Mellie, when I first found the little monarch, the first thing I did when it crawled on my hand was look for a tag! I didn't realize it was probably a newborn :-0
When I went back to work after lunch, a monarch flew over my windshield right up the street from home. I hope it was "mine!"
Can you give a little more info on the spicebush- which species do you grow? And do you think it would grow well here, about an hour and a half south of you?
Thanks to all of you for sharing your bf knowledge!!!
Cathy
DAILY Butterflies Page 25
I had a couple seeds of Spice Bush that I tried to germinate. No luck. It needs cold stratification. I put the seeds in the refridgerator for almost 2 months. Still no luck. So I guess I need a source of where to buy a small spice bush plant. Anyone have a place you'd recommend?
Melanie, I saw the white milkweed on p. 12 in my Parks Catalog which came in my mail today also. It is very pretty. Its name is Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet.'
I cross my fingers in hopes some of my butterfly books come in the mail tomorrow!
Martha
Chris, 13 DG vendors have the spice bush for sale: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/50037/.
Cathy, I sure hope that was your Monarch too.
Martha
Thanks Martha, I will probably order from Lazy S when it gets closer to spring. Looks like it will be good in the shade.
Martha, thanks for thinking of "my" one antennaed little female!
Lazy S will get my Spicebush order in the spring too, have you ordered from them before Chris?
Cathy
I am pretty sure I have, but I dont remember all I have ordered from. There is a hand written list of "Yes order from these companies" next to my desk. They are watchdog 30, so that would also give them a yes from me.
Cool beans, thanks!
Chris, Remember Nearly Native Nursery there in GA has spicebushes for a very good price... They are in Feyetteville I think. Jim and Debi are terrific.
debnes
I go there alot, and I always come home with some great plants. I have to catch them just right to get something specific. Maybe I will ask them to call or e-mail me when they come in.
Good idea Debnes!
I've heard that spicebush can be grown in shady areas. The only thing I was cautioned about when I bought my first spicebush plants was not to let them get too dry. I was lucky to live within driving distance of a native nursery that grows spicebush and had plants that came from the general area. And when I go back there, if the butterflies haven't shown up to lay eggs on my plants, they are only too happy to give me a few cats. And I mean very happy...that guy just hands me cats. It was when he showed me the cats that I first decided maybe I could grow spicebush! I'm going to try doing cuttings of my plants next year.
Sounds great Linda! You're right SB actually like a little shade here in TX. I have 2 in the ground. One back near the corner in a shady spot, and the other is up the fence and in the sun more. The one in back with more shade got bigger this year than the one in front. They ar along a west side fence so that the evening summer sun doesn't blaze them too much.
It's a good idea for you too Chris. The pic on the NNN site of SB has a SBcat on it. I bet Jim would be happy to let you have a couple of the SBST cats next summer.
debnes
That is going on my "Spring To Do" list.
Ummm, what is the NNN? Link?
chris
NNN, Nearly Native Nursery, right?.
Duhhhh, I hate those moments!!! My brain was stuck on National something something , trying to figure it out. Didnt put 2 and 2 together that you were referring to Nearly Native. I thought you were giving me another good one. Your referrals have always been great.
cordeledeb, its a great place! Have you been there?
chris
Hey there Chris, no I haven't been yet. I did talk to him on the phone about some pawpaws earlier in the year. They sound like really nice folks to buy some host and nectar plants.
I have spotted a new butterfly at my place : o) it is REALLY COOL !!
LOL rofl James!! What an exotic buttefly to haveland in your Christmas tree like that! To be so still for the pose and all!
lol
debnes
I also spotted a blue throated glitter nosed hummingbird !!!!!!!!
: o)
A glitter nose! Wow, that's quite a beauty, LOL!
The spicebush I grow is lindera benzoin and I bought it from www.mailordernatives.com I have two and they're just babies now. I have them in semi-shade but I'm thinking of moving them. The light will be the same but I wanted to give them more room and I just pulled up a bunch of philedendrons from the backyard so there's lots of space. Dad still has to hook up the truck and yank the roots out, but then that part of the yard will be totally mine (evil laughter)! Dad always complained that nothing grew in the side/back yard when what he really meant is that grass wouldn't grow there. It's pretty shady and the water accumulates there so it's constantly moist. I'm turning it into my native Florida plant understory section. I've got parsley hawthorn (I read somewhere the Red-Spotted purple will use them as a host), American Snowbell, Beautyberries, an Abutilon that Dad loves ("it looks just like a maple tree," he says and then I tell him that's why they call it a flowering Maple). I put some sweetshrub in and I also have a Florida anise (red bloom).
