Well, it is March, and the California Tortoiseshells are back. I just learned recently that they lay their eggs in ceanothus blossoms. I knew that they used ceanothus, but I had thought that it was the leaves. And right now, there are so many beautiful ceanothus in bloom. They are mostly blue, but the flowers can also be white or purple. This plant is also known as California lilac, although it really doesn't look like lilac to me. Anyway, many species are in full bloom now, just as the Torties need it for oviposition. I even saw one on a flower today, but I wasn't close enough to see if it was actually laying eggs. I am going to have to keep an eye on the flowers to see if I can find any caterpillars.