While weeding my way through the garden I discovered monarch caterpillars, yay and yipee! Despite my repeated planting of Asclepias curassavica or the Mexican milkweed, I had not a one monarch baby last year, this year there's scads.
What this means is a cease and desist on any more weeding to protect larvae that have moved onto the chrysalis stage. From this generation, the fourth and last one to mature (in September), we will have the monarchs that fly to Mexico as adults and live over winter. Fortunately the Mexican milkweed will seed and volunteer itself, a good thing because I suspect that I will need every leaf to feed these hungry hoards.
What color bloom does this specific milkweed have? I don't think I have the correct one. Mine blooms yellow.
Posted by: Joy B Llewallyn | 08/27/2014 at 04:53 PM
there are lots of milkweeds and any will do but the Mexican species blooms yellow with orange/red and flowers all summer. For that reason I find it's the best because the female will come for nectar and lay her eggs too. Asclepias tuberosa flowers yellow and it's hardier.
Posted by: karen | 08/27/2014 at 04:57 PM
Cool...I was just reading in news today that a couple of groups want it added to list of threatened species.
Posted by: leslie | 08/27/2014 at 06:58 PM
And I believe it, I have only seen 8 this year. Last year I saw 27, most of them in the fall.
Posted by: karen | 08/27/2014 at 08:46 PM
I've seen one monarch butterfly lately, and one or two earlier in the season. I hope the early one visited the pink blooms and laid eggs, but there are still no caterpillars on any of my 75 3-6' asclepias. No need for your crew to go wanting if they devour all your leaves--I'll happily send you home with milkweed leaves and welcome any caterpillars who'd like a foster home with an endless food supply.
Posted by: Enid Adams | 08/28/2014 at 01:59 PM
Hopefully you will see some action yet. Thank-you for the offer, we shall see.
Posted by: karen | 08/28/2014 at 02:30 PM