There were little lizards patrolling the milkweed daily. And where would I get those seeds?? And what other varieties would U suggest I plant in S.W. Protect these plants until after the seed has set and spread, and until after the chrysalises have hatched into adult Monarchs. In some years, I have had viable tropical milkweed for WEEKS after the monarchs have migrated. “There is such a thing as plant diversity and offering choices, more important than any one single plant.” I agree! As of now, I am unable to find native asclepsia californica seeds available, so I have planted asclepia curassavica. There is a monarch conservation group in Bermuda dedicated to conserving the monarch via planting more non-native tropical milkweed: http://bermudamonarch.org/index.html Here is the complete journal article about Bermuda’s monarchs: http://journals.fcla.edu/flaent/article/view/58527/56206. Re: OE – hard to believe it’s a problem in plants that are eaten to the bare stems twice a year. Tom, just to be clear, my comment has nothing to do with success or failure of the Monarch eggs collected or the potential for breeding changes. They’re not staying around for the milkweed and are obviously taking other cues to start their migration. Do they have a reasonable chance of surviving? so one think the question would actually be broached. I have all 4 varieties in our Minneapolis garden too. Last year I bought 3 milkweed plants. Milkweed is not a cause. Thank you. If I didn’t have Tropical Milkweed, I’d have NO milkweed. I’ve cut back several plants, and only one has flowers left on it. I have two questions: 1) I guess these seeds do not need the layering cooling technique described for other varieties?? Plus, the baby catz love the flowers produced my the Tropicals. He didn’t fumigate the side where garden is, but could some of it have reached the plants with the wind and made the cats sick? Why has this non-native become a staple in so many North American butterfly gardens? A few days later I had 2 monarchs to emerge. Hi Colleen, in places where tropical milkweed grows year round more precautions should be taken to decrease potential spread of disease and to encourage the fall migration. Danaus erippus, the southern monarch, evolved with tropical milkweed. By raising them indoors, you can potentially raise their survival rate from under 5%….to over 95%! He also specializes in natives that will tolerate shade. But, for 5 years… there have been NO issues. Even then, Johnson says, it takes a long time for a native milkweed to develop into a large enough and mature enough plant to sustain monarch caterpillars and rebound from their exfoliation. I’m not sure what you can do to stop them besides spreading milkweed patches around your garden so some go undetected or bring in a few to raise indoors: I have a hearty patch of Tropical Mikkweed in my yard in Houston. Confined habitat can concentrate spores but this still has nothing to do with ASCLEPIAS CURASSAVICA and is caused by confinement or lack of milkweed on the whole. 2. I had pentilas growing along the entire side of my home and we got beautiful butterflies, my grand kids really enjoyed them. Thanks for your insights Mary! I’m making the fourth attempt with seeds kept indoors, and so far, so good. I live in north central florida, when should tropical milkweed be cut back? Instead, water the plants to ensure that they are able to tolerate the aphid feeding. Some of your readers do not come away with this basic understanding and think the plant is a cause. Raise the caterpillars on live plants. I have remained steadfast in my scientifically based approach to “growing the herd” by following all the steps that you outline. You can overwinter plants indoors, and you can take stem cuttings now, in the winter or early spring. To grow and sustain each gen… I do not understand why so many are concerned that milkweed is available AFTER mating & egg laying. Monarch’s appear to prefer the tropical over the local Common by a 4:1 margin measured by where I find the eggs and caterpillars. This milkweed species may be bad news for monarch butterflies, (Jane Breckinridge / The Associated Press), (Roger Sanderson / Texas Discovery Gardens), Federal appeals court agrees that Dallas County’s bail system denied poor defendants equal rights, Texas leaders’ plea for COVID-19 vaccines to be used quickly adds to big confusion over rollout rules, FAA temporarily halts flights at DFW and Dallas Love Field due to COVID-19 case at regional control center, COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to shatter records in Dallas County, What you need to know about coronavirus, plus a map of every case in Texas. How can one know if a small caterpillar is just lost and hungry and needs a helping hand, or if he’s just a small dude on his way to becoming a small butterfly and we should leave him the heck alone? Hi Randy, OE would be a potential issue for your Calotropis species too, because it’s a continuous growing plant in a continuous growing region…I have not seen the ‘white’ monarchs personally, but have seen photos. This is not some miracle plant, however. Tony, I Live in zone 7b and maintain a school yard butterfly garden. I mean, they’re not embedded, they’re not glued on with superglue, and they’re not kryptonite, right? This can be a somewhat noxious weed here in the SF bay area, even with the climate being essentially the opposite of what the plant would naturally experience. New evidence identifies 64 pesticide residues in milkweed, the main food for monarch butterflies in the west. From your information and others, I believe we should start to cut back the milkweed (or bring indoors) after that “initial fall migration” so that “late in the season egg laying” would not occur on our plant? What other varieties are recommended for the Houston area? When making changes to your process, change one thing at a time, so you can be sure of what’s affecting your success. Has anyone else seen very mature caterpillars feeding upon green milkweed pods and causing them to split? I have moved to southern Florida where I luckily have wild milkweed on the property. Building walls, indeed…. Hope you can help me. The tropical are doing fantastic. 