Blogging in Myrtle Glen

Monarch butterfly

Myrtle Glen is a Monarch Waystation Habitat certified with Monarch Watch

the 'official' sign

Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on plants in the milkweed family.
Milkweed plants in their natural habitat are declining due to development and use of chemicals in farmlands and roadside management.

Monarch

Monarch butterflies need our help!

Every garden should plant some milkweed, every little plant helps.
By creating and maintaining a Monarch Waystation we help assure the preservation of the Monarchs and their spectacular migration phenomenon.

plant it and they will come

Milkweed

Giant Milkweed flower

Monarch caterpillar

Monarch pupa

hatched

Common butterfly weed(yellow and orange varieties) is readily available in nurseries and garden centers, and swamp milkweed (in different colors) and Giant Swan Milkweed, or Balloon plant, grow easy from seeds.

Monarch butterflies use milkweed as a self-defense for survival. Monarch caterpillars love to eat milkweed leaves. These leaves contain toxins and poisonous chemicals. The toxins do not harm the caterpillar, however they do make the caterpillar poisonous to most predators. Because it eats milkweed leaves as a caterpillar, the monarch butterfly is also poisonous.