Tag Archives: Butterfly garden

Slow down, and enjoy

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My garden has taught me to slow down and really look at what is happening in nature.

It’s one of my most favorite routines, a walk through the garden before 8:30 in the morning.

You ask, why?

The garden is usually fluttering and buzzing with activity in the morning hours as the sun casts a warmth across the plants.

This morning the monarch butterfly caught my eye and kept my attention for a long time.

She was not bothered by my proximity to her, as her focus was solely on the nectar she was seeking from the purple porterweed. 

I honestly lost count on how many flowers she visited.

She did however take a short break and landed on the goldenrod where she soaked up the sun while opening and closing her wings.

Did you know their feet and head have sensory organs, which help them identify different plants?

Another interesting fact – monarchs can store enough fat, so they do not have to stop and eat while they are overwintering.

A busy monarch

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A few months ago, I added three asclepias tuberosa, orange butterfly milkweed, to my garden for the first time. I have three varieties in the garden now, which also include balloon milkweed, and giant milkweed. I will definitely be adding additional native milkweed to the garden to help the monarch butterfly population thrive in Southwest Florida.

The monarch butterflies are beautiful to watch as they flutter about the garden. This female spent a lot of time going from the milkweed to various nectar sources before returning to lay eggs.

The monarch butterfly’s scientific name is Danaus Plexippus, which means “sleepy transformation” in Greek. The male has two black spots in the center of its lower wings and are larger in size than the female. According to the National Wildlife Federation, the spots are scent glands, which help the males attract females.

She left quite a few eggs on the milkweed plant.

The monarch caterpillars feed solely on milkweed leaves, which produces glycoside toxins, according to the National Wildlife Federation, which deters other animals from eating the caterpillars. The toxins are stored making them taste bad and remains after they emerge into a butterfly, continuing to protect them.

There are four stages in the life cycle of a monarch butterfly: the egg, the larvae (caterpillar) the pupa (chrysalis) and the butterfly.

After the butterfly lays a cream colored egg on the bottom of a milkweed leaf, it takes anywhere from three to five days to hatch. The larvae chews a small hole in the egg to wiggle free. Once it emerges it consumes the rest of the egg before moving onto the leaf.

Once she finished laying eggs, she rested on a tree nearby, an orange jasmine.

A meal together

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My garden finally has an abundance of polydamas caterpillars chowing down on a few different host plants – the Dutchman pipevine and birthwort. The butterfly is now visiting my garden on a daily basis. Good thing I have its host plant in a few different places and some of them have an abundance of leaves to feed the caterpillars.

The polydamas, also known as the gold rim swallowtail, tailless swallowtail and scientific name Battus polydamas lucayus, lays its eggs on the Dutchman pipe. This is the only swallowtail that lacks the tails at the base of the secondary wings, according to the University of Florida.

The polydamas swallowtail caterpillars feed in groups when they are small, devouring the youngest leaves, as well as flowers before moving onto the older portions of the plant.

The caterpillar will go through four instars, 19 to 24 days, before it’s ready to form its chrysalis. The colors of the caterpillars are a bit different during the first instar, with tan and small tubercles. Once the caterpillar molts into the second instar, they become dark brown with larger tubercles.

They have a black head, prothorax top is orange and short dark stripes. Once the caterpillars enter the third instar, the caterpillar becomes smoother with a glossy appearance.

Never gets old

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The emergence of a new butterfly will never grow old. It’s truly fascinating the transformation that takes place in a few short weeks from caterpillar to butterfly once a chrysalis is formed.

I have begun to work in the garden as often as I can early in the morning – from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for a few reasons – the Southwest Florida sun is not unbearable yet and the activity that takes place is literally a breath of fresh air. It is a calming, and relaxing way to start a new day and great way to keep weeds under control and paths walkable.

Over the last week, or so, I have witnessed quite a few monarch butterflies emerge, something you never take for granted. It always makes me slow down and watch, grateful that I was granted with the opportunity to witness it once again.

There are a slew of photos of the monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, as well as a video showing the entire experience I witnessed below.

They are multiplying

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This morning I spotted a male monarch butterfly that has seen better days, as the wings are tattered. The mexican sunflower made a perfect resting place due to the size of the flower.

After admiring this beauty, I spotted new life everywhere I turned in the butterfly garden.

I spotted six newly emerged monarch butterflies on the house and in plants. And, well the caterpillars are still on plants in every instar.

For many years I raised them inside a butterfly house my husband hand built. It was an amazing project as it showed my family the lifecycle from egg to butterfly. This year I have decided to let that same lifecycle unfold in nature. Let me share, this is far more rewarding because when you spot a newly emerged butterfly, you know they have beat the odds of natural predators.

I began planting my garden at our new place almost six years ago, which is my second butterfly garden. Many of those initial plants have matured into great height and width creating tucked away places for caterpillars to create their chrysalis out of harms way.

Although not all of them seek out that route, as the trim on my house continues to be a destination. 

I have found that you have to inspect every branch and leaf before trimming a butterfly garden, especially this time of year.

My garden has never been manicured, as I let it grow naturally. During the Florida summer months when we get good rain, everything grows in the way, blocking some of my walking paths. So, periodically I trim the vegetation back so I can follow my paths.

Well, part of the walking path you had to duck under a sweet almond bush branch, as a sole monarch chrysalis was hanging in all its glory.

Today the monarch butterfly emerged!

The duo below emerged yesterday in my fire bush. Their green chrysalsis were greatly camouflaged among the leaves.