Butterfly weed is starting to bloom on our place now. My wife grew and planted these in our prairie areas a few years back. Lots of common milkweed growing right now as well. Not seeing good numbers of monarch butterflies yet. I did identify a new plant on our place this year called hop tree or wafer ash which is a host plant for giant swallowtails. I new some plant in the citrus family was around based on seeing the adult butterflies, but had just not been able to identify it until now. After 30 years we continue to find new plants on our place. Found green dragon plants last year and my wife collected seed and is growing seedlings. Seeds turn bright red like those of the related jack-in-the-pulpit. Need to wear gloves handling the seed due to toxins that irritate the skin, but birds and rodents eat them.
Green dragons! Arisaema dracontium, I have been trying to locate these to plant them as they are a cool relative to Jack in the Pulpits. Rare up here in NY, but I have seen only one plant, ever. It was mowed off by the parks department when they were shoring up a washed out bank.
We have a ton of Milkweed, I dedicate 2 fields to butterflies. I have not yet seen a monarch, they are LATE. Bums. But the fireflies this year are getting pretty good. So are the skeeters.
