Monarch Butterfly and Korean Chrysanthemum

Monarch Butterfly
Danaus plexippus
Korean Chrysanthemum

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago on a really windy day. This poor fellow was holding on for dear life. He seemed a little groggy in the chilly morning and I was happy to get a snapshot of him. Most of the pictures didn’t come out in the gusty wind. I get more and more requests for Butterfly Gardens. It is easy to attract them with the right plant material.

Here are some of my favorites:
Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii)
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Verbena (Verbena spp. )
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)

Don’t forget to plant some of the host plants. Most species of butterfly have to lay its eggs on particular plants. It is best to locate these plants in an ‘off-area’ as the emerging caterpillars can do some damage.

Here is a picture of a Monarch Caterpillar I took in Key West, Florida.