Caterpillar Tree 05/22/12
A Milkweed plant in Balboa Park is teeming with life. Monarch butterflies in all forms are flourishing now.
Monarch Butterflies on a Milkweed Plant in San Diego
By Connie Goldin, MA, MFT
Take your children to Balboa Park in the spring to see the Monarch butterflies and their offspring on a sprouted Milkweed plant. By chance, while visiting the lily pond in front of the Botanical Building, my family and I saw people looking and pointing at a homely-looking tree, the Milkweed plant. We realized that it was teeming with caterpillars of various sizes. As we listened to more experienced “butterfly watchers,” we were able to spot the chrysalises hanging on the branches. By looking closely at a leaf, we saw the tiniest new caterpillar. Eric Carle sure had it right when he wrote his children’s classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Monarch caterpillars grow more than 2000 times their original size in two weeks!
To find the “occupied” Milkweed plant, face the Botanical Building at the entrance. The plant is just outside the building, on the left, at the right-side entrance. It was so easy to see the caterpillars, chrysalises, and a few Monarchs floating overhead. Here are some of the things we saw:
Two caterpillars on a Milkweed Leaf
A Monarch Chrysalis
An Empty Chrysalis
A Look at the Milkweed Leaf with a Caterpillar
Chrysalis With Yellow Band or "Crown" at Top
Fat Caterpillar Becoming a Pupa
A Monarch From My Yard
Here is more information about the butterflies at Balboa Park
A fun book for young children starring caterpillars is Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars. It is a counting book.
These caterpillars have trouble staying on leaves and branches!
Monarchs, by Kathryn Lasky is a good resource as is Birds and Blooms, August/September 2012 issue.
For fun caterpillar activities with young children visit Early Childhood News and Resources.
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2 Responses to this article
Hi it is now April 28 2013 and i really wanna show my kids caterpillars do you think there is some now at balboa park on the milkweed plant? And if so can we pick them up and touch them? Please let me know.
Hi Mary. I think the butterflies should be there now. People weren’t touching or handling the caterpillars when I was there last spring. It’s best if the children just look. Some of the newest caterpillars are very tiny. They can spot the hanging chrysalises, too. Here is an article I wrote recently about growing butterflies at home. Have fun with your children in Balboa Park. Thanks for commenting! Connie Goldin