A lovely monarch butterfly, flitting around a Mexican milkweed plant, is probably doing more than seeking nectar from the tiny and brilliant orange flowers. Chances are she’s laying eggs.
There are about 140 species of milkweed. All are native to the Americas and all are food sources for the monarch caterpillar. The plant also provides food for the striated queen butterfly and to the soldier butterfly, also known as the tropical queen butterfly.
Milkweed has many shapes and forms, but perhaps the most well-known species is Asclepias tuberosa, also known as butterfly weed, orange milkweed or Mexican milkweed.
A showy plant, butterfly weed sports orange or yellowish orange flower clusters which extend two to five inches above the end of stems. Long, dark green leaves make the blossoms even more showy.
The plant may grow to three feet tall. Milkweed is a herbaceous perennial so all above-ground parts of the plant may die back during the winter. Milkweed can be propagated by seeds, cuttings or from divided rhizomes. Irrigating seedlings and plants during the first year after planting will improve survival chances. After the first year, the plant should have established a root system capable of helping it survive.
Sow milkweed seeds during the late fall for spring blooms, or plant seedlings after danger of frost has passed.
Divide and plant rhizomes during mid- to late fall
Milkweed will bloom throughout the later spring, summer and early fall, providing food sources to several generations of butterflies.
The plant does well in sun or partial shade. It’s very versatile, growing in moist or dry conditions, tolerating drought very well. Milkweed thrives best in well-drained soils.
Aphids seem to love milkweed. They in turn make great food for ladybugs. Ladybugs, with their brilliant red colorings, are striking against the dark green foliage.
Asclepias tuberose is native to almost all of North America, including most of the contiguous 48 states, most of the Canadian provinces and to Mexico.
The plant grows naturally in prairies, open woodlands, on hillsides and even on roadsides.
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexipus) require milkweed to complete their life cycle. An adult female monarch lays an egg on a milkweed plant, usually in March and April. In about four days, the eggs hatch into a caterpillar. The caterpillar becomes fully grown in about two weeks. It then attaches itself to a stem or leaf , turning into a chrysalis. After about 10 days, a monarch butterfly will emerge from the chrysalis. The mature butterfly will then fly away, sip nectar from the butterfly weed and from other plant flowers. It will live for about two weeks, during which time the female will lay eggs on milkweed. Then the process begins all over again.
In the fourth generation, which occurs in September and October, monarch butterflies make their well-known migration to Mexico, overwintering there before flying back to begin their life cycle again.
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