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Local butterfly garden provides milkweed for monarchs
It won’t be long before a monarch butterfly emerges from this chrysalis on a tree branch in the butterfly garden. RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS
October 13, 2020
Monarch butterflies are beginning to hatch in the Villages of Five Points butterfly garden. As cooler fall weather comes to the area, monarchs begin their annual migration of thousands of miles to Florida and Mexico. The garden of milkweed, a plant critical to the life of monarchs, is helping to repopulate this iconic species, which has been on the decline for several years. Scientists say the population has fallen to less than 30,000 monarchs.
Caterpillars have been busy eating milkweed plants before they enter the chrysalis stage to begin their transformation into monarch butterflies.
Milkweed bugs are also attracted to milkweed as a food source, as they eat the seeds, leaves and stems.
