walk on the Oil Creek Trail on May 22, 2022, at 2:00 pm. Guided hikes will be given of the native butterfly/pollinator gardens during the "Day in the Garden." Please call 814-775-0005 or email at [email protected] to RSVP for either of these free events.

02/15/2022

Purple coneflower is a prominent plant in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast gardens. It is the host plant for two species of butterflies, the Silvery Checkerspot and the Wavy-lined Emerald, a nectar source for other insects, and the fruits are a food source for birds. The multi-colored flowers, that are often purple, bloom in the summer and the fruits mature in the fall. Be sure to visit the gardens in the summer to see the coneflowers and the other native plants. Coneflower can be found in the garden shop also.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a herbaceous perennial that grows in places with full sun or part shade. It is the host plant for two species of butterflies and a nectar source for other insects and the fruits are a food source for birds. The multi-colored flowers bloom in the summer and t...

01/18/2022

We had our first significant snowfall for 2022 at McMullen House Bed & Breakfast with about 1 foot of snow. It started snowing Sunday, January 16, 2022, and we still have flurries. Here are some images. Hope everybody has a good week and stays warm.

01/17/2022

From the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast LLC Garden Shop. Below is a post about spicebush, a shrub that is the host plant for two butterflies and a moth and food source for many other wildlife.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a common understory shrub in the forests of eastern North America. It has fragrant yellow/green flowers that appear in the early spring and is the host plant for two species of butterflies and one moth. This shrub can be purchased in the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast Garden Shop.

Taxonomy and History

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) -- Carnegie Museum, CC0 1.0
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Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a common understory shrub in the forests of eastern North America. It has fragrant yellow/green flowers that appear in the early spring and is the host plant for two species of butterflies and one moth.

01/15/2022

From the McMullen House Bed & Breakfast LLC Garden Shop Blog, a post about Butterfly W**d.

Other than Common Milkw**d (Asclepias syriaca), butterfly w**d is one of the more common species that is thought of for butterflies and in terms of milkw**ds. Its orange flowers are distinctive and unlike most milkw**ds, it lacks a milky sap.
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Butterfly W**d is one of the most common milkw**ds that is a host plant for Monarch Butterflies. It also serves as a host for other butterflies and a pollinator plant for others.