Plant it and they will come Monarchs and Pollinators

Sigh. Only one photo at a time still. Here's one of the bee photos.

Here's a bee enjoying my Cosmos sulphureus.

You're getting good at identifying those Skippers, CatMint!

Gita, of course you're welcome to use my photo. Let me know if you want me to send it to you via Dmail or Email so that it doesn't have Dave's Garden stamped across it.

Thanks for the warning about Cup Plant, Coleup. I won't sow seeds in the forest, although I think I would rather see a monoculture of Cup Plant than the monoculture of Japanese Stilt Grass in every Northern Virginia flood plain area!

If I read the USDA site correctly, it's listed as native to the lower 48 and Canada, it isn't listed as invasive in any state, and it's threatened in Michigan.

This message was edited Jul 30, 2014 8:55 PM

Muddy--Thanks!

IF it has DG all over it--then, yes--it would be nice to have it removed.
If it is just your copyright--it would not be so obvious.

It would look nice cropped in a circle--with just the flowers--but i don't know
how to do that....You never told me yet what the name is?

Thanks--Gita

It's a Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum).

Why don't you see if you can download it for your desktop, and if it doesn't work send me your email address and I can email it to you?

Muddy--I thought it may be a "Cup Plant"---so much talk going on about it now.

Oh--I can download it all right..

"Save as"---and choose "My Pictures" and then I will put it in my "Wallpaper" Folder.
OR--Just "copy image Location....

NO problem. Thanks again---Gita

Well--neither method worked...don't know why....Will work on it later....

MAF forum on ATP is created. Click on the link below and check it out!!

http://allthingsplants.com/thread/view/27827/Welcome-to-the-Mid-Atlantic-Gardening-forum/#end_of_thread

Gita, I'm glad you we're able to use the photo. Better than cropping it, I can try to get a more zoomed in photo. I'll try to take one when there's a bee on every flower!

For those of you growing Milkweed for the first time, be on the lookout for the following Milkweed pests:

1. Milkweed Aphids, smush with fingers (messy) or wash off with stream of water.

2. Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar - Careful, they have stinging spines - Remove any you see, they can really chow down on your plants.

3. Milkweed Leaf Beetle and

4. Milkweed Beetle Larva - these particularly favor Swamp Milkweed and can completely strip a plant of all foliage in short order.

Thanks for the heads up, Greenthumb! I think at least one of my milkweeds has succumbed to one of the above pests.

Next year I wanted to pull up the creeping jenny in my mini rain garden and replace it with Asclepias tuberosa since it's so short. But maybe that's not a good idea since that kind of monoculture might invite more pests?

My photos did not load, I'll try again.

Thanks for the heads-up! So far, nothing's touching my Swamp Milkweed, but it's nice to know what to look for. I saw aphids on my Swamp Milkweed last year, but they were gone a day or two later. Something ate them. I've heard that hummingbirds love aphids.

CatMint, this reminds me. I'm willing to bet that the reason birds were eating your Sedum was because there were little bugs on it. I've noticed "nibbles" around the edges of Sedum leaves before, and I always assumed it was caterpillar damage. Maybe it was caused by birds. Birds need an unbelievably large amount of insects to feed themselves and their babes.

That's a good point, Muddy. I do sometimes see birds in my garden spaces pecking at things--it's gotta be either seeds or bugs! :-)

Gita - I see that I missed the last part of your post, where you said you couldn't download my picture. I'm at the beach and have a hard time doing anything on this Ipad, but when I get back I'll send you a nice cropped photo. Send me a D-mail I with your email address so I can send it that way.

In the 30 years I have lived here I have only seen two Monarchs in my mostly shady yard until today!

First noticed her on the Phlox 'Jeana'. Couldn't believe my eyes but she stayed nectaring for almost ten minutes and then flew off. And then returned and flew off again. Next return was to the low growing very orange Zinnias where she had a very good time and I got a pic. She flew low over to some pots of Milkweed I've been growing right behind the zinnias, landed on one while I held my breath but then flew off again. Another return , this time to some orange blooming butterfly weed 'Gay Butterflies' I got last week which she seemed to relish with lots of wings up and down motions. Have never seen a Monarch lay eggs, but will sure be on the look out. She left again and returned one more time to the A tuberosa and haven't seen her since. She seemed to return in 10 min intervals....if she returns tomorrow I will try to see where she goes as there are very few nectar plants around me other than what I am growing.

Just wanted to share the news

yay, Coleup!! :-)

Ahhhhh I'm so happy for you and so jealous! :) One day I'll get my monarchs!

Saw a hummingbird *and* a goldfinch fluttering in my garden today while looking out the kitchen window talking to Coleup on the phone about her monarch! :-)

Also got the fence built this afternoon to try to hide the back neighbor's trashy eyesore. Plus, my handyman also put in new planks for the back porch steps so I don't fall and sprain my ankle again. :-)

Oh that reminds me, I gotta call your handyman. That little leak has gotten really out of hand.

You gotta show us pics of your new fence! And I gotta take pics of my new walkway. I was so nervous about people tripping on those uneven stones I had there.

Thanks, SSG! I'll get some photos in the morning. Yes, would love to see your new walkway!

Here are the results from yesterday. Of course, I only asked for the bare minimum--just unfinished basic wood. So new wooden steps for the back porch, and a new fence along the back hiding as much as possible of the neighbor's ugly trash heap.

I notice every gardner's friend sitting at the top of your new steps LOL. That fence sure does make a difference against the eyesore, and it is going to be a great backdrop for your plants too!

