What is happening in our garden?

This is a self-sown swan plant. Some of the lower branches got too long and heavy to be supported by the trunk, which split but didn't break away completely.

Because it was still alive and growing, we left it so we could have plenty of leaves for the expected caterpillars.

It took a while, but eventually caterpillars were noticed. We didn't see any eggs but they must have been there.

This is the seed pod which looks a bit like a swan's body - until it bursts and drops its seeds.
It's taken a while, but we finally have some activity on the swan plant in our class garden.
Check out this site to find out all you wanted to know - and more- about the monarch butterfly in New Zealand.



There are quite a few lady bugs around too.
What are these little guys going to grow into?

Here's a quiz about monarch butterflies in North America. (It has questions and answers - see how you go.)

Here's a simple chart of the life cycle of a monarch butterfly.

And here it is in Spanish.