2016 UPDATE: we still plant tropical milkweed containers, but we only take stem cuttings for raising indoors because they are easier to clean and keep predator-free. In southern California where I live, it is the variety of milkweed that is available at my local native plant nursery. I’m reading many articles on the potential problems with tropical milkweed. Richard Brownlee. “Tropical milkweed itself is not ‘bad.’ (It provides larval food for Monarchs in many places where it occurs naturally, such as across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal) that diapausing migratory monarch populations have thrived for 50-100+ years solely on tropical milkweed alone. And that is their choice…, Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Tony. At this point I 90-95% make it from egg to BF. And I'll tip the root ball out of the pot to check it, too. This is the reason Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), an introduced species native to Mexico, is developing a bad reputation among monarch biologists and conservation organizations. If milkweed leaves get infested with bugs or start looking diseased I would cut back those parts of the plant and discard them. Almost every report I receive from gardeners is that tuberosa is one of the worst host plants for monarch eggs. OR — he could be lost and starving and can’t find his way back to the milkweed leaves. Science indeed can only disprove hypotheses. We ask that before unsupported speculation further disrupts public opinion about milkweeed and the planting of NATIVE ASCLEPIAS CURASSAVICA that writers show real evidence, not just pose question and other’s actions. Eggs were laid on both types of plants. I am letting you know all of this information because I also wish for you to know that I also use the non-native milkweed to promote large numbers of monarchs. The goal isn’t to be OE free, but to greatly reduce the number of spores so that your milkweed supply can support healthy butterflies. Native milkweed is usually done blooming, at least for the most part at this time, so adults are most likely not landing on spore infected plants. I’m not sure how large the patch is, but something like this is an option to consider: plant cage protector. My yard is a testimonial to native landscaping. Thanks for your story. OE is spread by the deposition of spores from the butterfly typically attached to the egg not by the plant itself. ANY surviving milkweed plants in those regions will have a build up of OE spores (almost ALL butterflies in your region have OE). When and where can I get a coronavirus vaccine in Texas? . But once on the internet these ideas have a life of their own and seem to grow with time. Hi Danae, if you want to establish a garden outside, I would suggest a minimum of 6 plants to a patch…one monarch can eat an entire plant over a 2 week period. They love it! A Few Bad Milkweeds I successfully raised and released over 300 monarchs. Asclepias curassavica thrives as a potted plant. Some people just want to focus on problems and worst case scenarios. We went to the event the sanctuary had mid February to say good bye to the migrating Monarchs, but most were already gone and there were so few to start with, there were barely any left. “Milkweed hurting the monarchs” is just as wrong and confusing to people as using whorled milkweed as a supposed threat to horses and cattle to eradicate all milkweeds for all reasons. To a breeder of Monarchs this is obvious as the larger monarchs at the end of each season do not mate even with ideal habitat full of ASCLEPIAS CURASSAVICA. When do you recommend cutting milkweed back in the fall? I find this subject very interesting and worth more study. Hi Barbara, lethargic and spitting green liquid is a symptom of pesticide exposure.You might want to cut back your milkweed plants to about 12″ and let healthy new growth emerge. I try not to stoop to name-calling and I think I do a pretty good job. Misconception: Tropical milkweed is bad for monarchs and must be removed completely While non-native tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is not inherently bad for monarchs if managed appropriately, it is recommended that, when possible, native milkweeds be used in plantings. Is O.E. I have seen many caterpillars but never a pupa. I live in San Antonio Texas and have been growing tropical milkweed in my part sun/part shade garden for several years. Tropical milkweed is not native to the U.S. but is sold by many plant nurseries and is frequently planted in gardens. You can always cut back tropical milkweed you bring indoors and let fresh growth emerge over winter. Keep in mind, monarchs that were tagged in California have been recovered in Mexico, disproving the theory that all western monarchs migrate to coastal California. If your plants were eaten to the ground, healthy new growth should emerge for the next monarchs to start their life cycle. Absolutely not…but I think it’s a solution that more people are open to hearing since they’re not being told what to do and judged for it when they don’t comply. Any new insight into using Tropical Milkweed in Hawaii? Today I saw a very large caterpillar eating a hole in a green milkweed seedpod. It is the hands down favorite of Monarchs and they can transfer to it from any other milkweed types successfully. Your entire article is filled with hatred & name calling. (Banning things is pretty much what this