Sitting in a meeting this morning, I was completely distracted from the topic of discussion by the view from the conference room. We were on the fourth floor of a new building on my campus, surrounded by two sides of floor to ceiling glass, overlooking Maryland Heights.
As I was gazing out the window, I saw a Monarch butterfly slowly float past the window. It swooped up and down, catching a little breeze as it went. It steered around the corner of the building and flitted away until I could no longer see it.
I saw a second Monarch about 20 minutes later. I had to stop and think for a moment. Could it be the same butterfly? It took exactly the same path as the first one. Was it just flying around the building in circles? Surely not. They must be migrating south for the winter, and this building was in their path. Every 20 minutes or so, I proceeded to see a butterfly flutter past the windows. It was such a great sight.
What does this have to do with gardening? Well, if you want to attract some Monarchs to your yard, you need to plant the right "host" and nectar plants. Milkweed is the food of choice. Any variety will do. When you're at the nursery, look on plant tags for the word "Asclepias" in the plant's name.
My favorite milkweed is "Asclepias Tuberosa", native to Missouri. Flat, bright orange flower heads cover 1-2 foot stems in late summer. They're hard to find in nurseries because they're hard to grow (I assume). But you can order them online. Once you plant them, and they get established, don't think about moving them. They have a deep taproot system that is not easily transplanted.
Ah, those very smart butterflies. While we will be battling snow, ice storms, and bitter cold temperatures in single-digits, they will be basking in the Mexican sun. There is always something to learn from nature.
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