asclepias syriaca

Of Monarchs and Milkweed

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  Monarch butterflies, known to their scientific friends as Danaus plexippus, abound this year—at least in the areas I frequent.  Even though they are considered relatively common, I see them as miraculous.  Backlit by bright midsummer sun, monarchs’ orange, black and white wings glow as they float from flower to flower.  Unlike many other butterfly … Read more

Butterfly Weed

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Lots of plants pop up in the fertile ground under my privet hedge—poison ivy, Virginia creeper, wild grape, Japanese honeysuckle, Oriental bittersweet and common mulberry, to name a few.  I spend a good chunk of time every month battling them.  It is a quixotic battle, based on the romantic notion that I can actually defeat … Read more