The Monarch caterpillars do not actually look like the butterfly. April 2018 I'm in rural Michigan and now that I know what it looks like, there is no shortage at all. idonot know if they would have attracted monarchs but i wanted the chance the parent plants are just 2 1/2 feet tall. I have the orange one too and though I see butterflies drinking nectar I have never seen any kind of caterpillar on it. Only 8 left in stock - order soon. Asclepiadaceae, (don't let the name intimidate you), secrete. Someone above my post mentioned dogbane. A. speciosa has longer hoods on top that point outwards, giving it a starry look. contacted me and demanded i cut down the weeds since i'm 83 ,on limited income i could not have them come and cut down the plants so i had to do it. One odd thing I just discovered. (in a bad spot but I will leave them if they help butterflies." Poke milkweed leaves often resemble those of purple milkweed. Took years of trying to get one to take but it's good now. July 2019 I've been doing some more homework on this, perhaps something that should be added here? The pods of common milkweed are comma shaped, thick and covered with spines. Underground stems. To see the list, go to this page, type in "asclepias" at the top, click the checkbox next to Michigan, then click Display Results: Last year I planted six asclepias incarnata which came along nicely both years but no, I mean NO, butterfly action. Carol, Can you post a link to a photo of your drawing? Each tiny flower (to 3/4” long) has 5 reflexed petals and 5 purple heads. Does not tolerate shade. Hey thanks for the reply. Milkweeds are different underground. : Opposite, 10 to 25 cm long, smooth or slightly downy. Hi Jo, Our native species are all around us in our natural areas, but due to their diminutive size most go unnoticed. Could they be orange aphids, as in the first photo on the following webpage? Thank you. I'll wait to see what the seed pods look like. February 2019 It is just what I've been looking for. It's mid-August and I have only tiny, green buds, no flowers. Description: Grows up to 1m in height but is … Monarch eggs are yellowish, and almost always laid one in a spot. alternate on the stem (not opposite each other), lance-shaped, 5 to 10 cm long, smooth on top and downy beneath. I have only heard of the milkweed sap causing allergic reactions if you touch it to your skin/eyes but not the seed hairs (the fluffy white stuff that comes out of the seed heads). Great info! The pods were large and the leaves roundish. Solid, dogbane. Rebecca ChandlerGarden Educator, Naturalist and Ethnobotanist, October 2020 Massachusetts. The ones they especially seem to like are the four mentioned on this page along with Tropical Milkweed and Red Milkweed. It looks a lot like Aclepias syriaca to me, but there are 10 other species native to Michigan, and I don't know what they llook like. Flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and leaves are a food source for monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars).Genus name honors the Greek god Asklepios the god of medicine.Specific epithet means purple. FYI. November 2019 I haven't done the rip the leaf test yet but just looking at the photos here, pretty sure that's what I have. I looked in the area, but I couldn't find any plants that matches the description or the picture, although I did just mow the lawn. March 2018. They are yellow, black and white striped. Other common names for A. tuberosa are orange for the color, pleurisy root for its medicinal use, and chigger-flower referring to chiggers often found near the plants, although there is no proof that one will contract chiggers from being on the plants. downy, usually single, 90 to 120 cm tall. The one with the rosy pink flowers on it. The corona hoods are long (9 to 13 mm) and lance-shaped, making the flowers look like stars. (Second from the bottom picture on this page.) Hi Roni, For many years, botanists have known the two families were closely related. I am in Australia just recently I have found about 30 catapiller on my milkweed plant. $1.49 shipping. So how to tell them apart? Wow, thanks for the heads-up! Any help would be appreciated. They have evolved with the milkweed plant for several reasons. Gotta help the butterflies ya know? Relatively common and nothing too special in its own right but purple milkweed (A. purpurascens) is a stunning plant that lights up the roadsides and forest margins come early summer. Thanks for your question. is there a way to distinguish between varieties when all the leaves have fallen? https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/asclepias-syriaca-31.jpg They can be really small until they molt a few times. Easily grown from seed, and will self-seed in the landscape if seed pods are not removed prior to splitting open. Common milkweed is a clonal species and can