Category: Habitat

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Changed in an Instant

New Hatched Monarch Butterfly; Photo by Donna Burrows, May 2013
Newly Hatched Monarch Butterfly; Photo by Donna Burrows, May 2013

“This male Monarch butterly emerged from his chrysalis this morning about 9 AM.  I caught his picture immediately after his first flight.  He is gorgeous!” – quote from Donna Burrows

Please be sure to leave plenty of host plants on your property for this beautiful creature.  One source of information to learn more about “hosting” the Monarch is www.texasbutterflyranch.com.   Thanks to Donna Burrows, ORWMA Habitat Chairperson, for the wonderful picture above.  Another good place to learn about the Monarch is www.monarchwatch.org.  Check it out and have fun!

 

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Beauty with a Bite!

Texas Bull-Nettle is often called Mala Mujer (“bad woman” in Spanish).  This perennial native wildflower is quite a beauty to behold.  But she holds a powerful bite!  The foliage is covered in tiny hairs that are actually fine needles and are filled with a sap that can cause many painful skin irritations such as rashes, burns, and infections that can last for weeks.  The plant is drought tolerant and quickly spreading.  Bull-Nettle is popular with honeybees & butterflies and many other insects.  Watch out for this wildflower and only “admire” from a distance!

Texas Bull-Nettle at Oakridge Ranch; Photo by Brenda LaVergne_2012
Texas Bull-Nettle at Oakridge Ranch; Photo by Brenda LaVergne_2012