Lilacs and Butterflies

Old vines harbor sweet fruit.  In my front yard I have a group of overgrown purple lilac bushes that were becoming an eyesore. Last fall, I decided to prune the tattered, torn 12 ft. high bushes rather than cut them down, but you always sweat out the next season hoping mature plants like these will continue to thrive. To compound the issue, years of drought and heat have taken a toll on so much of our plant material, making it an even bigger gamble. 

Lilacs though are known as being a cold, hardiness bush so the colder the winter, the more robust the bloom. They’re a good choice for this climate zone and they provide a sanctuary for a whole contingent of winged creatures. Each spring, they bloom for a very short period of time but its familiar sweet fragrance calls out far and wide.  

Yesterday, a fast-moving cold front blew through, warming temps to unseasonable highs in the mountains. The gusting winds were picking up speed throughout the morning and then seemingly from out of nowhere, swarms of butterflies descended on the area, with an almost locust-like feel.  

The insects wildly flock to the fragrant, purple bushes and there literally were 100s of them flying in and around the lilacs. This is crazy! Quickly, grabbing my camera to document the occasion, it’s a story that this displaced greenlander now living in the brown palette of the high desert, has never experienced before. It is utterly amazing.

Warm gusts of wind blow as colorful wings flap in & out, clinging mightily to the branches, as they hurry slowly. Not to mention they’re flying in my hair/eyes. Mysteriously, they continue to be drawn to these beat up, fragrant purple bushes. I move quickly with a sense of urgency not knowing how long this feeding frenzy would last. 

Watching these butterflies dodge in and out of the swaying branches was like the rhythm of waves on a beach or a finely choreographed dance routine. Their mission of pollination undertaken with precision all thanks to sweet aromas of the tiny, nectar-filled flowers. Such a daunting task these tiny creatures seek to accomplish, depending on so many elements of the story being in alignment in order to share one another’s gifts. Seemingly fragile with an undeniable will. 

Old vines indeed harbor sweet fruit and I’m glad I chose to prune rather than remove my lilacs. Flowers and butterflies are active for such a short time yet so often we view them merely as pests or we needlessly cut down the flowering, life-giving hosts they depend on should they block our view. 

Pound for pound, these little creatures provide huge benefits. I’m reminded that all of us are born whole - complete with an inborn mission to be ourselves, like butterflies or flowers on a lilac bush. 

I was lucky. I witnessed a cycle of cooperation and inter-dependence in action. Showing how when working together, everyone benefits. I felt a deep sense of gratitude and reverence knowing mother nature provides so much for so many through the simple acts of so few.