Common Milkweed for Her
Oh! I have to go catch some seeds right now. I might already be too late...
The realization hit me suddenly. So I walked along the dam by the pond. Most of the pods had already split down a long seam, and seeds were flying out across the water. But I was in time. I cut off a few pods and dropped them into my bag. I didn’t need many, as there’s 100 seeds or more in every pod.
The air was restless, and some of the seeds pulled themselves out of their pods and sailed off across the pond while I watched. Each Common Milkweed seed has its own white parachute. Wind takes it where it will and drops it at its whim.
In the US, there are over 100 native species of milkweed. The easiest one to find is Common Milkweed. It grows on its own in the wild. It propagates both by seeds and from the root. It can spread into a big patch. For a tidy garden, it could be a bit much. It’s not #1 on most flower gardeners’ want lists.
But in a prairie or grassy field, along a path, or anywhere that the needs of wildlife count for something, it’s a treasure. I’m not collecting seeds for a garden that is merely decorative. I’m working for butterflies and other insects that depend on the nectar of milkweeds.
Great Spangled Fritillaries, for one. This gorgeous butterfly lives on the nectar of flowers, including milkweed. Milkweed gives lots and lots of nectar. While in bloom it is a magic cup that refills after every sip is taken.
Milkweed flowers are always busy with bees. Also hoverflies, skippers, sphinx moths, and predatory wasps.
But milkweeds have a special deal with Monarch butterflies. Monarch caterpillars can’t eat anything except milkweed leaves. If a Monarch mother laid an egg on a plant that was not a milkweed, the egg would hatch, but the caterpillar would starve to death. To the caterpillar, it’s simply not food.
But a female Monarch is careful. She almost never makes the mistake of laying an egg on a something other than a milkweed. Monarch eggs are very tiny. You’d never find one unless you were specifically looking for it. Looking closely.
Yep, that little white dot on the Common Milkweed leaf is an egg laid there by a Monarch butterfly. A natural adhesive keeps it stuck to the leaf even during rain and winds. When the egg hatches, the microscopic caterpillar will have the right food available instantly.
Until a few years ago, in my home state of Iowa and across North America, Common Milkweeds were dense as stars in the Milky Way. That was great for a female Monarch butterfly.
The abundance of Common Milkweed was was great for people, too. The blossoms are lovely, the fragrance heavenly. And seeing Monarch butterflies was a joyous part of every summer day.
You know what happened. As the most prolific of the milkweeds, Common Milkweed has been called a nuisance. In town, people pulled them out of gardens. It is ill tolerated in agricultural fields.
Unfortunately, we have done too good a job getting rid of wild milkweed. As a result, the population of Monarch butterflies has declined. A lot.
There is some good news in this story, though. In the last few years, many people, including farmers who love wildlife, have woke up to the disappearing Monarchs. We’re starting to realize how much we need milkweeds. Lots of people are planting them now, in wildflower gardens and along roadsides, giving them a chance to resurrect themselves and rescue Monarch butterflies at the same time. Many folks even plant them in flower gardens!
Every year I a few collect Common Milkweed pods and save the seeds. They’re the easiest of all the milkweeds to grow. In fact, they take care of themselves, without watering or fertilizing, so I always plant some on my land.
I want a female Monarch who flies by to find a place to lay her eggs. I’m doing this for her.
I usually have enough seeds to give some away to people who have space they want to share with the wild. All blessings on Monarch butterflies, on Common Milkweeds, and on people who try to give nature a helping hand.
Such lovely words AND photos Diane. I’m so happy I have some of those magic seeds in our garden, thanks to you!
i adore milkweed. thanks for telling about The Common Milkweed glories, and the photos - that microscopic view of egg. my favorite was you with the live butterfly pin.