Luculia.

Our Luculia tree lures many different insect visitors, every year around this time and for the next few months, when it is in flower. Never before a Bluemoon butterfly ( known in Australia as the great eggfly). hypolimnas-bolina. 

 This is a male. The female looks rather different.

 I think this Luculia is a gratissima variety "Apple Blossom."   It has been in the garden for 36 + years. It gets constantly pruned back.

 The leaves, just a few at a time, become a brilliant red before they drop. It is not a deciduous tree. It is native to the Himalayas.

 Often there are Monarch butterflies on it; also ladybirds;

 the red and black sort and these iridescent beauties.

 Bees as well. ( there are wasps too) 

This luculia has an alluring delicate perfume up close. Care needs to be taken if you are burying your nose in the blooms.

 We are wondering how that butterfly got here. Did it come across the Tasman in the last storm or from a butterfly garden here in N Z? As far as I know it did not come from the Quarry butterfly garden ( they haven't any), but at Easter when we were at the local garden centre there were 2 female Bluemoons flying around all the flowering plants there; particularly the native Hebes. 

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 My pile of little blocks has grown since I showed you last, but it has slowed because the weather these last few days has been glorious and I have been gardening mainly. We are in holding mode waiting for our turn to get the Kiwifruit picked. It is ready.