Posts Tagged ‘monarch butterflies’
Asclepsis and Lantana: Food for Monarch Butterflies
Asclepsis and Lantana Planted Together for Monarch Butterflies
DoT’s Thot: I was thinking of and feeding the Monarch babies, then I realized I should think of the Monarch Butterflies and what they need for food as well.
Asclepsis Provides Milkweed Leaves for Monarch Butterfly Caterpillers
Asclepsis Provides Milkweed for Monarch Butterfly Caterpillers
I first focused on the asclepsis mikl plant that I needed to feed the Monarch Butterfly caterpillers that would grow up to be the lovely orange, black and white butterflies. In another post, I explained that I was familiar with the crown flower in Hawaii, but not with the equivalents in California. In browsing around I happened upon a description of this asclepsis pictured here and got some seeds about 3 years ago. It worked and I have had a number of generations of Monarch Butterflies.
Lantana Provides Nectar for Monarch Butterflies
Lantana Provides Nectar for the Monarch Butterflies
This year, I realized that the Monarch Butterflies themselves would appreciate some flowers that appeal to them for food as well. Luckily I read that they like Lantana blossoms and I have a bush right in front. This year I planted some asclepsis in front of the larger lantana bush to make a mini-habitat.
Plan to Expand Monarch Butterfly Way Station
Next year, I hope to be a regular way station for the Monarch Butterflies and feed the monarch butterfly caterpillers even more . Because the seeds of the asclepsis burst from their pods and fly all over the place, I think I’ll move the bulk of the asclepsis to the backyard. I do still wish I had the familiar crown flower, but have not succeeded in finding it here in California. Hence, this asclepsis has to do.
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles or References:
Related Posts:
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
- Monarch Butterfly Haiku: Camera Madness
- Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
- Missed the Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis — Found It Empty
- Monarch Butterflies — Caterpillar Faith
- Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Site Review — go visit
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt — First Report
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt is On
Find Useful Cultivator Tools Here
Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
DoT’s Thot:
Asclepsis Gardener's Reward: Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly On Asclepsis Plant with Buds
Monarch Butterfly Effect
Busily canning tomatoes today, I looked out the window over my kitchen sink and there it was — flitting around my butterfly bush plant. I felt a little less tired; and instead, happy that the orange-gold, black and white “flutter-by” distracted me from work.
Hope to post by tomorrow or the next day to share with you. Aloha, DoT
Related Articles and References:
Related Posts:
- Asclepsis and Lantana: Food for Monarch Butterflies
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Bougainvillea “Dragons”
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Snowflakes, Rainbow Shower Tree Haiku
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
- Monarch Butterfly Haiku: Camera Madness
- Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
- Missed the Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis — Found It Empty
- Monarch Butterflies — Caterpillar Faith
- Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Site Review — go visit
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt — First Report
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt is On
Find Useful Cultivator Tools Here
Missed the Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis — Found It Empty
Dot’s Thot: “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was
over, it turned into a butterfly.” –Unknown
Empty Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis
Dot’s Jot:
Quick Note — I had looked and looked for the chrysalis and could not find any. Then in mid-June I saw this one empty chrysalis — not that seafoam/turquoise gold-speckled chrysalis, but the empty pale tan husk that had released its butterfly.
It made sense — I had seen a number of Monarch Butterflies flitting about. I’ll be darned — tell people you are looking and then become optically dense — oh well, next round of butterflies, maybe. I just wanted to capture my own photos. Next, I should have some butterfly pictures.
One thing I know, the caterpillars smartly move away from the asclepsis or butterfly bushes to wrap themselves into their chrysalis hibernation nest. It must protect them from predators to be separated from the butterfly bushes they love. Aloha, Dot
Related Posts:
- Asclepsis and Lantana: Food for Monarch Butterflies
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
- Monarch Butterfly Haiku: Camera Madness
- Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
- Monarch Butterflies — Caterpillar Faith
- Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Site Review — go visit
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt — First Report
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt is On
Related Articles on Other Sites
Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Site Review — go visit
Dot’s Thot: When you see something great, emulate. Oh, and by the way, acknowledge.
Since first just doing my own little observations, I decided to learn more about my Monarch butterflies. In Hawaii, the butterflies had become rather captive on the islands and since the rhythm of the seasons is so gentle, the thought of migration never occurred to me.