usually be distinguished from purple milkweed because it usually has many stems distributed over a larger area. July 2018 Raised a half dozen or so indoors just clipping leaves and feeding them. I was hoping both to find the Mexican Whorled, and other species appropriate to Utah (Salt Lake City - desert valley floor—very alkaline, clay-rich soil—ancient lake-bottom). To learn more about this relationship please read more here: https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/why-milkweed.html, Does any type of milkweed have stickers on the leaves. Unlike swamp milkweed, common milkweed has large broad leaves with a prominent central vein. I used to find milkweed along the railroad tracks in suburban Chicago. I have the orange flowering milkweed which I started by digging up from a road side ditch that was about to be mowed down. Long, narrow and smooth follicles, changing colour from green to brownish. Before planting, I would check to see if this type of milkweed is native to your area. In Cincinnati, Ohio. I found a monarch caterpillar in my backyard, and I was missing so I took it in. It tends to be a clumping plant that spreads less aggressively than other milkweed species. Asclepias incarnata and asclepias tuberosa both will stay fairly short. 49. Wonderful! last year i had a few butterfly plants that produces the seeds for wind distribution. It is hardy in USDA zones 3a-9b and could grow from 2-3 feet tall (sometimes even taller than that) and about 1-3 feet wide. At least in my area the monarchs don't appear to need any help. My drawing is detailed and framed in pride of place as a memory of my years in USA flora drawings. Some of them probably have narrow leaves: I just noticed a bunch of small orangish pod looking things on the stem of my milkweed. A magnet for pollinators and a host plant for monarch caterpillars. Click on a place name to get a complete protected plant list for that location. http://www.wildflowers-and weeds.com/Plant_Identification/Patterns_in_Plants.htm    Mission Monarch- Milkweed sheet. Thank you for photo's and explanations. Thank you! This guide includes profiles of the four most common species, all of which are used as a larval host plant by the monarch butterfly. Very nice! Now, the interesting part is, I just saw a monarch caterpillar on my semi-dried dill plant. Dogbane will also branch out, milkweed does not. There are some small furry caterpillars in my milkweed. Description. The monarchs do not appear here (upper SC) until the milkweed seed has blown away. But that's the ONLY thing they eat. January 2019 Although the flowers bear a superficial resemblance to two other sister taxa -- Asclepias syriaca(Common milkweed, with more light-purple flowers) and Asclepias incarnata(Swamp milkweed, with smaller flowers) - - the corolla hoods and swept-back sepals are a unique and striking deep purple to reddish magenta. Asclepias is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. But the big one here, cut the stem. purple milkweed. Swamp milkweed Photo courtesy of Jennifer Anderson, USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database. Get it as soon as Wed, Oct 21. I was just wondering if I could send you some pictures of what I have growing so you could confirm what and if it's milkweed Late bloomers or fakes? The flowers are not what I would call in an umbel shape and they are very small (about 1/8 inch across). December 2018 Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) Tropical milkweed probably wins the contest for the Monarchs favorite milkweed in most gardens. Now I live in South FL. I think next summer I let nature do it's thing. This Mid-western wildflower is a host plant for Monarch populations in the middle portion of the US. )THEN you know you found the right plant. The seeds are dispersed by wind so they are light and fluffy. Status: The entire former milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae) has recently been rolled into the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). pale pink or violet, arranged in almost spherical umbels. Insecticides will kill the soft-bodied Monarch caterpillars. They have the color of a monarch butterfly. If you think you have a Milkweed but are unsure, tear a piece off to look for the sap but try not to get it on your skin or in your eyes. USDA hardiness zones 3a-9b; Full sun to part shade; Height 2 to 3 feet; Needs partially wet, well-drained soil. Flowers give way to smooth seed pods (to 6” long) which split open when ripe releasing their numerous silky-tailed seeds for dispersal by the wind. Does well in poor, dryish soils. Distribution in Missouri: Scattered statewide. Deer resistant, non-aggressive. This species is closely related with the common milkweed, A. syriaca, with which it sometimes hybridizes at the eastern limits of its distribution.These species are similar in