Several honey bees were enjoying the flowers of this plant while I was snapping pictures at the UC Botanical Garden. Butterflies also like the white bunches of flowers. This shrub grows about 6-8' tall and flowers in late summer.
If you recall, I'd love to know what species of butterflies come to it. If you have an opinion of its relative value as a butterfly nectar plant -- 'fair' 'good' or 'excellent' -- whatever -- please let me know.
As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, I studied Conservation of Natural Resources. I took a couple of entomology classes and became very interested in insects. After I graduated, I held several jobs working with bugs: in the fields of central California, the forests of Connecticut and Idaho, and the labs of Berkeley. Then I went to grad school and studied entomology at UC Riverside and UC Berkeley (back in the olden days when UCB had an entomology department). When my kids were little, I wanted to share my love of insects with them, so I started a butterfly garden before butterfly gardens were popular. Then of course, their teachers asked me to bring caterpillars into the classroom and I started doing classroom presentations. I do presentations in elementary schools, provide teacher trainings, teach adult school classes, and bring live insect specimens to garden fairs. My book is perfect for helping elementary school kids learn about butterflies.
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If you recall, I'd love to know what species of butterflies come to it. If you have an opinion of its relative value as a butterfly nectar plant -- 'fair' 'good' or 'excellent' -- whatever -- please let me know.
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