A Royal Appearance

A few scattered patches of Orange Milkweed, also known as Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), grow along the Mission Reach. I'm not sure if the patch growing by the weir upstream of the pedestrian bridge near Roosevelt Park survived the May flood. The one growing by the riffle below the Confluence Park Trailhead did survive the flood and is in full bloom right now.

Given the current challenges to the survival of the Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), I was pleasantly surprised to see this Monarch taking full advantage of the Orange Milkweed's nectar: 

Milkweed is also the larval host plant for the Monarchs.

This set of photographs was taken along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River on Monday, October 7, 2013.