“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”
~ Laurence J. Peter, The Peter Principle

Eight new chrysalides, of which four eclosed and were released Friday. Released sixteen so far this season.

The Xerces Society has published the "State of the Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Sites in California" report recently, which you can access here:

 

http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/StateOfMonarchOverwinteringSitesInCA_XercesSoc_web.pdf

The report shows a sharp two-decade decline in the number of monarchs which overwinter along the California coast and prioritizes the top 50 overwintering sites most in need of conservation and management attention. State of the Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Sites in California provides an analysis of western monarch population trends. A comparison of the average number of butterflies overwintering in California during the periods 1997–2001 and 2010–2014 shows a decline of 74% since the late 1990s, a figure that is comparable to declines documented at monarch overwintering sites in Mexico.

For those that have a penchant for Monarch butterflies, this report is a must read and worthy of keeping for future reference.

Let's not forget the potential downsides of  planting year-round milkweeds in our gardens. If possible, stick with native milkweeds, preferably ones native to your area. If you do grow perennial milkweeds such as Asclepias curassavica and wish to keep growing it, it's highly recommended to cut them way back each fall and winter to minimize unnatural overwintering of migratory Monarchs:

Another Damning Research Paper...

For some more exciting municipal government news, the City of Oakland, California has stepped up to the plate in support of our native butterflies and other pollinators through their system of city parks, via one of their employees, Park Supervisor Tora Rocha.

-https://www.gardentribe.com/

 Victoria 'Tora' Rocha. Park Supervisor, City of Oakland, California

-Google

Tora has been instrumental in introducing and cultivating pollinator plants in her parks with blessings from city management. Not only that, but the City of Oakland even allows volunteer citizen groups to help out in the parks. Not a new concept, but a very foreign notion to some municipalities; at least to the City of Laguna Beach, apparently.

-http://www.pacifichorticulture.org

 Garden volunteers at Oakland's Gardens at Lake Merritt.

For those that know me and have been following this blog for some time, I have been at odds with the CLB (City of Laguna Beach) management regarding planting for butterflies and the use of citizen gardening volunteers, ever since I was employed as a Parks Gardener there. Hopefully, citizen awareness and a grass roots movement may sway city fathers to reconsider their aversion to the concept.

For more information on Tora Rocha:

Talking With Our Tribe: Victoria Rocha

Tora Rocha Greens Up Oakland

Perhaps those LB warriors with like interests could contact Tora for some mentoring on how to achieve similar goals within their own borders.

Will someone please help take over this abandoned Laguna Beach butterfly garden? The current city gardener is doing his best maintaining and improving it, given the allotted time, resources, and management indifference he must contend with:

http://lagunadirt.com/2012/04/a-butterfly-garden-with-a-mission.html

"Weather means more when you have a garden. There's nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans."

~Marcelene Cox

The link below provides a great map of Monarch butterfly overwintering sites along the west coast. Laguna Beach boasts three sites listed if one includes Crystal Cove, although two of them show zero recent counts. One site listed is Smithcliffs, which ceased to exist when the bluffs there were converted into a residential area. Last count at Crystal Cove was taken in 1993. No one has been monitoring it since then.

Irvine Bowl shows 5 counted in 2008. From my previous casual counts at the Bowl for a period of a decade, + or - a year or three,  the average numbers were 5 to 8 (+ or -) at any given time. If I had to guess, there were probably around a dozen individuals that overwintered in the Bowl on any given year I counted. One can sign up online to be a citizen scientist to monitor sites listed on the map. Contact information is available online. The Irvine Bowl would be an easily accessible site for anyone living in LB interested in such an endeavor.

Laguna Beach, with its diverse array of micro climates, is a prime candidate for potential overwintering site analysis and possible incorporation of overwintering sites within the City through judicious planting, both public and private. How hard it would be to research and implement such a scheme would of course, need research. A concerted effort between interested citizens and an enthusiastic municipality would certainly go a long way in realizing such an endeavor.

http://www.westernmonarchcount.org/find-an-overwintering-site-near-you/

-Google

Interesting and informative O.C. Register article on the Western race of Monarch butterflies, with many people pitching in to help them by planting way stations in gardens:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/milkweed-690073-monarchs-monarch.html

"Half the interest of a garden is the constant exercise of the imagination."
~Mrs. C.W. Earle

"Victory for Monarchs in California!" the heading reads.

