This Monarch has been around for a couple of weeks. I'm sure it was born(?) in the garden. So pure and unblemished.
Two to three days later my son was visiting and noticed a "worm" moving along our back retaining wall. I looked closer and saw that it was a Monarch caterpillar. Say what? Well of course all my milkweeds were planted in the front and side gardens. This is the first time I've seen larva feeding on Honeydew milkvine. Finally there is a reason for Honeydew Milkvine, one of the worse noxius weeds in the garden. Amazing. Soon I moved them to the Swamp Milkweed. A few days after that I found a chrysalis on a plant tray, not far from the same spot.
Wonderful! I keep checking and my milkweed is beginning to form buds just in time.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see how many we get this year.
Congratulations. You are the only one posting about how there are no Monarchs visiting their garden this year!
ReplyDeleteOne man's weed is another's ...................
ReplyDelete:D
Yeah! Wonderful news! I haven't seen one in my garden yet! I am not familiar with this vine. I looked it up and apparently it does grow here in Georgia and is considered a weed but if it feeds monarchs is it really so bad?
ReplyDeleteIts bad, its impossible to eradicate. Not as bad as bindweed but close.
DeleteI love the Monarchs- that is so exciting!!!!
ReplyDeleteTo each (caterpillar) it's own.
ReplyDeleteLove the monarchs and there have been so few this year for some reason. I am glad to see that you have them in your garden.
ReplyDeleteThe monarchs are starting to filter into Texas. They are really enjoying my gayfeather right now. By the way, I answered your question about the variety on my last post in case you missed it.
ReplyDeleteI saw some milkweed vine in a city nature preserve a few weeks ago. They were covered in monarch butterflies that were taking nectar and laying eggs at the same time. I planned to go back for seeds when they matured, but a quick search of the web indicated that they are very invasive so that idea was shot.
Yea for you on the monarchs. I'm just now really seeing the butterflies. My milk weed is so small still. One day...
ReplyDeleteGood job nurturing monarchs- I just heard recently a story on the radio about their new scarcity, having to do with milkweed being sprayed among farm crops. I'm glad you are a gardener Greggo!
ReplyDeleteNice photos! Did not realize they'd eat something besides milkweed. This was my first year for milkweed/monarchs, and I really enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful! I saw very few monarchs this year. It was really disheartening. I thought they only ate milkweed, too.
ReplyDeleteFantastic pictures :)
ReplyDeleteHoneydew Milkvine?! That's weird that they were eating it instead of Milkweed. I didn't many Monarchs, either. But I did see them nectaring on Swamp Milkweed. No caterpillars, though. :(
ReplyDeleteThey are sheer happiness, those monarchs. They've been hanging around my garden the last couple of weeks too. Finally. The rain the the cooler temps have the milkweed ready for their arrival. Great capture!
ReplyDeleteYou know Greg, you bring up an interesting point. Some people are all uptight about "noxious" (invasive) weeds but the truth is that sometimes they're beneficial to insects. English Ivy is a huge NO NO plant in these parts. It's blooming right now and is swarming with honeybees. So I have to wonder if we shouldn't be so quick to get rid of these so called terrible plants. Maybe Mother Nature does know best.
ReplyDeleteIn my area, we have a coupla desirable milkweed vines...
ReplyDeleteGonolobus suberosus and matelea carolinensis. They're rare, and fairly highly sought after by people in the know...
Unfortunately, trying to discuss these rare milkweed vines often produces a negative response by people familiar with the honeyvine... but with no knowledge of the mateleas.
You moved the caterpillars? Why not let them eat the honeyvine?
Glad for your monarchs... Keep up the good work!
Hi Greggo, I just recently learned that the monarch caterpillars will eat the honeyvine milkweed. I've always pulled it when I see it, but I think there is a little growing across the street.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm doing some cleaning in the next few weeks, I'll look to see if I have any of the tags from the perennial geraniums. I know I have several kinds, and don't remember any of their names.
What a beautiful butterfly! Even the caterpillar is lovely. Good photo too; I find butterflies really hard to photo; they just won't keep still. We don't have monarchs in England though,I wish we did.
ReplyDeleteChloris