Raising Monarchs

[CountryEscape]

Hey, JB, wondering if you can possibly ID the plants/flowers following that I dug from local roadside ditches. I have guesses for a couple, but no idea for the others.
I spotted this one, and it was alone. I know, I should not have taken it, since no others close by, but I had never seen one before. Then, to my dismay, I broke the main stalk when the handle of the bucket went the wrong way. So, pics are sketchy. First one is of the wilted flower stalk. the flowers were more pink than the purple the pic shows. The second one is of the leaves toward the bottom, that were still full as the break was right above that leaf stem.

This next set looks similar to a bachelor button flower, so wondering if it's in that family perhaps? Plant, then close up of the flower. this one is more pink than purple, but does have a little bit of a purple tint to it.

I learned today that there are dozens of Black Eyed Susan varieties, both tame and wild. So, I'm going to call this a weeping Black Eyed Susan. I've seen these before, and they ALWAYS have the yellow petals weeping or hanging downward. This plant is taller than the BES's that I got last week. Again, plant, then close up of the flowers. I got a nice bunch of them!

And, lastly, I was actually trying to dig up a False Indigo. I knew from a previous failed attempt that they have a very deep tap root, but even digging down at least 12", I didn't budge the plant. In fact, when I lifted the circle of dirt with the shovel, the indigo plant stayed put, and the dirt pulled up over the plant!!! So, I covered it up with dirt and left it. But, in the meantime, I decided to keep the white flowers that were growing around it. The leaves are very thin, fern-like in a way, and the flowers are tiny clusters of tiny flowers. They remind me of Baby's Breath that is put in flower arrangements as a dried flower.

If anyone knows what these are, I'll be able to officially tag them in my wild flower garden. If not, they will be called "pink bachelor button type flower, pink milkweed type flower, white tiny flower, and weeping BES."

 

[CountryEscape]

I asked a plant FB page, and they told me the tiny white flowers are Mountain Mint, the one that looks like bachelor button is a type of bee balm, called Wild Bergamot; the weeping yellow flower is actually a Prairie Coneflower (this is really exciting, because I wanted a TRUE yellow coneflower). I found one more wild flower really close to my house last night. I learned it's called Culver's Root. It's really airy and dainty.

 

[CountryEscape]

OK, back to the monarch raising.
Day 12 - I took pics this morning because several of the caterpillars were hanging upside down, one from the screened lid, and two from the bottom side of leaves. Well, this evening all 3 of those had morphed during the day to chrysillis stage! Here are the pics of before ....

and after. Sorry, pics are not real clear, because I didn't want to disturb them and move the top, since one of the chrysillis is on the top. I'll have to move it to add more leaves, though, unless the other 3 caterpillars are not morphed by tomorrow. I think the one is pretty small, so that's unlikely, but we shall see.

This is getting really exciting! I think someone said the growing the caterpillars to full size took 2 weeks, but it's only been 12 days and I have 3 more to morph yet, one of which is a bit smaller, but one that is larger than the 3 that morphed.

 

[Mmathis]

YEA, YEA, YEA!

 

[addy1]

Good job!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I asked a plant FB page, and they told me the tiny white flowers are Mountain Mint, the one that looks like bachelor button is a type of bee balm, called Wild Bergamot; the weeping yellow flower is actually a Prairie Coneflower (this is really exciting, because I wanted a TRUE yellow coneflower). I found one more wild flower really close to my house last night. I learned it's called Culver's Root. It's really airy and dainty.

Didn't see your post or I would've answered faster. I'm not familiar with mountain mint, but I can tell it's definitely a mint relative so the person that told you that is probably right. The Wild Bergamot is also correct. It's also in the mint family by the way. It smells more like a pencil than mint, though. I have 5 of them growing in my garden, but I expect many more because they like to spread. Bumble bees really love them. The yellow coneflower is often called Gray-headed Coneflower. That's another one I'm growing in my garden that probably won't flower until next year.

The first photo definitely looks like a type of Trefoil. I've only come across Showy Tick Trefoil, which forms thick groups, and since you said you only found one, I don't think that's what it is. Maybe Illinois Tick Trefoil.