YAY!

Locally, it would be nice to see the Monarch overwintering site that used to occupy Smithcliffs in Laguna Beach restored, or at least mitigate its loss somewhere else on City parks property that would attract and maintain a viable population of these magnificent butterflies as in years past. It could be done, but that would need the Imprimatur from those that run the town.

Would Crescent Bay Park sustain an overwintering site, or possibly Heisler Park? Haven't a clue, but it would be wonderful if that could be achieved. As Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the 90's sci-fi TV series, Star Trek: The Next Generation would say: "Make it so."

-Google

 Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard

-Candace Fallon, The Xerces Society

Head on over to read the complete article at:

 

Victory for Monarchs in California!

"Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes."
~Author Unknown



Monarch migration is happening in earnest now all across the states. The Monarch Butterflies Migration Google Earth Tour video is an excellent learning aide incorporating Google Earth and YouTube, producing a very informative narration:

Monarch Migration

We've touched upon the importance of milkweeds in the butterfly garden -- they being the only host plants for Monarchs -- and are good nectar sources for butterflies in general. We'll get back to them in subsequent posts, but let's digress a bit for now and get acquainted with other potential butterfly plants for our own gardens. We'll start off with the king of butterfly nectar plants, Butterfly Bush, also known as Buddleia.

-Google

Typical Buddleia davidii bloom, or inflorescence. At times mistaken for lilac.

If a person were to place only one butterfly nectar plant in their yard, the highly recommended Buddleia would be the premier choice hands down. Those of you who frequent Alta Laguna Park in Laguna Beach may be familiar with this plant, as there are quite a few of them growing around the irrigation control panel and small adjacent lawn near the park entrance. During butterfly season, these bushes can be loaded with various butterfly species irresistibly attracted to the sweet scent of their blooms.

I prefer to use genus species when referring to plants, as common names can be confusing. There are several other non related plants with the same common name, "Butterfly Bush". Scientific names can also be perplexing at times when their taxonomy changes for who knows whatever reasons. At times, it seems these name changes may be the result of taxonomists attempting to maintain job security within the hallowed halls of centers for higher learning.

Buddleia, also spelled Buddleja, the "j" pronounced as "y", has become more popular in gardens as of late. This increased interest has resulted in an influx of new cultivars, ranging from new flower colors to a greater selection of growth heights.

-Google

Buddleia flowers come in various colors.

 

Standard Buddleias tend to grow over eight feet tall. Due to its increased popularity in the landscape, horticulturists have been very busy hybridizing and producing selections that are better suited for many of today's smaller yards. The nursery industry is even beginning to offer diminutive 1-2 ft. round varieties, perfect for edgings, planting in masses, or potting up in smallish containers. The Container Butterfly Garden is home to the semi-dwarf variety, 'Nanho Blue'.

-Google

Buddleia davidii, 'Nanho Blue'

'Nanho Blue' is a fairly compact grower to about 4-5 ft. tall and is growing well in a medium sized pot. Whatever butterfly species stray into the garden, they always stop by the buddleia and linger, sipping the abundant nectar offered by its blooms. Many of the larger nurseries now carry dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties along with the tried and true standard ones. The Green Thumb Nursery close to me has an excellent selection of various Buddleias. If interested, check with your local nursery about special ordering these plants if they don't regularly stock them. With today's extended selection, one is pretty much assured of finding a suitable Buddleia variety that is "just right" for that one spot or for a particular container.

-Google

Buddleia flowers are found in white such as B. davidii, 'White Profusion'...

-Google

...all the way to an extremely dusky shade in B. davidii, 'Dark Knight'.

Reading glowing reports of 'Dark Knight' as being a particularly magnetic butterfly plant, in the past role of Parks Gardener for Alta Laguna Park, I planted several of them in the park not more than fifty feet from the generics growing by the irrigation control panel.

I was sorely disappointed at how they fared as butterfly attractors. They hardly received any visitors, while their generic cousins by the irrigation control panel harbored many, many butterflies that lingered until all of their blooms were spent. This is not to say that the reports I read were false or misleading; it does illustrate the fact that butterflies can have regional tastes. Most of the reports I read originated in the Midwest or back East, but here in SoCal -- at least up in Alta -- the verdict is "Phfffffft!" for 'Dark Knight' (Your mileage may vary.)

