Giant Swallowtail
Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes Yesterday I saw a Giant Swallowtail feeding on Prairie Blazing Star. However, despite lots of blooms right now, I’m seeing very few butterflies.
Bottlebrush Grass
Bottlebrush Grass, Elymus hystrix I found a small patch of this native grass along the edges of the woods yesterday. Like its name suggests, it does resemble a bottlebrush.
Prairie Blazing Star
Prairie Blazing Star, Liatris pycnostachya Blazing Star has just started blooming. It’s a reliable butterfly magnet. However, after the huge number of Fritillaries in the spring, I’m not seeing many … Continued
Morning Light Creek
Trees Along Hillers Creek Sunshine makes these trees along Hillers Creek glow. The blue background is still in shade.
Monarch Butterfly
Monarch, Danaus plexippus The weather this year has been ideal, providing lots of rain for the PGT’s wildflowers. Currently, they are blooming beautifully, attracting a good mix of butterflies including … Continued
American Bellflower
American Bellflower, Campanula americana With all the rain we’ve had the Bellflowers are unusually tall this year; up to 6-feet. The star-shaped blue flowers just started to appear on the … Continued
Buttonbush
Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis This native shrub has flowers that resemble golf balls. Butterflies love it. The best place to see it at the PGT is along the edges of the … Continued
Snowberry Clearwing
Snowberry Clearwing, Hemaris diffinis I saw what looked like a hummingbird getting nectar from a milkweed. When I got closer, I saw that it was actually a moth, a Snowberry … Continued
Starry Campion
Starry Campion, Silene stellata found a small patch of this wildflower in the dry open woods at the edge of the prairie yesterday. This species is easy to identity because … Continued