Image: Milkweed Monarch Victor R Quintanilla-Blog
At our July 23, 2016 LLPOA annual meeting and picnic, LLPOA will call special attention to the Monarch butterfly, which is experiencing a serious decline due, in large part, to a lack of habitat. One thing you can do to help the Monarch is to plant - and do not mow or knock down - milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant that the Monarch butterfly lays its eggs on, and the only plant the caterpillar eats. Without milkweed, there can be no Monarch butterflies.
Plant at least ten individual milkweed plants in your garden or yard, if possible. Choose at least two different species. Conservationists recommend you include common milkweed since it is the Monarch’s preferred species of milkweed. It may grow into large clumps, but if there is room in your garden, please include it.
These are the native milkweed species that are recommended for this region: Common Milkweed; Swamp Milkweed; Butterfly Milkweed; Purple Milkweed; Prairie Milkweed; Whorled Milkweed and Poke Milkweed. Collect seeds from the pods or refer to www.xerces.org/milkweed-seed-finder for sources to buy other plants and seeds.