Hey Danny, congrats you have a lot of butterflies and plants which I ever wanted to have. I'm sure you have a huge garden can you post a picture of it? Here is a link that might be useful: landscapers utah

Great pictures Sandy. Always glad to hear of your travels to different lands and so the different butterflies. But here you go bringing the thrill of leps back into my heart after my absence. Unfortunately the tails are tattered that mimic the stem of the leaf, but they still show well how cryptic this group is and how closely they mimic dead leaves. That is until they open their wings and flash the bright colors common on most species (their tool to suddenly surprise/scare would be predators). The Charaxinae are some of my favorite tropical butterflies, so I spent considerable time doing them (especially in Costa Rica and Brazil). Naturally I pursued the Memphis species because they are mostly irradescent blues and greens, but also both Zaretis and Consul (yellows, browns, reds) as well. I did most of the other Charaxinae too and they also mimic leaves, but many don't have that tail that completes the deception. BTW, the Memphis especially only live in the forest canopy hundreds of feet up and seldom come down to ground, so they are a real challenge. L.

Five years of butterfly garden growing by trial and error and I finally got a view of some *brown winged monarch fluttering by, no stop overs for feeding yet but at least they where seen in numbers from 3 - 8 weekly for the first time in the neighborhood in five years. Perhaps it's them pesky English sparrows one of my neighbors is long time fond of feeding that hurts there longer closer visits as they ruckus about in my yard as well ( there great bug killers of pest and such and they do bring about some bigger and more aggresive birds as well )I have made a compromise by education to the awfull bird feeding habits that they seem to possess. * brown winged = I can't ID em for certain as Monarchs as the bird feeding thing gets resolved I am hopefull for neaxt season for landings and pics. I also fond your site nice enough to join I have much to learn and will still read along in this forum thanks for the invite.

Nell, Sassafras trees are not native in Oklahoma. When I was taking the scenic route through NC through the mountains, we stopped in the little mountain community of Highlands. I bought a Sassafras walking stick as a souvenir to take home to my son who was house sitting while we were gone. I bought two t-shirts: one for me and one for him that had the following words on them: "Hike Naked. It adds color to your cheeks". I get a lot of double take looks when I wear it. (hehehe) But we do have Hackberry trees everywhere, and they are butterfly magnets. I have seen the Spicebush butterfly here on my property from time to time. Not sure what they find here for their habitat plant(s) of choice, but they do come here to my place. Not sure if they are listed as a common butterfly in Oklahoma though. I was thrilled! Haven't spotted one yet this year. This is the first year that there haven't been any yellow Sulfurs, however. They are usually here in clouds, filling the air, so to speak. Last year they were spectacular! Those late freezes may have something to do with it. During the warm spell before the freezes there were butterflies out and about, bees and all. Then those three freezes hit in late March and early April and that may have killed them out. Don't know. I sure hope they return. I love those little yellows. They frequent my Salvias, especially the Lady in Red variety. Perhaps they will return soon, as my Salvias are just now starting to bloom. That is really late too. Darned late freezes messed everything up this year. Everything is way out of kilter time-wise. I couldn't find any Pentas this year. Wonder why? I love those beautiful flowers, too. Maybe we gardeners were butterflies in a former life. :) The high temps have returned again today. UGH! Clouds are building again and rolling in. Big, white clouds, coming out of the Northwest and fairly low to the ground. I hope, I hope, I hope we get more rain...and the lower temps return. Hope you all have a wonder-filled Fourth of July. May it be a memorable day for you all. Going out now to add horse manure-hay mulch to more of the flowers beds and fruit trees. It is really making a big difference already. Have a good one! ~Annie