monarchs – Page 3 – NPSOT-Williamson County Chapter

September 21, 2021May 3, 2023

Minding Monarchs

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— by Beth Erwin

We have two species of native milkweeds available in our Fall Sale this Saturday. We have quart pots of Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides, and quarts and gallons of orange flowering Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa.

Butterflyweed would be a choice perennial in any garden, regardless of its native status. It is loaded with nectar and all sorts of pollinators flock to the clusters of orange flowers. I came across a lady many years ago that asked me to come to her yard and see her “chiggerbush” as she called it. It turned out to be a big bodacious Butterflyweed. True to its nature, it was loaded with insects of all sizes.

Butterflyweed is not the first choice of female Monarch butterflies to lay their eggs. It is slow to emerge from the ground in the spring. As the season progresses the narrow foliage gets tough. Zizotes, on the other hand, is a favorite. It very obligingly pops out of the ground in early spring several weeks ahead of other Asclepias species, with wide tender leaves for that first wave of migrating Monarchs to drop some eggs on. At this point in September, it is still producing plenty of soft broad leaves for the end-of-the-season crop of caterpillars and flowers full of nectar.

Monarch caterpillar on Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides

Buy some Butterflyweed for the pretty flowers. Buy some Zizotes for the Monarch butterflies. And the deer don’t eat them.

The photos are of plants that will be in the sale.

Tarantula hawk on Zizotes, Asclepias oenotheroides

About the sale

The NPSOT-Wilco plant sale will be held September 25, 2021, at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, 1801 Co Rd 152, Georgetown, TX 78626 in the Main (Tonkawa) Pavilion. 10:00 AM—3:00 PM. (Note that the first plant walk being led by Ricky Linex begins at 9AM.) Cash, checks, and major credit cards accepted. We prefer that all customers wear masks and maintain social distance.

For sale details and special requests, click this link.
For info about plant walks led by expert Ricky Linex, click this link.

Plants to be offered as of September 18, 2021

The newest list is at this link September 18 PDF. The date is in the upper left corner on page 1. If we update the list again, we’ll send a new blog post out to alert subscribers.

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July 23, 2020May 10, 2023

Online Chapter Meeting August 13: “Native Plants Star in Monarch Waystations & BBMT” with Carol Clark

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Join NPSOT-Wilco’s online chapter meeting on Thursday, August 13, 2020, at 7:00 pm, when guest speaker Carol Clark will present “Native Plants Star in Monarch Waystations and the BBMT (Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas) Plays a Part.” You must register in advance to attend the meeting. Details are provided later in this post.

Carol’s presentation includes an explanation of NPSOT’s Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas committee and its garden grant program, and illuminates some of the highlights and pitfalls of past grant applications. We’ll also learn how Monarchs depend on native plants for their breeding and migration success, why planting for Monarchs is urgent, and the key features of a good Monarch waystation. Then, we’ll have a look at beautiful Texas natives you can plant to provide for Monarchs.

Carol Clark is an amateur botany enthusiast, a Texas Master Naturalist, longtime member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and a Conservation Specialist with Monarch Watch. She’s currently chairing NPSOT’s Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas committee. She also co-administers the Texas Native Bee Co-op Facebook page. She and her husband own and operate Clark Haven Farm, a wildlife preserve and custom wildflower seed business in Cooke County. Carol grew up with a nature photographer father and wildlife artist brother, and has spent much of her life looking around in the great outdoors. Her favorite things to do are leading discovery walks in local natural areas, and finding and photographing interesting plants and insects.

How to attend

You must register in advance to attend the online meeting.
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar on the day of the meeting.

Please register for our Monthly Chapter Meeting: Native Plants Star in Monarch Waystations and the BBMT Plays a Part, August 13, 2020 7:00 PM CDT at the following link:

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NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public. In this time of public health risk, our in-person meetings and field trips are canceled until further notice.

Check our blog announcements, calendar and Facebook for developing plans for virtual meetings and virtual field trips.

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