became more common. You may ask, “Who cares?” If the monarch butterfly could talk to us you can be sure they would say that they care. Monarch butterfly larvae, or caterpillars, feed exclusively on milkweed leaves. Without the milkweed host plant the larvae are unable to develop into adult butterflies.
Members
of the community who enjoy the presence of butterflies and understand their
value as pollinators also care. Recognizing a fall in the population the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service applied for endangered species protection for the Monarch butterfly in 2014.
A
large part of the effort to support monarch preservation is providing milkweed
plants to replace those that have been lost in the environment. It is important to use milkweed native to the area in which you live. Milkweed creates toxins.
Monarch butterflies have used these toxins to their benefit as anti-predator
and anti-parasite defense. Milkweed plants that are not native to an area can
contain larger amounts of the toxins and create harmful levels for the
monarchs.
Patrick J. Alexander, hosted by the USDA- NRCS PLANTS Database |
Photo ©Luis Stevens |
Narrow-leafed or Mexican whorled milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) is found in Idaho’s
western Panhandle. Very weedy.
Robert Tatina, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS |
Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is Idaho's most common species. It grows up to 1 meter tall with fragrant flowers in late summer. The corona is in the shape of horns, and contains nectares. Each inflorescence usually grows only one follicle (seed pod).
Photo ©Al Schneider |
Poison or Horsetail milkweed (Asclepias
subverticillata) is a weedy species with small white
flowers and narrow leaves.
Seeds
for most of these milkweed species can be found from seed vendors on-line. Milkweed
seeds are wild seeds. They have evolved to thrive in a natural environment, not
your backyard. The seeds require
conditions that mimic environmental conditions to germinate. The LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center has developed and tested a protocol that results in good germination rates for native milkweed species. The process
involves four steps that take 4 to 8 weeks to complete. So start now!
Recognizing the importance of the monarch butterfly, a partnership of federal and state
agencies, non-governmental organizations, and academic programs, The Monarch Joint Venture, has been working to support the goals of North American Monarch Conservation Plan. They provide educational resources to
the public about Monarchs and Milkweed.
MonarchWatch is another resource for the gardener interested in supporting and
attracting pollinators. They offer guidelines for gardening methods that
support Monarch butterflies and offer Monarch Waystation designation when their
guidelines are followed.
The
addition of milkweed to the milkweed to the environment around your home
will provide needed host plants for Monarch butterflies. When nectar producing
plants are also added your landscape can attract a variety of pollinators.
Successful gardening is a partnership. The gardener provides the plants needed
by the pollinators to survive and the pollinators give the gardener new seeds
to continue the process.