May 26 Pollinator Refuge

Touring around Wisconsin with a soil science class, I found myself at the edge of a reed/sedge wetland-turned-cornfield. While I was impressed by the thick organic soil (over 5 feet of highly decomposed organic matter!) we explored, I also noticed a bright patch of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) with seedpods and dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) with flowers at the edge of the field. At first I was disheartened to see yet another patch of invasive plants, but then I realized that this lone patch of flowers was bustling with red admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta). In the middle of an agricultural landscape, these weeds provided a much-needed refuge for pollinators. While the adults were foraging on the dame’s rocket, red admiral caterpillars might be found on nettles where they use silk to pull a leaf together to form a protective barrier against predators.