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susanlynne48

OMG! The Butterflies Are Here!

susanlynne48
12 years ago

After seeing a Mourning Cloak the other day, I was taking my DD to the doctor's office, and he has a few Pansies out front. I could NOT believe it, but a RED ADMIRAL was nectaring on them! This is way way way early for them!

The thing is that there really isn't much food for them right now. The early plums, cherries, Red Buds, etc., aren't blooming yet. I don't think there is any rotting fruit on the ground right now?

Does that seem odd to anyone else?

Susan

Comments (32)

  • MissSherry
    12 years ago

    No, Susan, red admirals overwinter here, when there's nothing blooming. I see them hanging out on the gravel driveway, where they stick their proboscis in the wet OR dry grit, so they must get something from that. Also, they're known to nectar on tree sap, so if the sap is flowing in some OK trees, they might use that.
    Don't worry, they'll survive!
    Too many things are blooming here to list, and I'm seeing butterflies here and there. It was beautiful today, but it's supposed to rain tomorrow.
    Congrats on the red admiral!
    Sherry

    Here is a link that might be useful: Red Admiral Drinking Tree Sap

  • susanlynne48
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I've never seen one overwinter here in OKC. It just seems odd that this time of year I saw both the Mourning Cloak (not too surprised since they DO overwinter here), and an RA, which I have never seen this early. I do know that RAs nectar from flowers and rotting fruit/sap/dung. Sap may very well be running, but this RA was nectaring on Pansies.

    I'll be keeping my eye out today - supposed to be 77 degrees - to see if there are any other butterflies/species that I haven't already seen. I'm also wondering if their host plant is available. My False Nettle won't be up for awhile yet, but rural Nettle or Pellitory may be up. I think the males may precede the females in migrating North as well, and I'm relatively sure this was a male.

    Cool pic of the RA taking sap from a tree!

    Susan

  • runmede
    12 years ago

    I'm about to mix up a batch of over ripe bananas, dark beer, and molasses. Our temps are going up to 60 today and almost 70 tomorrow.

    Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ Section: Can I attract butterflies without gardening?

  • butterflyaddict
    12 years ago

    During my lunch break today, I saw a giant swallowtail, Monarch, Red Admiral and a unknown sulphur. My passion vine has a few cats on them. I love these mild winters.

  • MissSherry
    12 years ago

    Congrats to you, butterflyaddict! I assume you're somewhere south of New Orleans?
    Maybe this means I'll be seeing gulf frits and giant swallowtails sooner than usual. My P. incarnatas/maypops started to return from the ground several weeks ago, then got damaged by the freeze - the new growth wasn't completely killed, though. My P.'Lavender Lady' usually has to return each spring from the bottom, but many of the vines survived the winter and are re-sprouting from there.
    Speaking of giant swallowtails, I intended to order some more rue - I'll get on it.
    Sherry

  • runmede
    12 years ago

    Yesterday, I mixed up a batch of butterfly bait--mashed over ripe bananas, dark beer (I used Guinness), and molasses. I put this out on a hanging tray. I checked the bait by binoculars from inside at 2:30 PM today. There was a butterfly eating the bait. I quietly went out for a closer look. It was a very nice Question Mark. Our temps are in the mid 60s.

    I put a flat stone in the middle of the bait so that the butterflies have something to land on. The bait is pretty sticky.

  • mboston_gw
    12 years ago

    Today alone I have seen Sulphurs, Monarchs, Gulf Frit, a Giant Swallowtail, Blues, and a Polydamas. I had a Spicebush the other day. The only two species I haven't seen yet are the Zebra Longwings and the Eastern Blacks. Both of those last year were basically no shows I never did have EBS cats and only saw a cople ZLWs very late in the season. Hopin the early nice weather will change that.
    OOPS, haven't seen a Pipevine Swallowtail either.

  • Tony G
    12 years ago

    Today in Minnesota I saw a red admiral, two monarchs, and a swallowtail...and then I woke up. RATS! :)

    Actually, not too much to complain about here. It has been very mild here too. I hope this continues so we have a longer butterfly season like in 2010! congrats to everyone with early butterflies, Tony

  • MissSherry
    12 years ago

    Congrats on all the butterfly sightings - makes me all excited!
    My Woodlander's order came today, and I've potted up two Lindera obtusifolias, one Salix nigra 'Webb' and one male Ilex nudum. I got the male possumhaw, because there's a stand of all females in my woods that makes berries, and they fall off right away, never mature. I'm hoping this male will eventually be a stud, pollinate the females, and the berries will stick. This stand is probably a root-connected colony.
    I'm continuing to try different types of spicebushes and Perseas, hoping to find another species that the palamedes swallowtails will use, maybe even the spicebush swallowtals. With redbays being in danger of extinction, it seems like a good idea.
    The Salix nigra 'Webb' is supposed to be a dwarf, so I'm planning on growing it in a pot - maybe I'll get some more viceroys this year!
    Sherry

  • butterflyaddict
    12 years ago

    Now thats what i'm talking about butterflies everywhere! I will be attempting to grow a sassafras tree in a large pot if I fail I'll try a spicebush or two. Also trying rue and pipe vine this year.

