TheMondayGarden.com

From "The Monday Garden" July 20, 2003, issue 69



This issue has been updated and replaced by Issue 167. I hope you enjoy the expanded article

Sue

©Susan W. Sweeney 2002, 2003

The Monday Garden, Eco-gardening at its best

June 5, 2005, Issue 167

How about contributing to the monarch butterfly survival fund? It’s easy: plant a milkweed today.

To grow our native milkweeds, you need at least half-day sun. Also, many varieties prefer their roots a bit damp. What's in it for you? Dramatic flowers, interesting foliage, great seedpods, and nectar-seeking butterflies. If you're really lucky, you'll also be delighted by holes in the leaves and ragged edges, the sure-fire sign of baby monarchs. Look for fat caterpillars resembling tiny, horned tigers.

Picture: Common milkweed in part-shade in my mother’s garden. The first plant probably came from a wind-borne seed but in the garden, it spreads by underground runners. I half-heartedly tried to pull it up once or twice but it wanted to stay, so I’ve been leaving it alone. No bugs yet but perhaps we’ll get lucky this year. Design-wise, I think the height, shape, and foliage make it a useful contrast plant.

The curious thing about milkweed is not that monarchs are crazy about it and won't eat anything else; it's that practically no one else can stand it.