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| John with common milkweed. J. S. |
Got milkweed? The Children's Garden does...four different kinds. Each belongs to the genus Asclepias; has white, "milky" sap; fragrant, nectar-rich flowers that attract a variety of pollinators; and leaves that Monarch caterpillars eat.
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriacea) is the most abundant in our area and the tallest, growing to 3-4 feet along unmowed roadsides and the edges of fields. It has large thick leaves, pink flowers in early June and large green seed pods in the mid-late summer. Some of the common milkweed in the Children's Garden volunteered, forming the milkweed forest near the Curious Gourds this year, and some was transplanted into the native plant beds.
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| Swamp milkweed. J.Schaeffer |
Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) grows in wet areas, and it is commonly available for purchase from nurseries. It, too, is tall but its leaves are smaller and it blooms in late July. Our swamp milkweed in the Monarch Waystation is currently crawling with butterflies.
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| Butterfly weed. J.Schaeffer |
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a short plant that grows in abandoned fields and has brilliant orange flowers. Most native nurseries sell butterfly weed. Ours is growing in the rainbow garden, small butterfly garden and the Monarch Waystation.
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| Tropical milkweed. J.Schaeffer |
Finally, we have tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), a non-native annual that does not survive our cold winters. It has yellow or orange blooms in mid-late summer. We're trying it this year in the Monarch Waystation and near the zucchinis.
With the demise of many naturally-occurring milkweeds due to mowing, herbicide use and habitat destruction, consider adding them to your backyard landscape. They attract an entertaining variety of colorful pollinators and are absolutely essential for Monarch caterpillars.