The Monarch Life Cycle and Migration are Fascinating
Now, living in Southern California, I have discovered the great Monarch Butterfly migrations. There is a marvelous site we can all learn from. The photo at left is from the site and shows off a magnificent Monarch atop a pretty pink coneflower.
Please do visit the site for more information on Monarchs as we track them in my yard.
According to the site, called MonarchButterfliesUSA.com, my butterflies are part of the 2nd generation which cycles May/June. That correlates perfectly with my experience with my butterflies. So far, I have not found those pretty little white, black, and yellow striped caterpillars. You can see them on the site or wait until I find mine and post their pictures. I just had to tell you about the site, because it is so much fun to visit and very informative and the pictures speak volumes.
I do invite you to track along with me as one of my blogger topics will be to follow the butterfly life cycle in the yard. It’s kind of like being virtual neighbors — Linda next door periodically stops by the check up on our butterfly progress and I do enjoy an excuse to talk to neighbors.
Aloha, Dot
Related Articles and References:
Related Posts:
- Asclepsis and Lantana: Food for Monarch Butterflies
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Bougainvillea “Dragons”
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Snowflakes, Rainbow Shower Tree Haiku
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
- Monarch Butterfly Haiku: Camera Madness
- Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
- Missed the Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis — Found It Empty
- Monarch Butterflies — Caterpillar Faith
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt — First Report
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt is On
A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
Dot”s Thot: “After all, Hawaii is the best land. (O Hawaii no ka aina maikai) — Hawaiian Proverb [For more quotations see dailycelebrations ]
This is a memory, not a scientific note. I was happy to find the asclepsis I now grow in Orange County, California, because I could attract and then raise monarch butterflies in the yard. However, I yearned a bit for the larger milkweed plants of Hawaii that I knew as crown flower plants that bore either white or purple blossoms. Unsuccessful in locating these in the local nurseries, I was finally able to buy the smaller yelow/red-orange flowered butterfly plants that now peep up here and there in the yard.
Purple Crown Flowers (Calotropis gigantea) -- Image by Forest & Kim Starr
However, I thought I should mention the flowers I grew up knowing as the monarch butterfly caterpillar home. Upon searching on the internet, imagine my delight to find a treasure trove of such pictures. It brought back such memories and gave me happiness. Here are some pictures from “Forest & Kim Starr“. Please visit their site to see more gorgeous pictures.
I am ever so grateful that they made these pictures available for us to share. I sometimes feel homesick even while having lived away from home for a very long time. Born and raised in Hawaii, the islands are always home. Mahalo to the Starrs for having so much aloha.
There is a definite size difference in plants as well. I remember plants that towered over me — I am over 5 feet tall (by an inch). My little butterfly plants now are big when they reach over 3 feet high. Moreover, I am not able to make leis from the blossoms (too small), unlike the crown flowers of Hawaii. Those leis can be made in a variety of styles.
Crown Flower Leis (Image by Forest & Kim Starr)
The crown flower plants were attractive to the Monarch butterflies and the flowers fed the butterflies while the leaves nurtured the caterpillars. I first became attracted to the Monarchs because of the butterflies, but one day, I discovered the gorgeous turquoise-seafoam blue chrysalis with gold dots on them. (Hope I can locate mine and post pictures of those later this year.) It is in those moments that I feel the incredible beauty of nature and the universe. It is good to live on this lovely earth of ours. Let’s enjoy this round of butterflies together.
Aloha, Dot
Mahalo one more time to Forest & Kim Starr for sharing the images and information.
Related Articles and References:
Related Posts:
- Asclepsis and Lantana: Food for Monarch Butterflies
- In My Mother’s Garden: Neem Tree; Miracle Herb from India
- In My Mother’s Garden: Pakalana, One of My Favorite Fragrant Vining Flowers
- In My Mother’s Garden: Shell Ginger Hidden Among the Red Ginger
- In My Mother’s Garden: Red Ginger in Hawaii
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Kiawe Tree Revisited
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Bougainvillea “Dragons”
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Snowflakes, Rainbow Shower Tree Haiku
- Monarch Butterfly Haiku: Camera Madness
- Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
- Missed the Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis — Found It Empty
- Monarch Butterflies — Caterpillar Faith
- Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Site Review — go visit
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt — First Report
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt is On
