Hi MissSherry.
My parents had a place just outside of Picayune, on the kiln side. one april they had snow on the blooming azaleas, my father videotaped it because it was so incredible. I was still in college then so I think it was early 80's. but I was in the country for Easter/Spring break. For once the God of butterflies has shined down on me. I've had the worst luck since 2005. our lows have been 40's and it is beautiful sunny right now, with just a nip in the air. I think the butterflies manage. The first week of January, when I was having to wear a coat to work outside, I moved a basket that was hanging on the fence.( to plant Allysum) and the gulf fritilary chrysalis behind it had a freshly eclosed butterfly. what about that timing?I debated keeping it inside until the weather became warmer, but while I was looking into the forcast the thing flew well away to who knows where. but I can assure you if I had caterpillars of a much more rare variety I would have those things with me in my bedroom if I felt it necessary. Hope everything works out ok.
Janine

It is going to get down to freezing a couple of nights here. But, I'm just not going to worry about it because I can't. Most of my plants that I planted are natives and should be able to take the cold spell, especially since it will only last a couple of days and then we go back up into the high 60s on Monday.

I don't have any cats yet either, so don't have to worry about them. I know the butterflies will be hiding out until the temps warm up.

We've had cold weather here in April and May before, so I'm not too surprised by this. Easter always seems to usher in a last really cold spell. The northern part of the state is anticipating snow! Hopefully not here, although snow would actually act as an insulator for the plants.

I hope everyone comes out of this in fine condition!

Susan

The palamedes swallowtail egg hatched today, and I found another, bigger palamedes cat on the leaf with it! So I brought that leaf with the two pal cats into the cage with the GST and SBST cats - now I'm worrying about the bigger cat eating the hatchling! You should see my guest room!
I'm working on a way to cover my tomato plants for Sunday night, when it's supposed to get the coldest. Four of them have gotten pretty big, and you know how tender tomato plants are, what with all that new growth!
MissSherry

hey everyone,
after all those beautiful sunny days with lots of sunshine and butterflies we are also having a cold-front since yesterday..Our temp. is supposed to go down to 21 F over Easter-Weekend..
Brrrrrrrrrr. So I went to HD today and found those plant-covers,they were even on sale.. :) and covered up most of my newly planted plants..
The ones I have in pots are all save and sound in my guestroom..
Hope ya'll ain't gonna have too much damage..
Hope and praying for warming weather soon...
Susanne(SUE)

I'm waiting for it too.....same thing Sherry, first 40's, then 32, then upper 30's...and worse, I'm road tripping it to KY to clean out mom's farm....front came through yesterday night, we hit near 70 today, told it will barely hit 60 tomorrow. I don;t have cats yet, and haven't seen my first monarch, but have had a number of others. I'm mulching and watering before I leave...cross your fingers!

Our high today is supposed to be 44*. Yippee (not)! However, it got down to 38* overnight, so no freeze yet. I think we are supposed to get it Saturday night.

Susan

When I got up this morning, by thermometer showed 48.9 degrees, so it certainly didn't freeze last night. The coldest nights are supposed to be Saturday and Sunday - I'll see how it goes.
MissSherry

Miss Sherry -
You certainly have had more butterflies and caterpillars so far this year than I have had. It is cool here, down in the 40's last night but I wouldn't have had to worry about bringing in any cats since the only ones I have seen are the Gulf Frits and the one Monarch!

I think we have been so dry that there is little nectar for the butterflies to feed on. We did have some rain Thurs. night but not enough to do any good for long.

Keeping my fingers crossed and the hose going!

Yikes!!! Ya'll aren't kidding! It's 46 outside and has been drizzling all day. This is a much needed rain but I could have done without the cold. Although I'm sure come summer when it hits over 100 I'll be whining and wanting cold weather again :o)

Brought my guava skipper cats inside. Had a BST eclose in the outside reptarium. Crazy butterflies! So I left him hanging in a small green house. So far he's protected from the wind and rain....but I left the flap open in case he decides he wants to venture out.

Brrrrr!!!

~ Cat

I'm exhausted!!
I've spent all day long making protection for my tomato, pepper, and Mexican MW plants using some milk crates and other frames over the plants and plastic over the crates - hopefully, they'll be well protected. We ran a long extension cord out to the garden so I could put the heat lamp close to my orange and lemon trees. The citrus tree GST eggs haven't hatched yet, probably because of the cold weather, but they still look healthy. When my husband told me he had heard it was going down to 25 degrees, I cut off lots of new growth from my pipevines, and a good bit from redbay, ptelea, and sassafras to feed the cats in my guest room. I put this new growth in big containers full of water, which I'll keep cold by putting ice cubes in it from time to time - the containers are too big to put in the refrigerator. Then I heard on TV that the low temp in my area is supposed to be 32 degrees, which may or may not be cold enough to damage the new growth on so many of my outside plants. So I'm as ready as I can be for whatever weather we get. They're saying tonight is our last freezing tonight, that it'll only be 40 degrees tomorrow night, but they've changed their minds so much I'm going to leave the crates over the plants, just take the plastic off during the day - I don't want to put everything up and then have to take it all back out again if they decide it's going to get colder than what they're predicting now. I left the sulphur cats on their cassia. I hope they do alright - my Christmas cassia stays amazingly green all winter, so hopefully they'll survive and still have something to eat tomorrow!
MissSherry

