07 August 2013

Wildflower Wednesday: Rejoicing in Milkweeds


It's been a long time since I did a post for Wildflower Wednesday, and it seemed like a good idea to pop up a post about one of my favourite, and most important, of wildflowers: milkweed. 

Milkweeds belong to the genus Asclepias, in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It's related to dogbane (Apocynum),  bluestar (Amsonia), periwinkle or myrtle (Vinca) and hoya, the wax plant with its stunning flowers. Looking at the flowers of milkweed, I can certainly see the relationship to hoya-the flower clusters, with their individual florets, look like they're made of china--just perfect.


 My favourite milkweed is the one deemed by some governments as a noxious pest, the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). It grows wild along roadside, in well drained, even poor, soil, and when it is in bloom it is alive with pollinators: honeybees, bumblebees, pollinating flies/bee mimics, butterflies.
All milkweeds are important to monarch butterflies, which lay their eggs on the foliage. The eggs hatch into hungry hungry caterpillers, munching the foliage and flowers as they grow and prepare to pupate...

But--it's now August and I have yet to see a monarch butterfly around here. Nor have my friends in the Valley, and beyond.
This is the so called rosy or swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), which is sold in nurseries and is a splendid garden plant. It forms a clump rather than running, and like other milkweeds, it will produce pods full of silk-sailed seedheads, which float away on the wind. They are gorgeous. Rosy milkweed comes in this hot-pink version...
 And also in a white form, 'Ice Ballet'. I like the pristine white flowers, a nice contrast to the mostly hot colours in much of my garden.
The word 'weed' has negative connotations for many people, so I am noticing that this plant, butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is now being sold as butterfly plant. It comes in shades of orange and yellow, wants very good drainage, and is slow to get started in the spring, as are all of the milkweeds. I have them marked so I don't think they're dead in the spring and dig them out!
This was a new-to-me species a couple of years ago, a plant given to me by Lloyd Mapplebeck of Hillendale Perennials in Truro. It's the whorled milkweed, Asclepias verticillata, with thread-leaf foliage and white-green flowers. It is later blooming than some of the other species. I just got a new plant when I moved, and am hoping it will flower this year. 

So that's a look at some of the hardy milkweeds from my part of Nova Scotia, Canada. I hope you'll cultivate a species or two in your garden--the pollinators will thank you. And hopefully, the monarchs will come back...

16 comments:

  1. This is a test to see whether the comment section is working properly.

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    1. That was me, testing the comment section. It seems to be just fine from my end.

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  2. Nothing can beat those milkweeds for butterflies. The monarch situation is tenuous.

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  3. I thought we were the only ones not seeing them ... this is kind of scary if it is so wide spread. I have to replant some milkweed in my garden for next year too.
    Joy

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    1. It is VERY scary, Joy. And I'm getting reports here and on Facebook saying basically the same thing--no monarchs, few other butterflies. I shudder to think what this means.

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  4. Jodi, No monarchs here in Maine, either. Instead, my milkweeds (Asclepias syriaca) are being thoroughly munched by the caterpillars of the Milkweed Tussock moth. The absence of monarch butterflies (and much lower counts of other butterflies) is alarming. -Jean

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    1. Yes, I'm hearing this from all kinds of people, not just lack of monarchs but other butterflies. I don't know why the other, more common species aren't around, unless too much cold/wet/nasty spring did them in. Worrisome.

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  5. Same here in the Bruce Penunsula in Ontario. I have seen 2 or 3 on our large patch of Asclepias syriaca but normally we see hundreds. It must have been a particularly hard winter for them.

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  6. I hate to tell you, but in Lexington, Ky we still have yet to see a monarch. The other butterflies were the slowest I have ever seen in showing up, but now they are here, beautiful tiger swallowtails, sulphers, white clouds, etc. I heard a commentary on NPR from a local garden club on the same problem. We have 12 acres, and have tried to preserve any milkweed that we can. I actually looked for the swamp variety last spring locally to buy, no luck.
    As a child I watched monarchs migrating, a continuous stream in the sky. I wonder if I will ever see that again.

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  7. What a treat to see all your milkweeds

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  8. I used to think of milkweeds as noxious pests when I was younger, influenced by my father, a farmer. Thankfully, I see them in a totally different light now, and I've been so happy to see more and more of them along roadsides this year. I hope the Monarchs find them--I did see two of them last weekend.

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  9. Hello Jodi, am glad you visited my site so I am reminded of your posts. I know the milkweeds specifically for the monarchs, although we don't have them here. I've read somewhere that we have another species here, but I haven't seen it, i know whatever they look like they are favorite of butterflies. Those you showed are all marvelous and they really look like some hoyas. I guess milkweeds are famous for being the targets of some GMO technologies.

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  10. I've seen two monarchs this year. A first for me!! so they are around thank goodness. I still have yet to plant any milkweed though. It's on my to do list but this season has flown by. Can't believe we're mid-August already.

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  11. I love the milkweed. It is a plant I have known for many years. As a child, picking the silky seeds out of the pods was a great past time. Now, I so enjoy the flowers which really need a closeup view for full appreciation.

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  12. Just planted a small yellow one this summer. It has a small bloom, but have not seen any butterflies as yet! Maybe next year when the bush is fuller...

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