To each its own

Each kind (species) of butterfly and moth caterpillar has its own cocoon or chrysalis.

Some look like old dried leaves.

Some are spun silk tucked between layers of wood or edges of rocks.

In fact, the fabric called silk is made from the cocoons of the silkworm. (Click the back button to return to this page) People grow the worms. They carefully harvest the fine silk thread from the cocoon.

Did you notice that cultivated silkworms only eat one kind of plant? What is it?

George Washington planted mulberry trees at Mount Vernon.

He planned to raise silkworms to make money.

21. Estimate how old his tree is.

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Mount Vernon's White Mulberry Tree

Milkweed Garden