Saturday, August 5, 2017

Milkweed Plant, Monarch Caterpillar, Limelight Hydrangea

This Limelight hydrangea is three years old and 7 feet tall. WOW. I love it so and it's wonderful to have something showy blooming in August through the fall. The pink flowering plant is a Milkweed that planted itself. The pink flowers are lovely and the leaves are food for the Monarch butterfly caterpillars. I saw my first ones today and took a video. I don't know how to do it on Blogger but it's easy as pie on Instagram. Click here to see my monarch caterpillar video. Click on the arrow in the center of the photo to start the movement. I am so happy I am helping save the Monarchs. Milkweed is their primary food source and it is being eradicated by farmers who consider it a nuisance. Did you know each Monarch lays 500 eggs in one season and only 20 survive? I hope my little plant, in a very protected location, has a better ratio of eggs to butterflies. See you later. xo

3 comments:

Pam said...

We have several acres surrounding our pond. It's a little ways from our home, so we generally cut it several times during past summers. However, this summer, we let the grasses and weeds grow. There was much milkweed along the creek and around the pond. Some days, the air is simply filled with butterflies and dragonflies. It makes me feel good that we can contribute to these lovely creatures. Another plant that attracts butterflies (esp black swallowtails) is called butterfly bush. They bloom a vibrant orange, then when the blooms die back, pods are formed. These plants are always covered with butterflies. They lay their eggs along the stems of the plants. It's a good plant to place near the border of your property, where you don't mow, because its final stage is not very pretty, but necessary for the butterflies life cycle. They will self seed, also. I thin you'd enjoy this plant.

Pam said...

Rosemary, I made a mistake. The butterfly magnet is butterfly weed (not butterfly bush). You can check it out online. Sorry for the error!

Content in a Cottage said...

Pam, Thanks. I will check out butterfly weed. I love helping Mother Nature as much as I can. Especially the Monarchs who are endangered. xo, Rosemary