Anyway, Doug has built a cage covered in mesh to raise the butterflies. He picks swan plant and keeps it fresh in a jar of water replenishing it daily. He then collects the caterpillars to keep them safe from wasps.
I took these photos in November but don't think I posted them.
I took these photos today of the swan plant and its flowers and seedheads
I love those seed pods, nature can be so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAren't they lovely and the flowers look like little orchids to me.
ReplyDeleteHope things are going well for you and Hugh.
Those caterpillars look exactly like ones I fed to my hens recently. They'd been munching on a Sprout plant, and had almost demolished it.
ReplyDeletePresume they would have become Monarch Butterflies if they had not been eaten.
DeleteAs hens are vertebrates, the caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly would have had a toxic effect on them as they store poison called Cardiac Glycosides ingested by feeding on the leaves of the milkweed. They do this to protect themselves from lizards, birds and frogs.
DeleteAfter I placed my comment I remembered that Monarchs only eat milkweed. This is why we need to keep plenty of plants.
DeleteDear Susan - the two people who got the plant correct did not know it, they found it by googling the details I gave. Apparently it originates from S. Africa and that was the clue that they used to find the correct answer.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased that you grow it to encourage the Monarchs which I understand are in decline.
As you can see from the number of seed heads the whole neighbourhood is going to be full of swan plants.
DeleteI'd never heard of the swan plant before. How very pretty.
ReplyDelete