Monarch Madness
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Oh my, how voracious the monarch caterpillars can be.
Our milkweed plants are all in pots, but a Davis Showy Milkweed decided to grow up right outside of the pot, and in no time the monarch caterpillars found it, although Mama Monarch laid just one egg on it.
These two are determined to devour the entire plant.
For several days there were these two and a third large one, and even two medium sized, all on the same plant, that has five leaves.
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Today the third left the plant, apparently looking for a good place to pupate.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_656161ce523f4612872cf9ff9498d34a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/1eb7ff_656161ce523f4612872cf9ff9498d34a~mv2.jpg)
Meanwhile, another monarch caterpillar seems to live primarily off the buds of another Davis Showy Milkweed. The buds must be quite a delicacy.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_97e803c1d50d47b7859e99a9bc6dc982~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_1470,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/1eb7ff_97e803c1d50d47b7859e99a9bc6dc982~mv2.jpg)
And sometimes it's just nice to relax on a bamboo arch, and digest.