Monarch Population Numbers Announced

Today the WWF-Mexico and Conanp announced the numbers for the Monarch Butterfly population that overwintered in Mexico.

Monarch Butterfly population 2017-2018, compared to previous years
graph source: WWF-Mexico

The news was not so good.  Nine colonies of Monarch butterflies were found occupying a total of 2.48 hectares of forest.  That is a drop of 14.77% from the previous winter, which covered 2.91 hectares.

closeup of Monarch population the last few winters, in hectares

The drop in population was attributed to the presence of two tropical storms and three hurricanes along the Atlantic coast when Monarch migration began in mid-September.  High temperatures in the midwest and northeast of the United States also caused a late migration, possibly also contributing to the decline in numbers.

Whatever the reason, it is sad news for the Monarchs.

Still Open for Business

While today's big storm is bringing about cooler temperatures (just in time for some frigid trick-or-treating, of course!), for most of October it has been warm and beautiful here.  We have yet to get our first frost.

the front garden, a couple weeks ago

Due to the lack of frost, many pollinators are still out and about.  This late in the season, they will take any sources of food they can get - and, of course, the Red House Garden is still open for business.

Hello?  Any food in here?

My favorite perennial available for pollinators in October is my Willowleaf Sunflower, which gets bigger and better every year.  The blooms are sadly now over, but for much of October it was bee-utiful.

Willowleaf Sunflower

Bees go crazy for native Asters, and I am so glad that the groundhogs and bunnies finally let mine get taller than nubs this year.  Some are still in bloom in the garden.

bee on Aster laevis 'Bluebird'

The Montauk Daisies are also still blooming, though looking a little more ragged by now.

Montauk Daisies

The plant that impressed me most this year, however, was the Sheffield Mums.

Sheffield Mums in the greenhouse garden

Every time a big rainstorm comes, they look like they are out for the count, but they just pop right back up again.  Pollinators love them, and the only wildlife that bothers them is the occasional Cucumber Beetle.

"I get knocked down, but I get up again.  You are never gonna keep me down..."

Along with the late-blooming perennials, my annuals are indispensable to the fall buffet. Self-seeding Cosmos, Nicotiana, and Sweet Alyssum pop up every year in my garden and keep going until frost (or even through light ones, as in the case of the Sweet Alyssum.)

Cosmos 'Picotee'

I might actually have to buy more Cosmos seed for next year, as I didn't get as many this year.  The Verbena bonariensis, on the other hand, outdid itself, coming up everywhere and attracting hordes of butterflies to the garden.

Painted Lady butterfly on Verbena bonariensis

Like many other people around the country, I saw an explosion of Painted Ladies in the garden this year.  It was such a good year for these butterflies that a huge mass of migrating Painted Lady butterflies stretching 100 miles wide over Denver, Colorado, was recently caught on radar!  The befuddled meteorologists had to turn to social media for help to figure out what was going on.

Painted Lady butterfly on Verbena bonariensis

I've also been ecstatic to see so many Monarchs in the garden this year, after years of such dangerously low populations.  Unusually warm temperatures coupled with strong headwinds have resulted in the latest migration ever recorded, and I spotted Monarchs in my garden just a couple days ago.  I do hope they can fly down south in time to hibernate before the cold weather hits!

Monarch butterfly on Verbena bonariensis

The weather is turning colder, and I am sure it will be freezing before we know it.  Until then, we stay open for dining, and all bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are welcome!  Happy gardening as always,

and, for the little guys, bon appétit!

When It's Not Poop

A friend recently gave me a Dictamnus plant out of her garden.  Right on top was a very interesting stowaway.

What looked like a giant bird dropping on a leaf was no dropping at all...

It is actually the caterpillar of a  Giant Swallowtail Butterfly - one we don't commonly see this far north!  It uses its disguise of bird poop to avoid getting eaten by predators.

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar

It's not the only one that masquerades as a turd for extra protection. Several different types of Swallowtail caterpillars look somewhat like bird droppings in their early phases.

Black Swallowtail caterpillar

Similarly, I don't think any predator would find the appearance of this Hover Fly larvae appetizing...

Hover Fly larvae - ugly in appearance, but very beneficial as it eats aphids

Along these lines, I noticed a new visitor to my veggie garden this year that I called the 'poop bug' until I finally looked up its true name.

It is really called the Clavate Tortoise Beetle.  I can see why it is called that, as the dark markings really do look kind of like a miniature tortoise - but I still think it looks even more like bird poop.

