Linda, I usually buy from local nurseries and I prefer plants that have actual caterpillars on them. It always makes me feel better when I see the cats eating it, plus I get bonus caterpillars for free! At the museum, I often tell people from this area to grow milkweed from seed because it's so easy and you save a lot of money that way. And you know it's safe that way, too.
Remember the Monarch chrysalis that was on my Giant Milkweed and fell to the ground mysteriously? Well, the butterfly came out in one of my critter keepers late this afternoon. It rained all day today so it's going to spend the night with me and I'll release it in the morning. I'm just glad it was able to pull itself free of the chrysalis. I put it in a tank that had some old sticks and leaves in it so there was something to grab on to.
In other news, there was a Cattle Egret checking out my Senna, according to my brother. I just checked it two days ago and saw no caterpillars so I wasn't worried. Its seed pods are busting open right now but I didn't know if Egrets ate seeds like other birds.
