Oooh, I love those! I've had my eye on one for several years now from some online sites. I haven't purchased one because I think it would be an annual here. It seemed pretty expensive to buy to have it as an annual and throw it away at the end of the season.. no overwintering for me; I'm already overwintering a lime and avocado teee and a huge crown of thorns, plus a collection of succulents and a cactus. No room for more.
I was working on the yard this weekend and saw a Monarch, a Tiger swallowtail and a black swallowtail! Of course they flew right by my yard because I don't have anything blooming for them right now; too early here for cosmos or zinnias. I will be direct seeding these next week.

Backyard has several red admiral butterflies today , A few cabbage or mustard white have been making fly bye flights ,
I will try pics in a while

Nice photo's all

I posted this in a couple different Facebook groups and they were surprised, so thought I'd post it here! Also shared on Journey North.

Noticed something fluttering close to the ground on Thursday (4/22), took a video then zoomed in for a couple pictures. Apparently monarchs on dandelions isn't common, but thanks to our weird weather they're some of the only blooms available right now.



Here's a screenshot from the video:

I saw another tiger swallowtail yesterday.😊 We seem to have an increase here of these lovely butterflies.Any increase of any butterfly species is good news.

Beautiful Monarchs, Sara! Thank you for sharing. I used to get the regular tiger swallowtails and the two-tailed kind also. Now just the two-tailed kind...at least, that's the only kind that lays eggs here. They are still hanging around, although only one cat and one egg so far spotted on my Hop Tree. I saw a Red Admiral today also. I'm planting out nursery plants when I find something good. The nurseries are having problems this year. The 2021 Big Freeze created a huge demand, but also means plants are arriving in smaller numbers and much later than usual. Sometimes they don't have very much, and very picked over. I avoid the big box nurseries mostly.

I've been seeing pearl crescents since about a week after the big snow thawed. I saw another one yesterday.

So far i wouldnt recommend getting the midnight moon porterweed from almost eden. The flowers looked different right out of the box but since i potted in miracle gro the flowers look just like a normal blue port. Only had for four days so far.

Sara, nice catch, guess a flower is a flower to them.

My very first Eastern Tiger Swallow tail in the garden, she's pretty perfect, must be a new one.

Just hanging upside down....





Yes, thank you very much!!! Wish all butterflies would sit this still.

BEAUTIFUL 😍😍

Wow, she is! I've seen several already, but because I have very little blooming now they fly on by.

Sherri, those are some gorgeous photos!

sunkissed said:My very first Eastern Tiger Swallow tail in the garden, she's pretty perfect, must be a new one.

Just hanging upside down....





Yes, thank you very much!!! Wish all butterflies would sit this still.

So beautiful! Is the nectar plant Pentas?

Pentas are butterfly magnets. I have one every year. This years purchase is sitting on my carport waiting to get a new pot.
Butterflies seem to prefer the redone, so that's the color I grow. 😁
They are great plants for heat and humidity, which I sure have a lot of!
Other insects like them, too, little pollinator flies and wasps. Attracts mantis. See?

Thank you everyone, and yes the flowers are tall pentas that have been growing in my garden for years, and Lynda is right, the butterflies love them, seen the hummers go to them also, but they're like the last flower they'll go to. I have other colors of pentas, which don't get as tall as these, the taller red are tough, long lasting and pretty cold tolerant.

Well, I do have to say the butterflies here go to my zinnias first. That's why I grow so many of them every year. But the pentas are such nice container plants, and so easy to take care of!

Another name for zinnia's over here: snail food.

That's sad, Joanna. Zinnias are such happy flowers!

sunkissed said:Thank you everyone, and yes the flowers are tall pentas that have been growing in my garden for years, and Lynda is right, the butterflies love them, seen the hummers go to them also, but they're like the last flower they'll go to. I have other colors of pentas, which don't get as tall as these, the taller red are tough, long lasting and pretty cold tolerant.

Is there a cultivar name for the tall red Pentas? I'll look for it. Thanks for the information. Still learning here.

The red one I bought is called Graffiti Red.