Every August the monarch butterflies arrive on Celadon Hill.
Monarchs feed on milkweed, Latin name Asclepias. This makes them toxic and bitter tasting to predators. I plant a variety that makes a large seed known as “hairy balls”. All milkweeds attract monarchs.
Monarchs, like other butterflies and moths, undergo complete metamorphosis. They have an egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult stage.
The egg and caterpillar stages occur only on milkweed. Adults survive by sourcing nectar from a variety of flowers.
Celadon Hill provides a wealth of food source for all pollinators. The flowers tend to get brighter as the weather gets cooler.
The monarchs are ready to begin transformation when hanging upside down in a “j” shape. At this time, they have shed their skin 4 times and grown from an 2 millimeters to 25 millimeters.
The glowing green, gold flecked chrysalis is attached by a silk stem produced by the monarch caterpillar. The word “chrysalis” is derived from the Greek work “chrysos” meaning gold.
Just before the newly formed butterfly emerges, the wings will be visible.
Monarchs will continue to mate, breed and die until it’s time for the long trip home. The last generation of adults to emerge in late summer will attempt the journey south. This is the amazing part. They travel thousands of miles to central Mexico to over winter. And then the whole cycle starts again.
I am thrilled to be a part of this process and share it with you. Nature is truly amazing.
In other news, Celadon Hill hosted flower events despite the heat and rain. Thank you to all who visited and flowered with friends. Archie monitored and enjoyed the ladies, as always.
In honor of the monarch, and for all those who are beginning their own journey, a poem by Mary Oliver, The Journey.