It was 33* in the city last night and tonight it's supposed to get down to 28*. I toured the yard, and everything still looks green and very nice. In fact, I'd almost have to say it looks better right now than it did before the cold weather moved in. I watered my baby MW's, which are doing fine in their outdoor protected area. Better for them to be watered than dry thru the freeze.

Brought a few potted plants up under trees for warmth. I am glad I don't have any veggies planted because those are the things that will suffer the most - like the tomatoes MissSherry mentions. Are those tomatos for personal consumption or for the hornworms, MissSherry? LOL!

Susan

Here in CT it's supposed to go into the low 20's tonight, but that shouldn't be a problem since our growing season hasn't really started here yet. I don't think we've had more than one or two days in the 60's yet, so the plants still think it's winter.

In the past, we've had snows on Easter, so not much would surprise me.

A few years ago we had a total freeze on Memorial day.

Hopefully, all your valuable plantings and butterflies will make it through this late cold spell.

Maryann - I remember that weather in the NE. When I was in North Grafton, Mass, I had to drive to Providence, Rhode Island for a seminar the latter part of April, and it had snowed. The highways were okay, though, because they really keep the highways nice and clean up there. Not so here in Oklahoma. They struggle to just put sand down on major "snow" routes on the overpasses.

I have yet to check outside this morning, but as soon as it is light, I will.

Susan

Would you believe the lowest it got was 39 degrees? That's a long way from 25 or even 32! All that work was for nothing! Well, I was planning on bringing in some PVS cats and others, and the weather prompted me to get that done, so I guess that's one good thing. And all my plants and cats are fine.
I give up on the weather service - I could do a better job figuring it out myself!
MissSherry

I just now got my e-mail, which contains my own "personal" weather forecast from the "Weather Wizard" at WLOX. I was reading the temps, which showed tonight's nighttime temps in the low thirties mostly going as low as 29 degrees, when the screen went white, then another screen appeared. The second screen showed the temps in the upper 40's, mostly 48 and 49 degrees, all day and all night long! So they finally got around to changing it, and right before my eyes! Hehehehe!
MissSherry

It only got down to 36* here, and tonight it's supposed to be 40*, so I guess the cold wave is moving on thru Oklahoma and east of us. I'm just so happy we didn't get the freeze we expected.

Susan

Yes, I was thinking I might go out today and all the new growth on the trees and bushes would be dead - that didn't happen, though, and it's supposed to warm up quickly to what it was before. Just in case, though, I'm leaving the plants where they are for one more night - there may be a blizzard lurking that the weather service doesn't know about! :)
MissSherry

Misssherry, nice to know that everything made it through ok.

I so much look forward to your butterfly stories and pictures and I'd hate to think that your gardens would be set back by such a late freeze.

This morning when I got up early for sunrise services, it was 28 degrees but quite a few hardy souls still showed up! The service was held only yards away from the little garden in the park where I hope to establish a small butterfly garden this year.

It was warmer in Jan. when I thought up the idea than it was this morning though...

Wonderful, Miss Sherry!!! I am thrilled to hear that you did not get a freeze. Like Maryann, I so look forward to hearing what is in your garden, and would just hate to hear about things being setback.

It must have gotten down to freezing for a short time here, Saturday a.m., as I had some ice on top in the birdbath. But, most of the butterfly plants are south of the house in more of a microclimate area. I'll find out more today. Sunday a.m. did not get down to freezing. Yeh!!! I have Monarchs cats emerging as I type, and 2 Tiger eggs waiting for the right time!!!

Things were not so great in Lawrence, Kansas at the Monarch Waystation # 1. :(
From Chip Taylor on the Monarch D-plex:
The reason for concern about springs too soon are late
frosts, or worse, major changes in the jet stream as we have
experienced this week. Earlier I predicted that if we reached the
predicted lows in KS and Missouri that all fruit and vineyard crops
would be lost for this year. I suspect that my predictions have been
realized. The low temperature at my house at 6:30 this morning was
16F, with 20F yesterday and 26F predicted for tomorrow morning.
Virtually everything of consequence in the Monarch Waystation #1 has
succumbed to the cold. I was wrong about the incarnata yesterday,
it's gone too. As is the killdeer. She apparently abandoned her nest.
Most of the trees that have leafed out will lose their leaves. Yes,
it was a spring too soon with milkweeds and at least one monarch too
soon as well.

