My Home Garden’s Joe Pye Weed Brings this Monarch Butterfly to Us

Monarch Butterfly photographed by Jeff Zablow at Raccoon Creek State Park. Jeff blogs about the art and science of butterflies at http://www.wingedbeauty.com

 

July 7 at Raccoon Creek State Park in southwestern Pennsylvania. Yes we have posted several images of female Danaus plexippus. That is good. No?

She’s nectaring on Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium) and both are beautiful and at their peak.

My home garden includes a 7-year old clump of Joe Pye Weed and it’s a siren that draws numerous species of butterflies to my front yard. When folks walking by ask the name of this 7′ tall perennial, I answer that it’s name is ‘Joe Pye.’ When I used to include the word ‘Weed’ it would invariably be met with immediate disinterest. Human nature there, don’t you think?

Getting back to why we post another female Monarch: as with beautiful models, it’s always nice to see another exquisite Monarch.

Native butterfly, native plant. Again, good, no?

Jeffrey