One of the highlights of the summer season has to be watching the monarch butterflies make the change from fat green and gold caterpillars, through the jade green chrysalis,into the stunning orange and black 'flying flowers' that float about the fields and flowers.
There is always at least one cottage that has a monarch caterpillar in a jar, with the children eagerly watching its progress. This is truly one of life's miracles. Ali and Zack were thrilled to have a newly hatched monarch sit on a finger and say hello.
When you consider that these butterflies will fly all the way to Mexico for the winter, it is quite incredible. There were less monarchs around this summer -- it was perhaps too cool and wet for them earlier in the season, and they must have stayed farther south. Last year was a bumper crop -- almost every milkweed had a caterpillar on it.
The monarch feeds on milkweed, which is toxic, and makes the caterpillars and butterflies taste pretty darn bad if you are a bird who happens to snap one up. It's an interesting survival technique, and it works well. Young birds might try a monarch on toast as a snack, but they'll only try it once in their lives.
If you want butterflies in your garden, you should be sure to leave some milkweed growing there. The flowers are beautiful, and so is the soft silk in the seed pod.
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