Date: 05/05/2005

Number: 1

The weather in Chicago has not been the best, however my butterfly weed and some of my swamp milkweed have already emerged and taken leaf. I kept looking for the common, as it usually shows up first in this one spot along the fence. Nothing. I was disappointed because one year during a very gentle spring my first monarch appeared the day before Mother's Day and of course the milkweed was there to receive her.

Then yesterday after getting home from teaching I spent some time in the garden looking at my native plants and there nestled in with the coneflower leaves was my first common. It's about 5-6" high and has several leaves although because of the cool weather they are still rather snuggled into the stem. It's a hardy specimen.

Chicago, IL

Latitude: 41.9 Longitude: -87.6

Observed by: Sue
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.