Speaking of native Florida plants, I went hiking today. It rained last night (yea!) and today it's been on and off cloudy. I think the animals know bad weather is coming and maybe they were all hunkering down. I didn't see any zebra swallowtails, but I found a couple of eggs. They might be duds, but I brought them home anyway.
Here's a long-tailed skipper. They were all over the lantana.
I chased down this Carolina Satyr. By the way, if you're standing around and you feel a twinge on your leg, don't just ignore it. Because if you're like me, it means you're standing in an ant pile and they've crawled up your leg and are biting you. Looks like I'll be bathing in the hydrocortisone cream again.
The White Peacocks are still out and about.
I like this picture because you can see the face and proboscis. I don't usually get to see that on this butterfly.
This Gulf Fritillary didn't want to sit still. I also saw a GF fly over my house when I came home today.
At first I thought I spotted another satyr, but then I saw it rubbing its wings together and knew it had to be a Hairstreak. I mentioned earlier that I hadn't seen one in months so this one really surprised me. I think it's a Red-Banded Hairstreak, but as you can see he's a little worse for wear.
I also saw a Zebra Longwing, lots of dainty sulphurs, and a few of the larger sulphurs today. That's the report from Tampa!
Melanie
And what a report indeed, Melanie! You found many beaut's that I enjoyed seeing. It's abysmal here, raining, blowing wind, down to 30° tonight. Seeing a bit of lively existence is a treat. Thanks
Martha
Martha,
I seems as if we shared the same gloomy sky. It began to rain here early this evening. Wind 15-25 mph. Cool temp. only climbs up to mid. 40'ish tomorrow. Mellie, thanks for sharing those beauties.
Kim
Kim, I guess that cold front is stretching across the south, at least from Mississippi to Alabama. It's dreary, huh.
Martha
the cold front is streching from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico ........... you will get ice and snow from Tennesse north and east from W. Virginia up thru New England over the next two days ...............RAIN IN THE DROUGHT REGION OF GEORGIA, ALABAMA AND FLORIDA.
already had ice over North Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas
I am sure no one in the southeast is complaining about the rain this year! I am glad we broke our drought this year for sure.
Amen to the welcome rain!!! :-)
Don't be too jealous because it's coming our way! We're supposed to get lots of rain tomorrow morning. Then, Sunday night there is a freeze warning but its lowest range is still two counties above me. They say we could have freezing temperatures for four hours which means the strawberry farmers will be out there spraying everything with water (to create a protective layer of ice). That's why I went hiking today!
Last night the remnants of Olga gave us a good rain and today it was very scattered showers. The drought hasn't been quite as bad in my county, but we definitely need the rain. Mom and I pick up letters to Santa from disadvantaged children and every year buy toys for them. Today we returned to drop off all the presents at the mall and it was raining on the way there. I made the remark that I was just glad it wasn't ice. I went to college in Philadelphia and four years of snow was about all I could handle.
Melanie
I doubt freezing in your area last long enought to do much damage to your prennials. If you have tender plants maybe a sheet will protect them.
The rain went around me yesterday. : ( I think we got about 3 glass fulls of mist. Hopefully we will get alittle tomorrow. (Fingers crossed.)
~Lucy
Yeah, the only plants I really worry about are the bromeliads (I have a whole garden full of them in the backyard). If I think it's going to frost or freeze I'll go out there and throw old bedsheets over them. It's so funny to drive through the neighborhood in the morning when everyones has their sheets out. One of the ladies on the FL Gardening forum said her neighborhood looked like a Bed, Bath, and Beyond exploded!
Lucy, that front is pretty big so I think we're all going to get some. Here's hoping anyway!
Melanie....
That little hairstreak sure looks worse for wear! The red markings do look thicker than those of the Dusky-blue Groundstreak. Sure wish a fresh would make an appearance in your yard and pose for photos :o)
We've had some horribly strong winds this month and we got a light cool front earlier in the week and are expecting another tonight. It's supposed to get down to 50 (I know, that's a day in the park for ya'll up north) - but our area hasn't had any rain and most of the plants and trees out here are considered somewhat tropical...they like the heat...and not the cold. So long as it doesn't freeze or get below 45 I'm okay with it. Some of my plants are already showing signs of wind burned leaves :o( I surely don't want to add freezing temps to that.
Could use some rain though...
Only the Red Admirals were out and about at the bait station. Didn't go to the park although the sun was out for a while. Had too much to do around the house. Perhaps tomorrow, weather permitting.
~ Cat
Nice pics Mel... and James LOL! Love that GN Hummer, rofl!!
Here's the new thread everybody:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/797771/
Keep on posting your dailies!!!
debnes