appearance and growth form (tall and robust), but can be distinguished by the layer of fine white hairs on speciosa and flowers that look like small crowns. Agreed! Try pasting "which milkweed plants do monarchs breed on" into google, turn on images, and start looking. This is my second year and, so far, I'm flunking Milkweed 101. Is it “ok” for me to grow milkweed from Minnesota seeds, where I live in California (Sunnyvale)? large spindle-shaped fruit, bumpy, rough and downy. Not in batches. Asclepias purpurascens – Purple Milkweed is a Michigan native milkweed and is native to most of the eastern United States though it is uncommon to rare in cultivated gardens. Dogbane maybe. Pretty sure it's the common variety they prefer to eat as caterpillars. Dogbane has a redish stem. I accidentally found a chrysalis in the barn, which I brought indoors; and, before I realized there were many caterpillars in the fields, I brought one caterpillar that I found indoors as well. we have monarchs already! The ironic thing is there is no milkweed around my house. I was looking to help two fellers with there shine and they asked me to look in the surrounding area so now I can get them but I got distracted by a 3 star deer and I’m sure I can get a perfect pelt from it. Now I don't want to look at the stems of mine since it would mean sacrificing the flower head so that can wait. When I was north of Minneapolis just this past August, my friend gave me a bunch of her milkweed seeds. Somewhat similar in appearance to common milkweed, (A. syriaca), purple milkweed is a smaller plant, its flowers are generally more consistent in purple coloration, its flower clusters are more terminal on the stem, and it is less hairy overall. This spring I repurposed my kitchen garden to a 'b& b' flower patch with whatever tasty nursery plants I could get around here, and tada! Mind you, once I got good at this, I noticed there is no shortage of milkweed in rural Michigan. If it's hallow, you have milkweed. .MRM. Whole plant with flowers. Thank you for any advice. It is best to use native species of milkweed because the non-native ones such as Tropical Milkweed have been known to get more diseases. Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) in particular is classified as Imperiled in Virginia (VA_DCR), and because it is a host plant for Monarchs, protecting the plant is an important part of conserving the natural habitat of Huntley Meadows Park. (Even that I had to try several times before one took.). And what do I do if there is no milkweed. It's bitter taste makes it fairly deer and rabbit resistant. Asclepias purpurascens L. – purple milkweed Subordinate Taxa. ​Milkweed flower color varies across species and can be white, yellow, green, purple, pink, orange, or red. Thank you. It was 3' tall/fluffy thistledown type seeds bursting from the gorgeous 'cradle' split. Can spread somewhat rapidly by rhizomes. May 2020 Yesterday when I discovered two tiny caterpillars on the plants outside the net tent, I carefully removed the plants (complete with attached caterpillars) then transplanted to the safety of the tent. June 2020 The problem is I don't know if my weed ridden yard has any milkweed in it. Seed pods are valued in dried flower arrangements. They usually appear in late September and October. Thanks so much for your help. (There is one plant next door, we own that house too that I have been careful not to mow but I have never seen butterflies on it.) I apologize for my late reply. Once I knew what I was looking for and started looking around, the stuff is growing along side most country roads here, In the ditch between where they mow the side of the road and farms and such. Not sure where you are located but the Monarchs in my yard love asclepias incarnata. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/checklist.html. VERY similar but much more toxic and butterflies will NOT eat it. Although Monarchs have preferences of some varieties over others, Monarchs will feed on most species of milkweed. Often scattered – does not form dense colonies. The leaves secrete milk but the stems are reddish; the ones in my garden have green stems so I'm wondering if this is actually milkweed or a pretender? Posted that on some bug forum with a photo and sure enough, as someone already mentioned, aphid eggs. However, I would choose species of milkweed that are native to your area. I'm happy to hear that the monarch caterpillars are feeding on your milkweed. January 2020 It is similar in appearance to common milkweed ( A. syriaca ), except its flowers are … It is unique in that it posses the most beautiful purple flowers of all of the milkweeds. I have a hard time weeding out the “weedy-weeds” from the desired plants and this helps me. This is a species that will … Where they occur together, purple milkweed might hybridize with common milkweed (S. syriaca). My coworker gave me 4 pods of milkweed native to my area she harvested from plants in her yard nearby. Similar to Ascelpeias syriaca (Common Milkweed) it is an excellent garden choice due to its non-invasive nature. Special Concern. I'm really not sure yet which milk weeds I have but I am trying to research that by identifying them on the net. And then there are the seed pods. I do try to grow butterfly bushes (four) to feed them but I would like to have more flowers blooming for them as they travel. What else can I feed them. Will this variety attract and feed Monarch larva ? broad and thick, 10 to 20 cm long, arranged in opposite pairs on the stem and with pubescent undersides. The only milkweed plant that doesn't exude the latex is Butterfly Milkweed and the Monarchs will still feed on this type. The pods are shown here (can for size): https://ibb.co/4T23JD8 I have the same situation. August 2019 Swamp Milkweed or Pink Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) grows in wet soils at the edge of streams and ponds. The flower clusters are ball shaped and light pink to purple. Wait for that plant to go to seed and grab some. Butterfly gardens, meadows, prairies, or naturalized/native plant areas. The sap is clear, which is unique among the many kinds of milkweeds. Where can I find milkweed plants for my yard? Thanks so much for this. SO different from the photo 'A speciosa' in the saveourmonarchs.org site. I have a patch of other incarnata (I think) where each plant arises from a single, independent, flimsy stem. Connecticut. I grew them from seed and this year I have well over 50 seed pods. It has an injured wing. Don't worry, the Monarchs will come to your milkweed as well. I now wonder if they really are swamp milkweed or some imposter. How do I find milkweed in the absence of seed pods AND flowers when just mowed. This is the plant's defense mechanism against herbivory. This picture illustrates the corona with it's 5 hoods (this is where nectar is stored) and it's 5 petals which are usually bent backwards. :). Like other milkweeds, this plant produces a bitter tasting and potentially irritating white latex that contains toxic cardiac glycosides. If you have the right kind, you should see some activity soon. September 2019 These are up in Michigan. Somewhat weedy and can spread. Doubt you mowed it since it grows so tall. limestone soils, open, rocky, dry sites. Dogbane is poisonous so I ripped mine out. There are several videos on youtube about this. I read in our local newspaper about the recent decline of the monarch, I do see them occasionally here in our garden in Concord, CA; I will talk to our local nursery to see if they can recommend something that I can put in our garden (we have plenty of garden space here) that will help them...Thank you.. Hi Tom, NOT the one monarchs use? I have a cocoon on the side of my house. comes up every year. Do a search on Google and compare the images to what you have. Last Year I had a few and a couple have sprouted after I planted the seeds. Well, since no-one else has answered you yet, I'll chime in. It typically grows 2-3’ tall on stout, upright stems with heavy, pointed, short-stalked, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, opposite leaves (to 8” long). is there a smaller plant i can get to do the job. Asclepias tuberosa This page will give you a list of the Milkweeds that grow wild in Missouri, if you enter "Asclepias" at the top and check the box for Missouri. (Easy way is look on top of lower leaves for tell tail caterpillar poop. The kind you want has broad leaves, and a milky white to almost pinkish flower. Asclepias purpurascens / Purple Milkweed. We use no chemicals but after 30 years here suburbia is encroaching, less frogs and swallows is our bellwether. If you found a monarch caterpillar, you must have milkweed close. Thomas G. Barnes, hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Barnes, T.G., and S.W. Plants form clumps 2 to 3 feet tall and wide and have stout straight stems topped by beautiful mid-summer rosy-purple flower balls. Hi Rikiev, Purple Milkweed (Asclepias Purpurascens) is a rare, herbaceous perennial that will die back in the fall to return in the spring. How to Identify Milkweed Plants Quickly and Confidently. Look at those last two photos here, that's what I have. Not at all? Common names are from state and federal lists. Do you know is these little flowers or the milkweed plant they come from cause allergies to some people. May 2018 Same goes for the butterfly bush. (Mine started to look sad by end of Aug. They are about the size of a freckle. I will happily submit photos of all of the above. It sounds like you may be seeing MIlkweed Tussock Moths on your milkweed (do a google search to confirm). Is this a normal behavior ? I got a lot of large milkweed pods from down the road at a city