Once upon a time, over a century ago, the Xerces blue butterfly inhabited the sand dunes of San Francisco. The butterflies laid their eggs on a plant called deerweed. So where are they now?… Read More

 It's been about 80 years since the last sighting of the Xerces blue butterfly flitting about on pastel wings across coastal California sand dunes. However, scientists are still learnin… Read More

Genetic tests using museum specimens suggest that the Xerces blue was a distinct species and that it disappeared in 1941 The Xerces blue butterfly has the dubious distinction of being the… Read More

How do you propagate giant ironweed? Carefully dig up your plants.Carefully cut away any dead parts of the crown and roots, using a sharp knife, and then cut the remaining crown and roots in… Read More

Alex Fox, columnist, SmartNews, Smithsonian Magazine, writes that the Xerces blue butterfly is the first U. S. insect to be wiped out by humans.The Xerces blue butterfly has the dubious dist… Read More

*A couple weeks ago, a majestic western monarch butterfly fluttered by me en route to feed upon the nectar of pretty purple lantana flowers. It whispered, “Don’t forget to tell… Read More