About a week ago I found a 5th instar Monarch caterpillar feeding on my Zizotes Milkweed. Surprisingly there weren't any on my Tropical Milkweed which Monarchs are said to prefer. I only found that one, but it was a nice surprise. Am guessing it chose the Zizotes Milkweed because it is native here unlike the Tropical Milkweed which is native just south of here in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. I think Monarchs are more picky about the Milkweeds they la their eggs on compared to the Queens which will lay eggs on one species then fly to another and lay more eggs on another. Danny

Yes, I did put her in the sun for a while and she just sat there. She doesn't even pump her wings open and closed in response to the warmth. Thank you for the suggestion.

Hi Sandy, Thank you for your nice comment on the photo. I noticed the same native Liatris blooming along the freeway while on my way to London, AR. I'm going to let the seed heads on my plants dry and see if I can be successful with seed germination this winter. I've never had luck germinating seed of this plant. Yes, I believe MaryAnn did have several different Asters available. Don't they make nice color this time of year plus provide a much needed nectar source. I can't wait to see how this Peachies Pick does. It has some dried seed heads on it and I crumpled up one and sprinkled it in a mini greenhouse to see if anything germinates. Be happy to share some seed, if they're viable and come true from seed. My potted plant also has a fresh bloom, which I think is beautiful ... love to try new plants! http://www.perennialreference.com/perennials/stokesia.html Pine Ridge Gardens is having another open house in mid October. That might be an ideal time to consider driving over. The Open House dates are on MaryAnn's website. ~Mary Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Ridge Gardens

I have not seen monarchs this year, maybe just one. At this time of the year in southern Wisc, we would be seeing the migration of Monarchs as they trek to the southwest from Canada, upper Michigan, and upper Wisconsin. I am on the west edge of one of their major flyways, The Monarchs migrating from Canada split the flock when they encounter Lake Michigan and fly along the western and eastern side of the lake. The ones flying the west side of the lake spill westard into the counties west of Lake Michigan. They are fun to observe on a hot sunny day like today. These butterflies are seemingly flitting aimlessly from blosson to blossom until one notices their flight path is not random. Each short hop is in the same direction: southwest, thus the flock drifts along, all in the same direction. An individual monarch might cover 10 miles of more in one day. Sadly, they are missing this year in this location. The flock had a very bad winter in Mexico last winter and the spring impeded their northward trip this year. The Monarchs I would see at this date would be the 3rd or 4th generation from last winter's over wintering flock.