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Are you seeing Monarchs?

We’ve been seeing Monarchs quite frequently in the backyard, and have often seen 2-4 at the same time. According to a recent survey by the Lexington Chapter of Wild Ones, others in this area are also seeing them.

In addition to adult butterflies, 13 of the 50 survey respondents have also found eggs and caterpillars on their milkweed plants. Butterfly eggs are quite small and are usually on the underside of leaves. The easiest way to find them is to see a butterfly laying an egg as I did in the spring of 2006. Note the tiny egg on the tip of the monarch’s abdomen as well as the egg on a leaf in the background.

Monarch butterfly laying eggmonarch-butterfly-laying-egg

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Late summer at The Arboretum

I’m grateful to live near The Arboretum and to be able to observe and learn from the diversity of plants. On a recent walk, I was delighted to find several native perennials with colorful blooms.

I like the soft mauve color of Joe-pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum), and it was a special treat to see a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on this one.

Monarch on Joe-pye weed

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