Blue Butterflies "In Your Backyard"

On the radio show, last week I had a great call from JJJ's Ornamental Nursery, a local nursery about a flower that looked like a butterfly. A blue butterfly that attracts butterflies! Decide for yourself.

I immediately thought of a large bush with blue flowers called Clerodendrum ugandense. They are large shrubs that do well in full sunlight or partial sunlight with rich soils. Also called Oxford bushes, this Kenyan native plant is zoned for 10-11, but will recover from any freezing in zones 8-9. Pruning the bush is recommended as it blooms on new growth.

You can find the beautiful Butterfly bushes at:

• JJJ's Nursery(352) 429-0539, 18421 County Road 33 Groveland, FL.
• Eldon Tropicals, Ocala, FL.
• Top Tropicals

Speaking of blue butterflies, the Miami Blue butterfly is still on Florida's endangered species list. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is now requesting information on the biological status of 61 species for rulings in November. Please check out the species listed and if you have any information that you feel is beneficial, make your voice known!

The FWC is specifically requesting information on:

• population size and trends;
• distribution and range;
• threats to the species;
• published population viability models; and
• specific aspects of the species' life history that may influence the range-wide and Florida-specific status of the species.

Information and data should be sent to:

Mail:
Biological Status Reviews
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
620 South Meridian Street
Mail Station 2A
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600

E-mail:
Imperiled@MyFWC.com

Responses will be accepted until 5 p.m., Nov. 1, 2010.