The video on Snohomish Lavender Farm’s Instagram shows two pint-sized tree frogs nestled in the dark pink petals of a dahlia.
Originally posted on Sept. 28, the video now has more than 7.7 million views.
“Every day I still get people sharing and liking it,” says Allison Lamb, owner of the Washington state farm.
Lamb’s Instagram is filled with photos and videos of frogs in her bright dahlias. She calls it her “frog condo,” “frog hotel” or “frog ecosystem.”
“The can really snuggle up in the petals, it just gives them the perfect little home,” she says.
Lamb and her two daughters, ages 9 and 3, enjoy the frogs as much as her social media audience does.
“It’s just like a frog hunt every morning,” she says.
Lamb’s farm east of Snohomish is a frog hotspot for most of the year.
“If I leave my door open, I will find frogs in my house,” she says. “They are everywhere.”
The guests at the frog hotel are the Pacific tree frog. It is the most common frog species in the state, growing up to 2 inches in length.
Photos of the frogs went viral after Lamp posted them on her Instagram page. (Allison Lamb)
Lamb first planted dahlias in 2021, noticing frogs resting in her flowers when she went to remove dead growth. She posted about it on social media right away.
She was delighted when the creatures returned this year — and in stronger numbers. She’ll find as many as 10 in one day. They love dahlias, but also climb onto roses.
“The moment they bloom, (the frogs) are there until my first heavy frost,” Lamb says.
It’s a mystery why the frogs are drawn to Snohomish Lavender Farm. Lamb said she doesn’t have a stream or pond to attract the amphibians, though there’s plenty of water on the property. And neighbouring flower farms aren’t a frog magnet.
The guests at the frog hotel are the Pacific tree frog. It is Washington’s most common frog species, and grows up to 2 inches in length. (Allison Lamb)
“Every now and then one of them will say ‘Hey, Allison, there’s a frog in my flower,’ but not on the level of mine,” she says.
Lamb speculates her neighbour’s chickens are keeping them away.
The frogs also eat bugs, a natural pest control. Lamb grows lavender and hopes to sell the crop commercially. For now, she rents out the flower farm to photographers.
She thinks social media users have been drawn to the novelty of seeing frogs in the flowers. The frog hotel was recently featured on the website The Dodo.
Lamb enjoys creating a frog habitat.
“I really love nature and I love animals,” she says. “I think it’s just fun for my toddler to see it. She likes to hold the frogs. It takes me back to nature.”
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