Clavate Tortoise Beetle (aka Poop Bug)

These beetles like plants in the nightshade family, including tomatoes, but thankfully don't usually do a lot of damage.

I think it's really awesome how nature uses camouflage to protect caterpillars and other critters from predators.  As interesting as it is, though, I think I'm ready to see some wildlife that doesn't look like poop.

Ah, much better!

Happy gardening (and critter watching)!

Not All Liatrises Are Created Equal

You know those lists that you see of plants that are great for pollinators and plants that attract butterflies and so on?  Liatris is one plant I always see on those lists.  I also read somewhere that they were absolutely irresistible to Monarch Butterflies, thus I decided to plant some in the garden.

I purchased a bunch of corms (bulbs) of both the purple and white varieties of the native Liatris spicata, a.k.a. Dense Blazing Star or Gayfeather, which is the Liatris that nurseries most commonly sell.  I planted them in the garden, sat back, and waited for their blooms to attract butterflies and other pollinators in droves.

I was disappointed.

Other than the occasional bee, they seemed to attract pretty much nada.  Maybe I just had too many fabulous other plants blooming at the same time (in all fairness, they had to compete with the Coneflowers and Milkweed), but this Liatris definitely was not living up to its list-making reputation.

a lone bee on Liatris spicata

So were all those lists lying about how much butterflies love Liatris?   I did a little research and realized that when people were talking about Liatris and Monarch butterflies, specifically, they usually mentioned Liatris ligulistylis, a.k.a. Meadow Blazing Star or Rocky Mountain Blazing Star, not the type I had planted.  This Liatris was a little harder to find, but I just had to get some.  Last year I found and ordered some online, and this year they bloomed for the first time.

Monarch butterflies on Liatris ligulistylis

That was more like it.

All of the Monarchs that flew into my garden were drawn to this plant.  It was true - this Liatris is a magnet for Monarch butterflies!

Other pollinators enjoyed it, too...

bee on Liatris ligulistylis

It makes me wonder why this variety of Liatris is not more commonly found.  Maybe people just like the look of the more commonly sold Liatris spicata better?  (It is often used in the cut-flower industry.)  My new Liatris ligulistylis does look a little more awkward with its more unevenly-spaced flowers.  It can also grow quite tall - mine are mostly around 5 feet.  I've found that many people are somewhat wary of growing tall flowers, and the common L. spicata is usually only around 3 or 4 feet tall, shorter and easier to fit into smaller gardens.

Liatris ligulistylis

It is a good thing I love tall flowers in my garden - one of my L. ligulistylis even grew to an impressive seven feet tall!  Even more impressively, it didn't need to be staked until a couple of severe rainstorms finally wore it down and caused it to lean sideways.  (Of course, that might just be a sign of the poorness of my soil - these plants do have a reputation for leaning in richer or moister soils.)

Liatris ligulistylis, with its 'blazing star' type flowers

Liatris ligulistylis blooms in late summer, a little later than L. spicata.  It likes full sun and medium-wet to medium-dry soil, but it also tolerates poor soil, light shade, and drought when established.  It is native to central North America and hardy in zones 3-8.

Liatris seed

Now in fall, the blooms on my L. ligulistylis are starting to fade.  However, the steady stream of visitors to this plant still continues, as the Goldfinches have now discovered the ripening seeds.

Goldfinch on Liatris ligulistylis

I have to say that, at least in my garden, not all Liatrises seem to be created equal.  

Monarch butterfly on Liatris ligulistylis

I think you can tell which one I like better.

Whorled Milkweed

I like to grow a lot of milkweed plants in my garden, as milkweed is the only larval host for Monarch Butterflies, whose famous multi-generational migration across North America is sadly in danger of going extinct.  While many are familiar with milkweeds sold in nurseries, such as Tropical Milkweed, Rose Milkweed, and Butterfly Weed, there are actually many different types of milkweed plants.  One that is a little different and blooming in my garden this year for the first time is Asclepias verticillata, aka Whorled Milkweed or Horsetail Milkweed.

Whorled Milkweed

Asclepias verticillata has thin, very narrow leaves, different than most other milkweeds.  It grows to about 1 or 2 feet high, with umbels of white flowers and leaves that are whorled around the stem, giving this plant its name ('verticillata' is Latin for 'whorled').

Whorled Milkweed is native to eastern and central North America, found in dry prairies, open grassy woodlands, and areas of disturbed soil, such as fields and roadsides.  It likes full to partial sun, grows in medium to dry soils, and is hardy from zone 3-10.  It is a good milkweed to grow on a dry, difficult site, as it is quite drought tolerant once established.

