[cquick]

Where is the best source for butterfly plants....both host and nectar? I used to go to Lucas' nursery in Oveido, but I sure don't want to have to travel so far!

[kittygilchrist]

Watched a monarch around my milkweeds today (brought with me, moved 4/2/13 to Gilchrist).
So went out to look at the plants...
Look what I found!

[kittygilchrist]

Here she is on a sunflower! I hope she wasn't looking for a mate. let's hope she's hanging around the milkweeds to lay her eggs.
Thanks for the release back when, ya'll.
anybody giving out milkweed seeds these days?
Kitty

[cquick]

I have started some by seed, when they grow big and reseed, I'll be happy to share.

[kittygilchrist]

lmk how your plants are coming. wouldn't you love to see the monarchs in Mexico?

[asianthree]

who checks the tags after?

[samhass]

Kitty, Normally I have extra asclepias plants and seeds but this summer I don't. The caterpillars have been voracious. I will be lucky to get my whole group raised. I have some in chrysalis and many ready to go into chrysalis. I also have lots of babies. I love butterflies!

[buggyone]

Before moving to The Villages, I was a volunteer tour guide at a large indoor butterfly garden (Brookside Gardens, Montgomery County, Maryland). We had butterflies from the US, Central America, and from Asia and usually had around 500 flying at one time. People loved the Blue Morphos from Central America!

I mainly gave tours to 2nd and 3rd grade kids and that was fun. However, my favorite was when groups of senior citizens from some of the nursing homes would visit. Quite a few had Alzheimers or dementia and were just blank in their wheelchairs. Sometimes when a butterfly would land on them, their eyes would brighten up visibly and a smile would appear on their face.

My wife and I have milkweed for Monarchs here in The Villages as well as passionflower vine for Gulf Frittelaries. Pretty good crop of butterflies this year.

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by samhass

Kitty, Normally I have extra asclepias plants and seeds but this summer I don't. The caterpillars have been voracious. I will be lucky to get my whole group raised. I have some in chrysalis and many ready to go into chrysalis. I also have lots of babies. I love butterflies!

for now I have room for a few on my plants. lmk if you need to rehome some.