2026 Whatsoever is Lovely: Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #3

XingfuMama hosts the weekly challenge Whatsoever Is Lovely. The challenge is simple. Just reflect back over your week and see what is lovely, whether a thing or a moment, share in a post what is precious and lovely to you.

This week I am continuing with Whatsoever is Lovely to me; Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #3. These images were taken on Coleman’s & my recent visit to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. The first area we visited was the Butterfly Bungalow. We had not previously visited the Butterfly Bungalowsince the times we’ve visited Daniel Stowe Conservancy before were in the Springtime.

For this post I am focusing on the Giant Swallowtail (Polygonia comma). The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly located in North America. It is known for its black wings with striking yellow stripes and its large wingspan. The Giant Swallowtails can have a massive wingspan of up to six (6) inches long.

Interestingly, their abdomen and outer wings are a light yellow shade with red and blue markings along the bottom of their wings while they have black and yellow stripes directly above their heads.

These Giant Swallowtails (Polygonia comma) are also referred to as Eastern Comma. They can typically be seen in shaded areas or near bodies of water. The Eastern Comma feed on sap, rotting fruit, dung, salt and minerals. They are a confident , aggressive, and social butterfly.

These Giant Swallowtails are feasting on Pycnanthemum incanum, aka Hoary Mountain Mint. The Mountain Mint is a hardy, aromatic perennial in the mint family which is native to eastern North America. It is known for its silvery-white foliage with clusters of small white to lavender flowers that bloom during the summertime. It is an excellent magnifier pollinators like bees, butterflies, and wasps. (I prefer watching the butterflies to bees or wasps.)

These pictured here are maintained in the controlled environment of the Butterfly Bungalow inside the Gardens of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina.

Click on images to enlarge. 

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week 29

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens. 

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Bely, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.