School has started here, and in some locations much earlier, that means autumn is thinking of making a showing. Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) will soon be blooming, tempting bees, butterflies and the last of the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
This butterfly, a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), has been tempted by the nectar of the Pineapple Sage and its brilliant red blooms.
Autumn soon.
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A delight to see a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) on Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans). A butterfly with a wingspan of 2 to 3 inches, that like many butterflies, lives only for 2 to 4 weeks as an adult. During their short life the butterfly consumes the nectar of plants that are 3 to 6 feet high, such as Asters, Cosmos, Ironweed, Joe Pye Weed, Sunflowers, and of course, Pineapple Sage.
The Painted Lady can be found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. Their long distance migration makes them the most widely distributed butterfly species. Those migrations are irruptive. Not necessarily depending upon weather or geography, but some think depending in part on such things as changing climate patterns and also perhaps triggered by population issues.
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