  • minrose
    12 years ago

    How fun for everyone that are seeing butterflies already, yah!
    Tony, you had me going for a sec there, lol! I hope we have a great year for butterflies. I keep waiting for the report back from Mexico about the count of the Monarchs which so far is not sounding too good, bummer. Maybe it won't be so bad.

  • susanlynne48
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Tony, you had me going, too - you're such a hoot!!

    MissSherry, when reading your post, I was wondering if you were still working on trying to stay ahead of the Ambrosia Beetle. I am going to have to check the web to see how things are going, and if they are getting close to finding something to combat the devastation.

    Susan

  • klflorida
    12 years ago

    How exciting for the butterfly sightings you all are having, the subject title made me laugh.

    Let's hope this is the best year yet for butterfly sightings in our habitats.

    I just ordered a Ptelea trifoliata (Hop-tree) as the one I have has no leaves. It held on last season with only two leaves, not enough to entice any butterflies. Hopefully my new plant will be a little fuller although I understand they are slow growers.

    I can't believe the next post is about attracting eastern tiger swallowtails, since that is why I popped in today. What a great board!

  • MissSherry
    12 years ago

    This IS a great board, kltampa!
    Yes, Susan, death by ambrosia beetle has been reported in Jackson County, not far from here, but, so far, the locals are healthy, or at least as healthy looking as redbays get. Most of them have galls caused by the redbay psyllid, a jumping plant lice. I've got one tree - don't know if it's P. borbonia/redbay or P. palustris/swampbay - that only gets a limited few galls. I'm going to go to other forums on the Garden Web and see if anybody has any advice as to how to root cuttings from this tree - it may be more resistant to ambrosia beetles, also.
    I used to read about the anthracnose that was killing the flowering dogwoods in other parts of the country, and felt lucky that ours were healthy and thriving. After the hurricane in 2005, either anthracnose or something else has killed nearly all the local dogwoods - those that aren't yet dead are dying. Several years ago I planted a cultivar called 'Weaver' that I got from Mail Order Natives that's supposed to be good for the Deep South. It grew rapidly, so I had hopes for it, but it's nearly dead now, with only a few sprigs of new growth coming from the trunk, like all the local trees have done before finally dying.
    Yesterday I called Amy at MON and added Cornus kousa angustifolia, an evergreen Chinese dogwood that she sells for a reasonable price. Chinese dogwoods are resistant to anthracnose. I've got two other 'Weavers' that I planted last year on a different side of the property, but I don't have high hopes that they'll survive. I'm guessing that anthracnose was introduced into this country by Chinese dogwoods that were themselves resistant, but carried the disease, just a guess on my part, but it seems that when foreign diseases, weeds and pests come to this country, they destroy the natives. So I'm sort of giving up, I guess, by ordering the Chinese dogwoods and my latest Oriental spicebushes - we've already got rampant Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese privet, Japanese climbing fern, Oriental kudzu, etc., so pretty soon we'll just be Asia West. I sure hope our native butterflies will always be able to find a good host plant!
    Sherry

  • runmede
    12 years ago

    A friend gave me a disease resistant cultivar of our native. It is called 'Appalachian Spring'. I've been growing it for over 6 years now and it is doing fine. I have it in part sun. I also have red stemmed dogwood and silky, too. Great for attracting spring azures.

    Here is a link that might be useful: 'Appalachian Spring': A New Flowering Dogwood Cultivar Resistant to Dogwood Anthracnose

  • MissSherry
    12 years ago

    Runmede, I've got Appalachian Spring. It's still in its pot, hasn't been nearly as vigorously as 'Weaver' but if it resists anthracnose, that'd make it worth growing. It's the only one of the dogwoods I potted up that I haven't planted out yet. I'm hoping it'll perk up this year.
    Sherry

  • runmede
    12 years ago

    Very slow growing. Huge white flowers.

  • susanlynne48
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Today I saw a Clouded Sulphur in my daughter's yard. Can't wait......I'm on pins and needles and need to do some garden cleanup.

    Susan

  • linda_tx8
    12 years ago

    I've got Stinging Nettle down here that's in good shape. The pellitories are absolutely everywhere, because we actually had enough rain over the winter. And I've seen some RA's.

  • susanlynne48
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Good to hear you got some rain, Linda! You should be seeing Monarchs soon!

    I saw a Black Swallowtail today - yippee!

    Susan

  • MissSherry
    12 years ago

    Things are sure heating up, both temperature wise and butterfly wise!
    I took a cutting of my best Persea and just stuck it in the ground in a shady place in a raised bed in my garden. I did this, because, after not being successful at rooting the old rose 'Maggie' in the usual ways, I just stuck a piece of it in the ground in my garden, and two of the three cuttings appear to be rooting. So far, my Persea is looking great, like it's rooting! It would be wonderful if I could propagate that great plant - it's so pretty and healthy looking, and palamedes swallowtails lay eggs on it all the time.
    Sherry

  • Tony G
    12 years ago

    This is a crazy week here in Minnesota. We are going to have record temps for the entire next week! we've went from February to MAY! No butterflies yet, but I'd imagine this weather will stir some mourning cloaks out of hibernation pretty quickly....73 here today...WOW!

