This lil Monarch chonk has now eaten the second Aquatic Milkweed down to its stems, save for one section of it. Hungry and happy. Hoping there’s enough left for it to pupate and do its thing
Hey, #Chicago area! I just found out that Cook County residents can order up to 2 rain barrels for $21.50 a pop (delivery included!!) through the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District—who'll also send you #milkweed seeds. I'm awaiting the arrival of both with far too much glee.
Well look who’s here! It’s Asclepius syriaca, Common Milkweed, waking up. I also had the first dragonfly of the year, but they aren’t as easy to photograph. #NativePlants#milkweed#ClimateDiary
"Little did we know that those first shovels full of earth would launch a journey of unimaginable joy. Or how greatly our work would transform not just our home, but our lives."
#Milkweed and #RoseHips in the snow.
Today would have been my dad's birthday. He planted that rose bush and welcomed that milkweed. He planted the trees in the background, farmed the land beyond those trees, and built the house on the #farm, where I grew up. #ArtAdventCalendar day 6
I love the common milkweed plant. From Spring to Autumn, it undergoes such a dramatic change. From the green leaves with their stunning blooms in early Spring, to the the development of the seed pods that resemble cucumbers or pickles (I think so) in Summer and then finally in late Autumn, the explosion of the seed pods, with their wispy threads clinging to the seeds waiting to soar on the breeze.
1/ On several occasions I've heard Tyson Yunkaporta talk about seasonal patterns and how seemingly unrelated flora and fauna indicate that something important is happening in the other (e.g. "the yam is ripe for harvest precisely at that time of year when the grasshopper’s mating call can be heard").
I've been trying to see things like that—a somewhat impossible task in the suburbs of a dying rust belt city.
But tonight is the first time I felt some meaningful pattern had revealed itself.
2/ We've been planting native milkweed all over the yard (even transplanted some destined for destruction nearby). After three years we've seen a slight increase in monarch butterflies, but tonight was the first time we had ever seen a caterpillar (and dozens of eggs on the same plant).
I also noticed earlier in the day that the elderberries (which didn't fruit last year) were ripe enough for picking.
A lovely lady #beetle sheltering on a common milkweed leaf. Common #milkweed is a marvelous plant. If you come across one take a closer look & you'll likely find it teaming w/ #insects & #arachnids. If you live in a area where it's native & you see a open seed pod, spread those seeds around to create other bug high-rise condos. And, of course, it is a vital for many #butterfly species including #monarchs.
(08/03/23)
Found this monarch caterpillar lost in the grass. Not sure how it got there. I carried it to a milkweed plant, and it immediately curled around the stem and looked much more at home.