Blog by Karen Metz
Recently my family took a spring drive in the countryside in search of bluebonnets. We had found some on Twin Sisters but decided to continue driving, enjoying the green hills while we could. At one point, my husband had to pull over to the side of the road to let traffic pass. I looked down the driveway of the nearby property and noticed a lot of movement around some large Pride of Madeira, Echium candicans, shrubs. I pulled out my camera and zoomed in to find the flowers covered with large dusky-colored butterflies.
Video of Butterflies Swarming Echium (Pride of Madeira)
Seeing a blooming plant covered in bees during springtime would not be unusual. When most of us think of pollinators, we tend to think of bees. Bees are very important, but other insects, including butterflies and moths, are also attracted to the flower nectar. Birds and bats are also pollinators. In the pursuit of the nectar, these creatures pick up pollen and transmit it to other blossoms or plants. This leads to fertilization and the production of seeds for the next generation of plants. Seeing the shrub working with butterflies was a real treat. We did spot one bright yellow butterfly amongst the darker ones, but unfortunately, we were just too far away to identify any of them. But it didn’t matter, we just enjoyed the show.
The striking Pride of Madeira is popular because of its beauty and its ability to tolerate warm, dry conditions. They have prolific self-seeding abilities. The California Invasive Plant Council has given it a” limited “rating at this point. There has been some concern about the spread in coastal native plant communities.
Banner photo: "Pride of Madeira" by Han Shot First is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.