Hopefully, since some of Okla. did not get hit as hard with really low temps, the Monarchs will stay here longer, giving Kansas a chance for regrowth. Definitely, a setback for the Monarchs.

Linda,

That's sad. I walked the pasture at length this morning. There is very little if any damage at all to the milkweed here. Some it has discolored slightly, but still feels firm and healthy. Found another variety of milkweed this morning. May be the Asclepias asperula "Antelope Horn."

Saw lots of eggs, but none looking like they are ready to hatch yet.

Amber's writing up her next report to Monarch Watch and will post it tomorrow.

randy

The only thing damaged in my yard were the young 4 o'clocks I grew from seed. They may be okay - may come back and sprout new foliage since they are not all dead looking. I hope so. I had winter sown them, and when they had reached about 5" tall, I put them in the front for sun. The front is also facing north, and I forgot about them. Ah, well. I can start some more seed. They're not hard to find.

Most everything I have looks better for the cold, but I was WOWED! by the fact that it is all pretty dried out. The winds much have been ferocious! It certainly wasn't warm enough to dry things out. So, I had to water some things in the front yard. Need to go back out and water some seedlings, too. I just watered them the day before yesterday - what is up with this?

I am so sad about the milkweed at KU. Drat! We were very, very lucky here in OKC. I imagine Northern Oklahoma may have got bitten, too.

Randy, I can't believe you're finding all that milkweed! How fantastic! Don't you feel like just the luckiest guy?

I am wondering if any of my milkweed vine (cynanchum) will come back, or is it an annual, Linda?????

All those darned seeds from my white lablab are sprouting, too! I'm gonna be picking those out of the garden forever! I have Morning Glories up, too!

Elaine, your house would probably be better, and I'll just drive up there. Can you get me directions? That way, you won't have to worry about the kiddos either. I can leave Kenna with momma for awhile, too. Much needed break for nanna.

Susan

Susan, I don't know alot about the cynanchum vine. I don't have it, and don't think that I want it. But, I'm sure that it has a long taproot system as alot of the other milkweeds. It's pretty hard to kill out.

Are you wanting to go to Elaine's together, Susan? Let me know what your plans are.

Randy, I'm sure that you probably have A. asperula,also. It will tend to have more thinner, pointed leaves. I'll bet that you may have Butterfly weed "A. tuberosa". Have you ever noticed big fronds of orange flowers in May? They will look like a large clump of milkweed stems pointing straight up right now. I had good intentions in getting out, and taking some pics today. But, it still was just too darned cold with that strong wind!!! Brrr!!! Glad to hear that the rest of your milkweed is lookin' good. :)

I brought in some Monarch eggs today that I had left outside on the plant underneath an insulated pot. The eggs still look good. I wanted to see if they would survive protected outside. Now, to see if they have any problems hatching.

I did notice some burnt tips on my Salvia- Black and Blue, 4 o'clocks, Morning glories, and on my Mexican flame vine. But, hey, I'm not complaining.

It got down to 42 out here...which is cold for us :o) Ya'll probably call that a warm front!

Ah...but you really don't want to hear me whine about what I consider cold. Anyway, brought in my large pots of rue as the caterpillars were soooooooo cold. They aren't used to this weather either :o) Also clipped the Guava tree branches holding Guava Skipper cats and stuck them into wet floral foam to keep the leaves moist. Put all that into a cage and brought them inside. They are so cute now...not the ugly ducklings turd looking buggers they started out as.

Had a Black Swallowtail and Checkered White emerge but kept them indoors. They were flitting around wanting out as the heater was on and the house was warm. Had to settle them down by putting them in the bathroom, closing the vent nad turning off the lights!

Get this...the temps are supposed to hit 95 on Wednesday!? From 42 to 95? Is this crazy or what?!

~ Cat

Cat, you're such a hoot! I hope that transition from cold to warm indoors doesn't have an effect on your Rue either. Rue can certainly take the cold. Mine in zone 7a stays pretty much evergreen over winter.

Okay, now you're taking a page out of Cal Sherry's books by having butterflies ala commode! LOL!

Linda, I would love to ride with you to Norman. I may have to wait until around 1:30 to go because Jess works until 1:00 p.m.

I had just planted my baby Salvia 'Black and Blue', but it is doing fine - foliage not affected, but it was in a very protected area. Also had planted out Lantana 'Miss Huff', and she seemed to breeze thru the cold as well as my lemon tree, button bush. I haven't been out to the curb to check on my Sasafrass yet - I'm in denial.

Gonna have some guys come dig my new area for milkweed and butterfly bushes 1st of May.

