Monarch Butterfly: Amazing Evolution Awaits in My Backyard
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I started a small butterfly garden in my backyard a few years ago, not realizing the impact it would later have on me. My garden was just a simple mix of butterfly attracting plants such as pentas and milkweeds and before long I noticed quite an active and thriving city had evolved right under my nose!
It soon became quite a hobby of mine, searching for tiny butterfly eggs, then for the little caterpillars that were born which quickly grew much larger from munching on the milkweed leaves. My milkweeds have fed countless caterpillars and even though many times they get eaten down to almost a stump, they still keep growing back and the cycle continues endlessly.
The most exciting moments are when I come across the cocoons (pupae) of the monarch throughout my yard. They pick the strangest places, it becomes almost like a treasure hunt for me! The cocoons are a glorious green with tiny gold markings. After about a week, a beautiful monarch will emerge. I have been so blessed to catch this event taking place on many occasions and I stand quietly watching it test its new wings, eventually taking flight a couple hours later.
It is an honor to witness this evolution take place in my own backyard and it makes me happy knowing that I am helping to increase the butterfly population. I do get my special thank you from them, however, every time I look outside and see their beautiful colors dance gracefully through the air.
To preview part of my children's book about the adventure of a caterpillar that transforms into a butterfly, please visit this link!
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I loved the picture of a caterpillar on the palm of a child's hand!
All pictures are amazing! Thank you for having patience to take the pictures and for sharing with us!
Amazing story!
Thank you so much Reuvera! The picture of the child's hand, that is my daughter. I try to teach her and show her all these wonderful things in nature so that she can grow up appreciating it like I do. Im so glad you enjoyed the pictures and my hub! Thanks for reading it : )
I love butterflies and I think the Monarch Butterfly is the prettiest butterfly of them all! :) I don't have a butterfly garden in my backyard but I've always wanted one! I hope I get one soon! :)
Uh, I couldn't help but notice what you said about evolution, Do you actually believe in evolution?
~animal'sfriends4evr or Leah.
oh thank you so much Leah! They are beautiful and so much fun to watch. I just called it evolution because you watch them "evolve" from the egg, to the caterpillar to the beautiful butterfly : ) Do you have hubs? I cant find you, let me know!
Oh, ok! No problem, erthfriend! :) Monarch's are the queen of the butterflies (well I think so anyways:))!
I don't have hubs, ( sigh ) Because sadly I don't have a HubPages account. But if I did have a hubpages account, all my hubs would be about animals - I love animals sooooooooo much i can't explain how much! :) I am so glad that your hubs have the feature where people that don't have to have a hubpages account ( like me ) can comment anyways! Its hard to explain how nice it makes people that don't have a hubpages account feel when they can comment on a hub where the person who wrote the hub made the feature that even people who don't have a hubpages account can still comment! Because some people ( who don't have hubpages accounts ), get to feel a little embarrassed and sad when people don't allow people who don't have hubpages accounts to chat and comment on their hubs. ( I know because sometimes I feel the same way, so does my other friend who doesn't have an account here either ), Please, I hope you understand what I am saying! ( Sorry for writing a long post )
thanks for making hubs that allow people who don't have accounts to comment anyways!!! :)
~Leah
Leah you NEED to make a hubpages account! I truly share your love for animals and I would absolutely LOVE to read anything and everything you have to say about them!! Its free, sign up and start writing!! You will have an instant fan in me!
Just voted up for this great hub describing something I have watched many times too!
Bard of Ely, I really appreciate that, thank you! They are fascinating, Im glad to hear you enjoy them too!
Beautiful article. I am going to forward it to my brother. He lives on a hill in Pennsylvania and gets a lot of wild life visiting his yard. He might like a butterfly garden. I'd like one too but I live in an apartment building. He photographs the butterflys he gets already but the well concieved garden you describe would work better for him. Nice pictures, too.
Thank you so much Wrath Warbone! Im glad you enjoyed my hub and pictures. It sounds like your brother really woulud enjoy a butterfly garden. When you have one, the butterflies are endless and its so fun to watch their whole cycle take place in front of your eyes.
In deciding which of your titles I would click, I saw this one and was hooked. Thank you for growing a flower garden for the butterflies...they are both beautiful kin! I don't have much of a green thumb but planted a castor bean plant in spring on purpose for the Monarchs, and it has grown well.
Do you have a butterfly garden in your yard?
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Dave Mathews Level 7 Commenter 20 months ago
It's hard to believe that the Monarch Butterfly makes a trip from Canada to Mexico but I'm told they do.
Brother Dave.