Queen on Gregg Mistflower
.
Danaus gilippus, Queen Butterfly is shown here on its favorite flower, Conoclinium greggii or Gregg Mistflower. The Queen gets a toxin from the flower that makes it unpalatable to birds and other predators. The Monarch Butterfly also feeds upon this Mistflower and derives a similar benefit.
Stachys coccinea - Texas Betony
Also known as Scarlet Hedge-Nettle, I got this at the Wildflower Center plant sale a couple of weeks ago and just planted it in my yard last week. According to their information, this is probably a little too far east to be in its normal range. It has a long blooming period, from March through October, and is a perennial, so if it can make it through the summer it should be back next year. This Betony also attracts hummingbirds, although they seem to be few and rarely seen around here. On the plus side, they won’t be attracting any deer.
Strymon melinus - Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus – Gray Hairstreak sitting on a Viguiera stenoloba – Skeleton-Leaf Goldeneye aka Resinbush. If you look closely you will notice the head at the bottom of the butterfly and the tail sporting a couple of fake antennae that actually wiggle around quite a bit while it is feeding. Apparently this evolved as a survival advantage – one can imagine that if a predator goes after the false antennae , the butterfly is free to fly away and pass on its genes to the next generation which is how natural selection works.
Gaillardia pulchella - Indian Blanket
Red Penstemon
Oenothera speciosa - Pink Evening Primrose
According to the WFC’s NPIN, this flower tends to open in the morning in the southern parts of its range, which stretches throughout the central plains of the US. So we must officially be in the southern part of the range, here in central Texas. A spreading perennial that tolerates partial shade and drought, it’s another possibility for adding to my wildscape this year. More information can be found at http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OESP2 .
Lupinus texensis - Texas Bluebonnet
From my visit to the Wildflower Center last Friday – Bluebonnets along one of the nature trails.
Scutellaria wrightii - Wrights Skullcap
bob's brain: living well with a movement disorder and other comorbidities 