Linda, does your MFV overwinter here in Oklahoma? I don't know anything about its hardiness. I guess I should start taking cuttings of things I don't want to totally lose when this kind of weather hammers us. That way, I would have an extra waiting in the wings.

I don't particularly like cynanchum either, but believe me, when you need milkweed, the Monarch cats WILL eat it in a pinch. So, it was nice having some around last year when the foliage on the curassavica was waning. And, the caterpillars did not seem to be much affected by it. Of course, they didn't have an entire diet of cynanchum, either - just a bit.

Susan

Susan

Most of the milkweed we've found is in a narrow, long strip along our road. Guess the soil warmed up faster next to the pavement and I'm seeing plants there. Not seeing much yet in places I knew they were out in the middle of the pasture yet.

Linda,

I don't remember seeing orange flowers in the pasture other than paintbrush.

Cat

Warmer weather sounds nice, but I'm not ready for 90's yet. :-)

randy

Cat, 42 to 92??? Drats! I'm not ready for that. Show us pics of your cute Guava skipper cats, PLEASE!!!

Susan, that will be fine. I will need you to help guide me, as I am not comfortable, or familiar driving in Norman. Remember, we decided not to do it Thurs. We were short at work, and I picked up some hours.

Is Lantana- Miss Huff the one that Miss Sherry always RAVES about? Where did you find it? Is it hardy here? I may want a cutting of it, if it does well for you. :)

My Mexican flame vine has overwintered SEVERAL winters here. Each year, I am shocked and pleased that it keeps coming back. Mike C. has had trouble with his coming back zone 7. Did you find you some? I had planned to dig you up a start.

Glad that you had the cynanchum for extra food!

That makes sense about your milkweed in the ditches being up sooner, Randy. Do you mow your own ditches, or does the highway dept. wack it off at the wrong time??? I need to find out just when is the correct time to mow the milkweeds. I was thinking June, but it may be July, to have tender young growth for the Monarchs coming back in Aug.

PAINTBRUSH in your pastures!!!! Only in my dreams!!! My hope is to have a prairie area full of paintbrush, milkweeds, and other wildflowers. Ohhhh, someday.... You know that Paintbrush is another host plant for the Buckeyes in Okla. I would love to scatter Paintbrush seeds all over my county. I just love it. Of course they would mow it at the wrong time, before it set seed. Our most common weed in the ditches are Johnson grass. I have only seen it in a few places here.

Do you have any Dogbane growing? Looks kinda like milkweed, has a reddish stem, loves wet places, and bleeds a milky substance when cut? The butterflies all flock to it when blooming in May.

Have you noticed any native Purple coneflowers in your pasture? Another great nectar source.

Wonder if you have any Amorpha fruiticosa- False indigo? Wonderful small tree with lacy leaves and purple s=flowers in the spring? Host plant for the Silver Spotted skippers. Really cute caterpillars.

You have such a treasure, Randy. Hope that you will consider having the Native Plant Society come out this summer to help Id some of your treasures. :)

Linda

The pasture belongs to the gentleman we bought the house from. Some years it's never mowed, others only once late in the season.

I just googled dogbane. There is a lot of something that looks like it out there. Some are blooming already.

Is This bogbane? You can see a little freeze damage on the closeup of the bloom.
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The paintbrush is very few and far between most years. Haven't seen any yet.

I'll have to research the other 2 you mention. Short on time this morning.:-)

The owner should have no problem with a visit from your group, but I'll check with him.

randy

Randy, that looks more like something in the fabaceae family, like a milkvetch (astragalus) possibly. Anyone else have ideas? The flowers are definitely pea-like.

Susan

Cool pics, Randy. Unfortunately, not Dogbane. I believe that you are correct in the Fabaceae family, Susan. I "believe" that it may be one of the wonderful Baptisias- possibly Cream white indigo- Baptisia bracteata var leucophaea. I'll have to check with Marilyn on this one, or perhaps someone from this forum. Marilyn shows them to bloom in May, but may have been early due to the warmer weather that we had earlier. It's hard to tell from the photo if it is creamy white or pale yellow?
The leaves in this pic just don't look quite right.
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/fab/baptisia_bracteata.htm

False indigo- Amorpha fruticosa
http://www.missouriplants.com/Bluealt/Amorpha_fruticosa_page.html

Here is Dogbane.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dogbane

This looks more like it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Creme white indigo

That does look like it, Linda. It is soooo pretty, too. Don't try to move this one either, Randy. They grow from a tap root, if I recall correctly, and dislike being transplanted.

Sure is a beautiful plant - all baptisias are gorgeous IMHO.

Susan

Linda

The color is a cream. My laptop screen went out about a week ago and I'm using an old pc monitor to see what I'm doing. I may need to check and see how accurate the pc screen color wise is. I thought it was pretty close.

randy