Aquatic Milkweed, White Milkweed (Asclepias perennis)

Aquatic Milkweed, White Milkweed
Asclepias perennis

Host plant for the Monarch butterfly

Awww! Look at the little babies! Will you have pics of the other stages too?

The first time I saw these caterpillars, they were munching on my dill. I had no idea what they were, and killed them. I will go to my grave regretting that.
This is a good picture, Stacey.

I can show you stumps of leafless milkweed...or where the plant used to be before it was eaten to the ground! Oh, did you mean the butterfly? LOL

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/369728/

Susan, your caterpillars were probably Black Swallowtail. For atonement plant lots of fennel and dill just for them! Ü I'm sorry you feel bad about it but I'm sure something like that has happened to most gardeners

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/387404/

They look similar at first glance, don't they? I see the little "horns" on the front and back of the monarch caterpillar, so I will try to remember the difference when I see more. I still won't kill them, of course! I planted a lot of dill for them last year, but did not have any takers.

They're often mistaken... Do you suppose none came back because they'd heard and they were scared??!!

You can send your cats to me Floridan! I had a single monarch cat in the three years I've had my b-fly garden. Maybe they'll recognize my hard work this year and honor me with some babies!

How many of the perennis do you have? Maybe you could plant tropical milkweed and cover the perennis with mesh for a season or two?

I have lots of currasavica that volunteer in my yard, I have 2 perennis (maybe),
humistrata that comes back every year but only gets a few inches tall (weird huh?) tuberosa and one other native. Most don't get enough water I'm sure but all were planted for the butterflies and they're welcome to eat them all the way to the ground.
Milkweed is sold in every local nursery so it's fairly inexpensive. I've already seen one tiny Monarch caterpillar and several of the butterflies so I'm happy about that.
We mostly garden for the critters now, we have brushpiles for the snakes and smilax vines for the birds and we let some of the weedy natives grow wild...hehehe I'm sure my neighbor hates it but when I see the butterflies all over my yard I'm content! Ü We even have Zebra Longwings that roost in our yard on summer evenings! They fly in every evening near dusk and collect on the oak brach tips...it's so cool! http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=690454
Stacey

I wouldn't mind you for my next door neighbor lol Very nice pic.

I wish I lived next to you! I'd invite myself over for backyard barbeques! With my camera of course!