garden, so I assume they're not tropical, but they had very few leaves left on them already in the fall. December 2019 I had more trouble clipping off leaves to feed my captive caterpillars that did not have eggs on it. I guess after all this, my questions are: Shall I pull out the stumps of those incarnata-like plants that are not attracting monarchs? It is one of the largest milkweeds, sometimes as much as five feet tall, with shallow roots. Uses: pollinators, host plant, hummingbirds No serious insect or disease problems. Milkweed has those big fat pods. 3.5 out of 5 stars 234. In which they demolished it in no time flat. But it never spreads and again I've never seen anyone munching it. Is there a chance they're not good for monarchs or can I plant them in my yard for yext year? Now, the Eastern Swallowtail caterpillars look very similar to Monarch caterpillars but they feed on plants in the Dill, Parsley, Carrot family. Milkweeds Native to Florida Most people are used to seeing the bright orange flowers of the, non-native, scarlet milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) and don’t realize that Florida is home to twenty one native milkweeds. they came back this year but so did so other milkweed plans that grew to almost 6ft tall. Milkweed can have some red but big difference. Is there a simple way to tell a. speciosa from a. syriaca? Well I have at least 20 plants growing some with a cluster of flowers some with none. That orange stuff I have also never been able to get going from seed. ... Common Milkweed Native Seeds (Asclepias Syriaca), Pack of 100 Seeds by Seeds2Go. Thanks for your question! Gonna try and save the seeds and next spring, clean up the area and toss those seeds around. I’ve never seen milkweed like those around here. General Description . When I learned that the Mexican Milkweed, which grows very tall, carries a parasite injurious to the chrysalis I quickly pulled up all of mine. Hope this helps some. $6.88 $ 6. here. Common milkweed prefers sunny, dry locations but grows in a variety of conditions. Photo: Emma Pelton/Xerces Society. Milkweed is a native perennial herb with milky sap and leaves opposite or whorled, simple and entire;the flowers are in umbels, purple to greenish white; the fruit is a follicle, with numerous seeds, each with a tuft of silky hairs.. if you can locate plants/seeds I would say give them a go, but I wouldn’t count on it as your main milkweed variety as you’re getting started. So, I planted milkweed from seed ( roadside pods) that do secrete the milky substance when injured. So perhaps local populations look for the plant that is common locally??? 45 to 200 cm tall, velvety or pubescent (hairy). Prairie Milkweed is usually a shorter plant than Common Milkweed, and it produces fewer umbels of flowers from the axils of its leaves. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/checklist.html. Francis. October 2019 Thank you for posting, thank you for the helpful comments and thank you planting! This plant is considered by many gardeners to be too vigorous and weedy for borders. So it sounds like you have Swallowtail and Tussock Moths! Also look on the underside of the leaves. Milkweed sap. Any idea what they might be? Another similar species is Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens). I have slender-leafed, yellow-orange/red flowers; I don’t know species—I bought the plant locally; it may be non-native; it grows back when I cut it back. Often forms extensive colonies in the wild. BUT had thin ribbonlike leaves drooping and curling around the strong upright stalk. I can't be certain without seeing a picture though. I have never raised a monarch, but I have raised caterpillars before. Leaves are dark green above and slightly pubescent below. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/checklist.html, Hi there, I live in Washago Ontario Canada. These attract monarchs and I've had some caterpillars - none survived. Find those on the undersides of leaves, single eggs scattered here and there. Common milkweed exists over much of the United States, while butterfly weed grows mainly east of the Rocky Mountains. February 2020 Years ago when my daughters were young, we lay down in our yard and were amazed to watch a trail of hundreds of monarchs passing over our farm. Trying to move the neglected lawn gently towards healthy native meadow, a few dandelions and foxtails at a time. Thank you so much for this. Hi Jenny, I'm in way north end of Oakland County MI, heavily wooded and open meadows. $ 12.00. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/annualperennial/milkweed/, Monarch eggs are yellow and never all laid in the same spot. Just a guess. I have many of the orange flowering Milkweed plants. I'm in MI too.) Also, do they carry a native variety of milkweed? 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