-Google

B. davidii, 'Pink Delight'.

-Google

B. davidii, 'Royal Red'.

-Google

B. davidii, 'Harlequin'.

There is (or was) 'Harlequin' growing in the Alta Laguna Park Butterfly Garden whose blooms are/were as deep, rich, and florescent as shown in the photo above. Truly, a remarkable color. It's also a variegated variety in which the foliage and color of the blooms compliment each other admirably.

-Google

Buddleia x weyeriana

Buddleia x weyeriana

B. davidii x B. weyeriana, 'Bicolor' is the offspring of crossing B. davidii
with B. weyeriana, resulting in this particularly beautiful inflorescence.

-Google

B. davidii

-Google

B. weyeriana

As one can see, 'Bicolor' is a wonderful blend of both parents, taking on the best bloom qualities of each.

Care and Feeding of Butterfly Bush:

Buddleia is one of those easy care plants that once planted and settled in, pretty much takes care of itself. Average watering is all that's needed, and food requirements aren't demanding. For more and bigger, better blooms, a good feeding or two with a balanced fertilizer during growing season is appreciated. Cutting off spent blooms will help prolong bloom time. Some of the newer, more compact varieties are sterile, so deadheading isn't so important except for looks. To deadhead a plant is to cut off spent blooms before they go to seed. Those at Alta I let go to seed, and over the course of years I transplanted quite a few seedlings around the park and gave others away to interested park goers.

How to Deadhead Buddleia

Early winter pruning is recommended, although not absolutely necessary. A yearly pruning does encourage more and higher quality blooms the following years, and makes for a less rangy, fuller plant. Pruning a consistently maintained mature Buddleia takes only a matter of minutes: easy peasy as the saying goes.

Pruning Buddleia

The above video recommends pruning back Buddleia in April, but in SoCal coastal/intercoastal areas, late winter is a better time due to our early springs (or lack of true winters depending on how one looks at things). I cut mine back around late January to early February. If yours are beginning to bud, it's time to prune. Below is a link to a downloadable PDF document on how to cut back a Buddleia:

How to Prune and Shape Buddleia

For serious butterfly garden gardeners, I would highly recommend including a Butterfly Bush in your plant palette. Once you see how attractive they are to your butterflies, you will be amazed at how many more of them come visit and linger in your garden.

“Love is like a butterfly. It goes through stages.”

-Anonymous

Just read a short article stating that the overwintering Monarch butterflies in Central Mexico are starting their journey back up to U.S. and Canadian destinations east of the Rockies. Our western race west of the continental divide has been reported to be leaving their overwintering sites along the Pacific coast and heading to the Northwest. Several reports of Monarch eggs and caterpillars have been found on milkweeds planted in folk's gardens.

 I will be coming into Laguna Beach Wednesday, April 2nd for a visit, and have several butterfly-specific plants to give to anyone who can put them to good use in their garden, or even someone else’s. Right now I don’t have much, but there are many different plants waiting in the wings for distribution when they are of sufficient size. This is what I have at the moment and will bring with me if anyone is interested. I will be sitting in the outside patio area of the Coffee Pub in the Laguna Village area on Forest Ave.:

1-1gal. Cassia bicapsularis ‘Worley’s Buttercream’. Medium sized shrub with yellow/cream colored flowers. Can be trained into a small tree with proper pruning. Full sun, fairly drought tolerant once established. Host plant to the Cloudless Sulphur butterfly.

2-1gal. Cassia bicapsularis. Typical vivid yellow blooms of the species. Everything else same as above.

1-1gal. Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’. Also known as Mexican Sunflower. ‘Torch’ is an almost neon orange/red annual variety that gets to about 3 -4 feet tall and as wide. Likes water; its flowers are a strong magnet to hummingbirds and butterflies, especially the various swallowtail butterfly species. Let some of the seed heads ripen to attract seed eating birds, and collect some for yourself to plant in the garden for the next year. Fast grower, easy to grow. Does very well in a large pot.

Next time I visit there should be several species of milkweed for Monarch butterflies to host on plus a few other plants I’m not sure of yet.

The only universal requisite for these plants is that they need at least six hours of full sun per day; the more the merrier. The milkweeds need all day (~8 hrs.) to grow properly.