    PS...glad to hear there has been a lot of precip down south this early spring too. This butterfly season sounds like it's shaping up to be one for the ages!

  • Tony G
    12 years ago

    No sooner than I post....I see my first butterfly! First Mourning cloak in Minneapolis March 14....Our average temperature this time of year is 40 degrees for the high. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • moonwolf_gw
    12 years ago

    We're having warm temps here in PA, too. I have not seen a single butterfly yet. I am seeing chipmunks and robins, so spring is in the air for sure. I don't have any flowers blooming yet but I do have the crocuses and daffodils peeking up from the ground that will bloom soon :).

    Brad AKA Moonwolf

  • Tony G
    12 years ago

    Brad I just received reports of PA butterflies on my facebook page...keep your eyes peeled!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Monarch Butterfly Garden

  • Elizabeth White
    12 years ago

    We spotted one yesterday in Madison, WI! It was too far away to tell what it was, but it was a butterfly for sure.

  • caterwallin
    12 years ago

    Susan, Congrats on seeing some butterflies there. Even though our temps have been warmer than usual. This week is in the 70s and it's still winter! Despite the warm weather, I still haven't seen any butterflies. I haven't been outside a whole lot, but I was outside yesterday for a few hours weeding the garden (never-ending job actually, but who wants to be weeding 24/7). Some of my winter sown plants are coming up, so before long it will be time to plant those. I've been hearing Eastern Phoebes and Robins, and my Tree Swallows are back for the year; they showed up on Monday. This is the earliest they've ever come back since I started keeping records, the next earliest being March 25. I was (and still am) into birds a long time before I got interested in butterflies. I really love all of nature.
    Cathy

  • susanlynne48
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I'm a nature lover, too, Cathy!

    Robins are here in Oklahoma year-round. Some migrate, but a lot just hang around over winter.

    We have a bumper number of Eurasian Collared Dove this year. I haven't seen the Finches yet (House). I don't get the Bluebirds in the city.

    Susan

  • hurricanekerrie
    12 years ago

    I live in the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities area and I saw two little butterflies today! I think they were Mourning Cloak--but not sure because my students were actively chasing the poor little things around the school field. :) I was kinda confused, too, wondering what they would eat. But it's so warm around here, no wonder the butterflies are back.

  • MissSherry
    12 years ago

    Just saw my first monarch of the season, making those lazy circles before perching. I wasn't able to see if it's a male or female, but it may as well be a male, because I have so little milkweed. Back in ?early February?, all my tropical MW was coming back from the roots, when we had a mild, late freeze. It killed back the new growth, and only my oldest, most reliable A. curassavica has come back, and it doesn't have much new growth on it.
    I've got two little 'Family Jewels' growing in a pot that I hope will grow and thrive.
    I usually don't get eggs in spring anyway, just late summer/fall, so I'll have plenty of MW by then. I plan to plant some A. curassavica seeds also.
    Sherry

  • Mary Leek
    12 years ago

    Happy spring, everyone! Nice to see the forum perking up again; I so enjoy reading about everyone's experiences.

    My husband is very ill and I didn't have much time this year to take care of the small greenhouse. Happy to say, with our mild winter this year, the plants survived on their own and are thriving again. Miss Sherry, wish I could send you some A. curassavica as I overwintered many small pots to have available this spring. Please tell your Monarchs to come on up here! :-)

    Already have many things blooming; I cannot believe this weather. Even the Maypop vines are coming up (they're in a big above ground pot)! Last year it was late April, early May before they showed their early growth.

    I've only seen one little fluttering yellow butterfly so far this season but I don't have much outside time. Come on little jewels, we're all waiting for you.

    UPDATE: just went outside to try taking a photo with my new ipad and lo and behold, a black swallowtail has eclosed this morning. Thank God I went out and noticed him as he was caught inside a cage. He's sunning now on a tiny potted Honeyvine on the deck. Woohoo, spring has surely sprung.

    Mary

  • MissSherry
    12 years ago

    Good to hear from you, Mary, but I'm sorry to hear your husband's so sick! I hope his health improves!
    I sowed the Agastache 'Ava' seeds you sent last year, and I noticed three little seedlings popping up this morning. I've also got some Aristolochia fimbriata going that came from seeds you sent, and I'll be sowing the the other Agastache seeds soon. The two little 'Family Jewels' plants came from seeds you sent - these two overwintered outside, so they must be the hardiest ones. I put a little bit of chicken manure around them this morning to help them get going. You also sent some Asclepias curassavica seeds, and I'll use them eventually.
    Thanks again for all the seeds you sent, and if I see that monarch again, I'll send him/her right up to Arkansas! :0
    Sherry

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