The orange barred sulphur picked an ideal spot to start its chrysalis – right outside the front door. The chrysalis is really need. It has a silk pad and a silk girdle. Once the chrysalis is finished it will either be a green, or pinkish color.
The gulf fritillary butterflies are abundant in the garden this morning sipping on a variety of nectar.
The blanket flower, which I love because it reseeds itself everywhere and it’s such a gorgeous flower.
The plumbago, another great flower, was also a stop for nectar. This plant is a fast grower. I’m constantly cutting it back, promoting great bushy growth.
The bahama cassia is crawling with orange barred sulphur caterpillars of every instar. You often times have to really search for the caterpillars, as they have great camouflage with the leaves.
The smell when walking out the front door is heavenly, all because the jasmine tree is in full bloom. The butterflies spend time in this tree, and on a rare occasion a caterpillar makes its chrysalis on the branches, or leaves.
The candlestick cassia is also starting to bloom, soon its showy yellow flowers will begin to open from the bottom to the top. This plant has a mind of its own and has grown in a variety of ways. This plant has survived three hurricanes, and has started making its way back again, which is great because the orange barred sulphur visits it on a daily basis laying eggs. Last check there were quite a few caterpillars chomping away.
More monarch butterflies have emerged and released. Thirty-two monarch butterflies have been released since Saturday, April 5. The wonderful news – there are still more chrysalsis in the butterfly house. Our total has now reached 628 monarch butterflies released over the past few years.
