Butterfly favorite

July 06, 2017  •  Leave a Comment


There is one thing to be said for getting old: you wind up visiting an increasing number of doctors. Now, this doesn't sound like a plus, but in my case, most of my physicians are a fair distance away from home, so this means day trips to places near wildlife refuges I might not otherwise have a chance to visit. Today's medical journey took me in the neighborhood of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, which is one of my favorite trekking destinations, and after searching for, and, alas, not spotting those elusive salt-marsh-dwelling Seaside Dragonlets, I did spot something else that compensated for the insect's lack of availability. Butterfly Weed is a striking, orange-flowered native that goes by the Latin name of Asclepias tuberosa and is a staple in many gardens designed to attract lepidopterans. I don't know if the refuge managers planted it among the common milkweeds that grow nearby or if it just decided, on its own, to stake a claim to a sunny field managed for New England Cottontail rabbits and Woodcock. Whatever the case, Butterfly Weed is a joy to behold. Now, if only it was being visited by an equally glorious butterfly.


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