Garden Club learns about monarch butterflies

Ted Horton holds a monarch butterfly found fluttering in his garden. Photo by Pam Lach

Ted and Nancy Horton treated the ladies of the Canyon Lake Garden Club to an informative program on monarch butterflies at their home on June 11. More than 15 Garden Club members attended.

Ted is a board member of Audubon International and has been concerned about the loss of 80 to 90 percent of the monarchs in the last 10 years due to development and loss of habitat. Ted believes that with a little effort the community can help improve the monarchs returning to Canyon Lake on their migratory path.

Ted challenged the Garden Club members to plant a couple of California-native milkweed plants for the adult butterflies to lay eggs on, for the caterpillars to eat during the next stage of the cycle and on which the caterpillars can form a chrysalis (pupa). He asked for gardeners to have several nectar plants that feed pollinators in their garden, native plants that require little or no water, but attract the monarchs by color (red, yellow and purple are favorites).

Ted is hoping that everyone he talks to will plant a small butterfly garden to improve the number of monarch butterflies in Canyon Lake and the region.

The program consisted of a slideshow and video on the life cycle of the monarch butterfly and the work that Ted has done to plant a butterfly habitat in his own garden. Within a day or two of planting 10 plants last spring, caterpillars appeared, devoured the plants and forced Ted to buy more plants to feed the caterpillars. There was only one cocoon, but the rate is about one in 10 cocoons for each caterpillar.

Ten days before the Garden Club talk, there were many caterpillars munching on the butterfly weed plants and several adults flying around in the Hortons’ garden. Photo by Pam Lach

“It is fun to see the caterpillars at work and to see the cocoons,” Nancy said. “It is possible to watch a monarch emerge from the cocoon and fly away. It is delightful to have monarchs flying around the garden.”

Ten days before the Garden Club talk, there were many caterpillars munching on the butterfly weed plants and several adults flying around his garden. Due to the hot spell; however, the caterpillars were not in evidence. A lone adult monarch flitted around the back yard. Ted has had one newly emerged adult this year.  The butterfly was lethargic and had not yet pumped enough fluid into its wings, so it was not ready to fly.

After Ted’s talk, several ladies went to see Ted’s garden, with its 30 butterfly weed plants and other drought tolerant flowers to be pollinated. The Garden Club served lunch and had a brief business meeting. The club said good-bye to longtime member Alicia Hanner who is moving to Arizona.

For more information about the Garden Club, contact Dawn Bora at 951-246-2472. For more information about monarch butterflies, contact Ted Horton at 951-246-2928.




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