Thistles

Having thistle in your garden can be work. Nobody wants to deal with a plant that can poke you, even through gloves. So I rarely see it around the neighborhood. But this patch is not far from my home. It is a favored host plant for Painted Lady butterflies, and Mylitta Crescents also use it. I remember being surprised to see a Mylitta Crescent in my back yard late one summer a few years ago. But I guess there is thistle in the neighborhood to support them. Another weed to appreciate.

Plantain and Buckeye Butterflies

When I mention plantain, people tend to think of the grocery store plantains, which look like bananas but are not as sweet. But when I am talking about butterfly host plants, I am referring to Plantago lanceolata, the common lawn weed. It grows easily in the Berkeley climate, and is a nice addition to a butterfly meadow, especially if you mow infrequently. 

The butterflies seems to lay the eggs near the base of the leaf. They are difficult to collect without pulling up the whole plant. Then I never see the caterpillars feed during the day. I guess they hide in the soil during the day, and come out at night. The caterpillars have their own special beauty; they are adorned with electric blue dots at the base of the spines, which are very difficult to photograph. 

It is well worth the trouble to rear buckeyes. The caterpillars are so beautiful. But the adult! When you see it flying by, it looks like a boring brown butterfly. But up close, the colors are amazing! 

So please, don't think of Plantago lanceolata as a weed. Think of it as habitat.