Madison Meadow, a community owned natural open space in Eugene, Oregon
A work party in spring 2008 to start the butterfly garden
We plant milk weed roots supplied by NABA
Building a fence to keep deer away from our precious plants
Milk weeds and nectar plants grow here to feed future larvae and adults
A flowering milk weed
...and after the beautiful flower a fat seed pod grows.
This poster shows the life cycle of the butterfly, from egg to larva to pupa to the beautiful adult Monarch butterfly
Seven larvae are eating milk weed leaves and growing big
Left of the emerged adult is the empty chrysalis, it's home for the last two weeks
He is drying his wings
And here he is, a stunning beauty!
He is working hard to take off from the tip of a bamboo stick.
Late September the seed pod split open.
...and after a few days it bursts. We'll give the seeds to a nearby school.
