Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Plant it and they will come Monarchs and Pollinators, 1 by coleup

coleup wrote:
I'm hoping that the dead one died of old age after having bred the next generation. I think all but the migrators live about two weeks as an adult. The one I photographed was a bit beaten up with part of its one forewing missing. The absence of part of the wing did not seem to effect its flight much. They really are fast and strong fliers.

So, I think the blooming milkweed progression goes common, tuberose, swamp and then tropical.
I am getting somewhat of a second bloom on my tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) after cutting it back after blooming. Do you all find that milkweed 'deteriorates' after blooming? It seems my Butterfly Weed went down hill real fast after looking gorgeous while in bloom.

Most of the Skippers in my yard are Silver Spotted Skippers. Note the triangle shaped white spot on the hindwing underside. Read that the larva can eject their 'frass' quite a distance from their leafy hunker down spot to evade predators attracted by it...the equivalent to an adult human hurling a pound or two 240 feet!

Pic 2 an American Dagger Moth cat currently munching my Red Bud leaves (large, fluffy yellow, black face, 3 pair of black spikes and a larger black spike at the end)

Pic 3 How many Silver Spotted Skippers do you see nectaring on my agastache 'Black Adder' after they, cabbage whites, bumble bees and others sucked the 'Purple Haze' dry!

Any tips on getting some continuous blooms on agastache? Have fun at Betty's Ranch!