With its narrow stems and leaves, it's one of those plants that I think would work well with other low perennials and grasses.  It blooms mid-summer through fall, a little later than other milkweeds.  It is also one of the last milkweeds to go dormant, making it an important source of food for Monarch caterpillars late in the season.

Whorled Milkweed spreads by seed and by rhizomes.  I grew my plants from seeds by winter-sowing, as the seeds need a period of moist cold to germinate.  It is one of the more toxic varieties of milkweed, so it is very critter resistant (more so than my Rose Milkweed this year, which I think is being eaten by a very mischievous groundhog).  Accordingly, it should not be grown anywhere near livestock that might eat it.  The white flowers attract bees, beneficial wasps, moths, and butterflies, though they are not as fragrant as some other milkweeds.

Because of their long history of use as medicinal plants, Carl Linnaeus gave milkweeds the botanical name of 'Asclepias' after Asclepias, the Greek god of medicine.  Whorled milkweed is no different, historically used by several Native American tribes to treat snakebites, to relieve nose and throat problems, and to increase the milk of nursing mothers.

I really like the airy look of Whorled Milkweed in my garden.  It is a great alternative to the orange-flowered Butterfly Weed for a dry, sunny site - especially in my more pastel-themed front yard garden.  I look forward to watching it grow and seeing if it attracts any late-season Monarchs.

Happy gardening!

Monarch Sighting!

This weekend we had a Monarch Butterfly sighting at the Red House Garden!

Monarch butterfly on Rose Milkweed

This is a big deal here, as this is only the second Monarch I've seen in the last three years since moving up to Massachusetts.  It's also a cause for celebration, as Monarch numbers have been on the decline in recent years.  We having been fighting against the real possibility that their Great Migration, which encompasses several generations of butterflies and thousands of miles across North America, could face extinction.

Gardeners across America have been planting nectar plants and Milkweed plants, which is what their caterpillars eat, in order to help the butterflies out. We were very optimistic after reports this winter showed that the numbers of Monarchs overwintering in Mexico had increased significantly...

Graph of area covered by the Monarch overwintering population in Mexico
graph by WWF

Unfortunately, an unexpected disaster struck.  In early March, right as the Monarch butterflies were coming out of hibernation, a large winter storm hit Mexico.  Millions of Monarchs were killed.

Thus it gives me great hope to see a Monarch way up here, especially one early in the season.

This one is a female Monarch.

Here's hoping for babies!

Monarch Population Numbers Are In!

And great news...

Population numbers are up!!!

Graph of area covered by the Monarch overwintering population in Mexico
graph by WWF

The Monarch butterfly is known for its great migration across North America. They overwinter only in certain locations in Mexico and California, and when they fly North to breed, it takes several generations before their great-great-grandchildren fly back south to overwinter in the same spots.

Monarch migration paths shown by the USDA

Monarch population numbers have been so low the past couple of years that we were in serious danger of losing this great migration.  The Monarch butterfly population plummeted due to several factors: severe winters at their overwintering sites, illegal deforestation of their overwintering sites, and the sharp drop in the amount of their larval food of milkweed along their migration path. 

Monarch butterfly

With the rise of corn prices, due in part to the government mandate of adding ethanol to gasoline, millions of acres of grasslands that make up part of the Monarch breeding grounds have been converted to farmlands, and the majority of farms have switched to new varieties that are genetically engineered to tolerate herbicides.  The spraying of herbicides has eliminated the milkweed that used to sprout up in and around crops – and thus eliminated much of the breeding ground for Monarchs.

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed

I know gardeners across America have been planting milkweed to help out the Monarch, and there is even a federal initiative to try to address this problem.  And it looks like all that milkweed planting might be making a difference, as the population totals have jumped!

graph from the Center for Biological Diversity

World Wildlife Mexico, in collaboration with SEMARNAT and CONANP and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), announced yesterday that nine colonies of butterflies were found in Mexico with a total forest area occupied adding up to 4.01 hectares.  That is almost quadruple the 1.13 hectares occupied last winter, and considerably up from the shockingly low area of 0.67 hectares two winters ago.

graph of overwintering population in hectares
provided by Monarch Watch

Of course, the battle is not yet over.  The target is for the Monarch population to be able to sustain their average population of 6 hectares, a number large enough to withstand natural population fluctuations without dropping below the threshold for possible extinction.

Such good news for the Monarch butterflies of North America!

And now back to planting a little more milkweed...