A Butterfly Journey
Story and Photos by Ryan Inskeep COMMENT Collage of Native Florida Butterfly Wings I will always remember the day my journey started , just five years ago.I was strolling through the nursery on a typical hot summer day when a beautiful native milkweed plant caught my eye. At the time I was drawn to the blooms alone (not realizing the many benefits this one plant would soon provide). It was not long before the female Monarch butterfly flew in to lay her eggs on the Milkweed. Suddenly, my entire outlook on gardening changed. If this one plant could bring in so much life, imagine what would happen if more native plants were added. I began by incorporating butterfly larval host plants and adult butterfly nectar plants. Implementing both host and nectar sources allows the butterflies to complete their entire lifecycle in my small urban garden. (Top left to right: Black Swallowtail on Cirsium horridulum, White Peacock on Bidens alba, Horace'