LOL Aspen! Sometimes I just want to run outside quickly for something and don't bother to put the Off on--boy do I end up with itchy bites when I do that!

I'm glad to have more privacy in the back now--in addition to not being able to see his trashy eyesore. Sure wish it were still a tree instead of a shed!

LOL that OFF bottle is the first thing I saw! My bottle is right outside the back door. DH has offered to buy me bee netting for when I need to step outside just for a bit.

Your handyman did really good job with the fence and the steps. Isn't privacy great? It's funny, I don't mind seeing my neighbors to the right and left, but I feel uncomfortable when my neighbors from two houses away can see me.

thanks, SSG. I don't mind seeing the neighbors to my right and left either--in fact, we chat a bit over our fences. The other back neighbor is mostly shielded with a fence and taller trees, but we have exchanged pleasant words. This new neighbor is different though--they are not friendly, and now this trash heap. :-(

The new fence and steps look great! Maybe if your friendly neighbors agreed, you could all ask him to let you paint the back of his shed brown. ..or just paint it and hope he won't notice....or give the spiny locust tree behind your fence lots of fertilizer and water.

thanks, Muddy! :-) Maybe sometime around twilight when I know they are away I could get a can of power spray paint and spray brown on the part that shows from my side of the fence? ;-) (He obviously has no aesthetic interest at stake there.) Or yeah--wait for that spiny locust to grow bigger on his side --ouch! :-D

She came back this afternoon. Not so much nectaring but a solid half hour about 6 - 12 inches off the ground amongst the milkweed plants. Glad a lot of the milkweed is in pots so I can lift the plants to look for eggs instead of crawl to find them LOL!

Muddy, she first lingered on one of the milkweeds from you!

Glad she came back, Coleup! :-)

I'm glad to hear that, Coleup; I hope she comes back to lay some eggs on them!

I really have to go dig up some more Common Milkweed from my neighbors' yard because one of mine died and the other isn't growing. After seeing how it's popping up all over their lawn, though, I think I'm going to plant it in a big buried container.

Fortunately, my Swamp Milkweeds are doing really well....just in case a Monarch happens to check out my yard...

Catmint so glad your fence is continuous and concealing and your steps are wider and safe now.

Muddy, is there a chance that your neighbors MW that you dug for me was sprayed with anything? The leaves are deformed and mottled an growth stunted compared to some from Sallyg or a friend of mine or the plugs from North Creek I am growing out.

Swamp MW incarnata about to bloom

Asclepias tuberosa 'Gay Butterflies' orange blooms and 'Hello Yellow' yellow

Joe Pye Weed 'Little Joe' The Tiger Swallowtails couldn't get enough of this one! Have seen several of the dark form Tigers, too. Much larger than regular BST. The swallowtails stay up much higher than the Monarchs.

Saw two more Monarchs out on my paper route today* Wonder if they have come up from Fla or over from the Texas gateway? And which generation are they? Got to study up on eggs to 1st instar. Is the egg the same size as those oleander orange aphids???

Wonder how Loudon County is doing with its goal to raise and release 2014 Monarchs this year?

*I am blessed

Beautiful Milkweed & Joe Pye weed, Coleup. Glad you got to see some more monarchs! :-)

I'm really loving the Joe Pyes ! I'm trying Little Joe, Baby Joe, Gateway and Phantom, all of the smaller versions. The surprise bonus to me is the fragrance...so familiar and exotic at the same time.

Had to laugh the first day of bloom on Little Joe when the Tiger Swallowtail actually chased a Bumble Bee or two away from the bloom! Might have chased me away. too if I had been any closer.

Did you know that one reason bees and Bumble Bees are so good at pollinating is because they carry an electical charge that makes pollen cling to them?

Joe Pyes have a fragrance?! I need to get closer and see for myself!

Lol Watch out for the Bumblebees and Tiger Swallowtails when you go in to smell them!

http://www.abnativeplants.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantdetail/plant_ID/74/index.htm

Finally managed to get a photo of a visiting Monarch today. It kept feeding on the top of an eight foot tall clump of Joe-Pye Weed, which made it difficult to get a shot of. Wasted 10 out of 12 shots, good thing cameras no longer use film.$$$

By the way, a while back I posted photos of 3 Milkweed pests. You should check your plants EVERY DAY. Yesterday my Asclepias perennis appeared pest free, but today there were 50+ newly hatched Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars. In another day they would have stripped much of the foliage! Despite checking daily, all my Swamp Milkweed plants have been completely stripped of foliage by Milkweed Leaf Beetles. Milkweed Aphid populations explode overnight. This time of year all aphids are females and give live birth to daughters that are born pregnant! For real!

Greenthumb, thanks for the tip. I'll make sure to look for beetles and aphid damage. And great pictures of that monarch!

Btw, one of the most popular plants for pollinators in my garden is the raspberry. Bumblebees *love* raspberry flowers!

Absolutely gorgeous shot of the Monarch, Greenthumb!

What timing! I was looking at my neighbors' milkweed today and took this photo of what I think are Tussock Moth caterpillars. Fortunately, they have lots of Milkweed to eat and aren't likely to reach my yard. I haven't seen anything at all on my Swamp Milkweed yet except flowers and now, lots of seed pods.
Coleup, I think my neighbors' Milkweed might be slightly diseased. It doesn't seem to bother the big plants, though - this is their patch.

Those are indeed the Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars. Take a look again tomorrow and I think you'll find that the little guys are much larger and scattered all over the plant. They hatch and start out in a cluster fairly low on the plant and then suddenly disperse up the stem.