Milkweed Believe it or not, this is National Pollinator Week. What will they think of next!? My Common Milkweed, host plant for the Monarch butterfly, are going gang busters this year. They are hearty and robust with huge flower heads. I gave up trying to cultivate them; now I just let them come up where … Continue reading Milkweed
Tag: caterpillar
This is my second butterfly "raised" and released, DP-2. Like clockwork, it hatched on the 10th day of pupation. When the larva (caterpillar) pupates, it spins a cocoon-like shell around itself hanging from the bottom of a milkweed leaf or the top of the jar in my case. The chrysalis (cocoon) is green as I … Continue reading Monarch Hatching
About a week ago, my daughter gave me a Monarch caterpillar she found in my milkweed garden. She has been raising Monarchs for 3-4 years so I thought I might give it a go. I started a journal and gave it a name, DP-1, which comes from the Monarch's scientific name, Danaus plexippups. It--no idea … Continue reading DP-1
