06.12.20 Butterfly Bonanza

Labelled one of the showiest wildflowers in North America by naturalists, Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa is blooming! Beloved by many of our favorite butterflies such as monarchs and swallowtails, it is also a good place to discover lots of new ones. Asclepius was the Greek god who gave us the caduceus (snakes twined around a staff) as a symbol of medicine. (Apparently it was the snakes, not Asclepius, who knew the cure to the various diseases, and whispered it in his ear.) Asclepius is an apt name for this plant as first Americans used it to treat a number of maladies. In addition to butterflies, one of their natural predators, crab spiders can be found lurking within the orange blossoms.

J. Paxton, Magazine of Botany and
Registry of Flowering Plants, 1834-49.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Megan McCarty’s photo of a Banded Hairstreak from Wikipedia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Orange Sulphur captured by Greg Hume.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An American Copper from Wikipedia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Great Spangled Fritillary, also from Wikipedia. [Notice the butterfly weed it is sitting on…]