By the way, there are a couple other yellow coneflowers native to parts of the US. Bush's Coneflower looks a lot like Purple Coneflower, but yellow. I've been considering it for my own garden even though it's not native to Wisconsin. Long-headed Coneflower is similar to Gray-headed coneflowers, but with a longer head. (Also look up Mexican Hat Coneflower!)

You probably won't be able to find any of them in the wild, especially Bush's Coneflower, but Prairie Moon sells the seed packets at a good price. I recommend them a lot because they have the best native plant selection I've seen, especially for the midwest.

http://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/echinacea-paradoxa-bushs-coneflower.html

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks so much for IDing plants. JB. The first one is not trefoil, which the web does say it grows in thick mats, choking out other plants. I think I DO have some of that, though it was pretty yellow flowers, clover like plant ... NOPE, it was spreading and taking everything in it's path, so I pulled most of it this spring. I will wait until next year to see what the flower is.
How about this plant? It's got a purple flower, I see it often along woods, facing either south it seems, so must like sun. Found this one in the road ditch, too. Several of them in the area. They make a beautiful display when in bloom and there are a bunch of them in a group.

 

[CountryEscape]

Day 15 - 5 of the 6 have morphed into chrysalis, and the last one is hanging in the "J" shape to morph today. Hoping to get some "during" photos as the day goes on. I removed all the "poop" from the bottom, and the rest of the leaves, but left the branches in there for the monarchs to sit on when they open up, if I'm at work.
Here is Day 13 - one more morphed from morning to evening.

Then yesterday, Day 14, a.m. one more was getting ready to morph, and one was left still eating on the leaves.

Day 14 evening, the chrysalis of #5 is complete.

Day 15 a.m. - Caterpillar #6 is in position to morph, chose a spot right next to one of the first ones to morph! Hoping to get some pics of this one today during the morph process to chrysalis. We shall see if I can catch any good pics ...

 

[addy1]

I have a lot of the wild bergamot growing in the pollinator garden. Looks real pretty and it has been blooming for weeks now.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

How about this plant? It's got a purple flower, I see it often along woods, facing either south it seems, so must like sun. Found this one in the road ditch, too. Several of them in the area. They make a beautiful display when in bloom and there are a bunch of them in a group.
View attachment 84213 View attachment 84214

Seems to be Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata). Flowers are usually variations of purple but can also be pink too. I see a lot of it out at a nearby prairie.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Finally! I found 12 newly hatched Monarch caterpillars on 7 of my milkweed plants tonight! 6 on Orange Milkweed, 6 on Common Milkweed. Nothing on Swamp Milkweed.

 

[CountryEscape]

Super exciting JB and great eye to spot them, too!!! Hope they all mature.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Long-headed Coneflower is similar to Gray-headed coneflowers, but with a longer head. (Also look up Mexican Hat Coneflower!)

Wanted to share, but didn't know where (unintended rhyme). Figured this thread would be a good spot since I mentioned the plant last month. Saw Mexican Hat on sale today so I had to add it to my native plant garden. What an awesome flower!

 

[CountryEscape]

Oooooo ... very nice, JB. And, you can save some seeds and reproduce more, if you want.

 

[CountryEscape]

So, on my Central Illinois Gardener's FB page, people are talking about removing all the aphids from their swamp milkweed plants. Pish posh, I have them on my swamp milkweed, but only on a few stems, and I leave them be. I figure they are food for other bugs and maybe birds! No way are they going to cause any significant damage to the plant. Here is a pic of them:

The monarchs all hatched while I was gone on vacation to Utah to visit my granddaughter and be there for her blessing last Sunday. I told the girl doing my chores to watch for them, and release any that hatched, but she "forgot". I was glad, though, because it meant I got to photograph them and release all 6 of them! Three of them flew right away, the other 3 were slower, one more lethargic (probably had been hatched for at least 3 days ... ) but they all flew away in time. Excited for my first successful raising of monarchs!
Here are two empty chrysalis shells.

And ...the monarchs!!! This pic was taken before I released the butterflies. This one was right next to it's chrysalis.

Funny, but after work yesterday, I spotted what I thought at first was a monarch on my butterfly bush, where I had put the "slow" one yesterday morning. But, this was a viceroy. It was so happy to be photographed, got probably 20 pics of it! But, notice the curved black line on it's bottom wings, compared to broken linen on monarchs. Also, the Viceroy looks like a "baby" monarch. That's the easiest way to tell difference.