Everybody loves monarch butterflies, don't they? And for good reason. But if monarchs are all you know, you're missing out. Late summer is a great time to expand your butterfly horizons.
What good is spicebush? For starters, it's beautiful. But beyond that, planting it can bring you the spectacle of spicebush swallowtail caterpillars developing in your yard.
Monarch Butterflies are declining rapidly as a species—by a staggering 90 percent in the past two decades. Butterfly milkweed, an easy-to-grow perennial characterized by attractive foliage and bright orange flowers; it is also the only plant fledgling Monarch caterpillars feed on. People can provide important habitat for them in home landscaping—just by cultivating some milkweed for the caterpillars to feed on.
This hour on Focus, host Jim Meadows talked with horticulture expert Sandy Mason and Mike Jeffords of the Illinois Natural History Survey. We welcome your lawn and garden calls and questions today!
This hour on Focus, host Jim Meadows talked with horticulture expert Sandy Mason and University of Illinois Pollinatarium Director Lesley Deem. We welcome your lawn and garden questions today!