state does best) I shutter to think how this would take over in the south-east or other more tropical climates… And yeah, the plant won’t die back or have any cession of the bloom cycle in these more mild/southern climates, which I believe is where the major concern lies. The vast majority made it to eclosion and all of them were large, strong and gorgeous specimens. I haven’t noticed any apparent disease issues with monarchs since I started overwintering tropical milkweed. Yes, many eggs were laid per plant, yes the caterpillars devoured the plants, loved it. I recommend raising from egg, using cuttings (which is recommended in my book), and thoroughly rinsing all milkweed before serving. This year was my latest sighting for the Monarch and a couple were observed on Oct. 26 nectaring on crownbeard. Monarchs flooded my garden the day I planted in May. I think our success this year was because of A currvassica. The last ones are probably strong and must need a very strong instinct to get them to mexico, that is if they are some of the ones that do. However, I am wondering, is it possible that I would perpetuate any OE that might be on my tropical mw on the cuttings or plants that I bring in to overwinter? It is difficult to know where to start when responding to this article. People need to work together to save the Monarch. There’s a plethora autumn blooming flowers that attract Monarchs & many other butterfly species: asters (like New England, New York…), goldenrods, sunflowers, coneflowers, Autumn Joy sedum…. I’ve got only one tropical milkweed and I live in Florida. He says Monarchs instinctively switch preference to the tropical milkweed when they are infected with Oe, because it is higher in cardenolide concentrations, means greater sequestration, reducing the spore load in the larvae. After a few successful meals, predators learn there is no reason to avoid feasting on monarch larvae. When they emerge from their chrysalises, according to an article in Science magazine, they are covered in OE spores. The clusters were so small, with a few flying around. Hi Margaret, this is not a milkweed issue…it’s a lizard issue. I am an avid gardener, have a yard of primarily native plants (am trying to do the right thing for the environment). This year I released over 300 monarchs, and my neighbor released over 100. I don’t want the bugs to starve, but I don’t want them to keep breeding either. You’re looking for a lull after a flurry of activity, but these times aren’t always obvious. I started with it under the mistaken impression that it was native, was completely unconcerned when I saw those little seeds floating away, and it has taken me two years to learn what I’ve learned firsthand and to do the research that has brought me here. Please help. Hi Lani, what and amazing first season raising 300 monarchs! Other dangers? I live in the Antelope Valley in California. Hi Lara, tropical milkweed actually has higher cardenolides than most other milkweed species so it is more toxic. THIS IS NOT THE CASE – WRONG. Good luck with your garden! We capture the seeds and let the pods dry out over the winter. The bed is backed by a chain link fence covered with morning glory and passion vine so perhaps they are just well hidden. Merely an appeal to the researcher ‘s authority, which is a logical fallacy, not science. Or, if they are, something is eating the blossoms. They seem to really like it, and it is the only plant we have that I’ve found eggs and caterpillars on. The migration should be peaking in your region: Had over 30 monarch chrysalis last December here in louisiana. I have no idea about OE/spores/migration, but I know from direct experience that potted tropical milkweed is A MONARCH KILLER. If you’d like to reach your raising potential, check out my updated monarch raising guide where I share personal raising tips and techniques that allow us to consistently raise monarchs with a 95% survival rate: Raise More Monarchs with Less Effort and At Least a 90% Survival Rate. Is it possible that the plant could be infected systemically? And you yourself were more annoying and insulting than the author could EVER hope to be. I want to mention that I did have a fumigator come and do the yard. I’m wondering if some caterpillars have started pupating within milkweed seedpods in order to be protected from predators. It is heart breaking and why I will do whatever I can to help. The winner is the Asclepias incarnata, common name: Swamp milkweed I am not sure what migration they are talking about along the southern california coast. Where did they go? I just started raising butterflies and am still learning. There is a bigger picture here and it almost seems like this article and some commenters are advocating tropical milkweed as an the option to support Monarchs, almost defensively. I say go ahead and plant your tropical milkweed, but more importantly work to alter the roadside mowing in your local area to protect existing stands of wild milkweed. I would like to have milkweed plants for Monarch butterflies. Milkweed contains toxins called cardenolides. The cats seem plump and healthy. Click to see full answer Also question is, which milkweed is bad for monarchs? I wholeheartedly agree that native plants are the cornerstone to a successful garden, but that some non-native plants can also be very helpful in our common struggle to support monarchs and other beneficial pollinators. Here’s more info on overwintering plants and tropical stem cuttings. In turn, the toxic chemicals contained in the sap of milkweed plants make both the caterpillars and adult butterflies unappetizing to predators. I have spent a lot of money purchasing native milkweeds from online sites and local plant sales. Most importantly, Pokeweed is NOT a food source for Monarchs but Poke Milkweed IS. I could not help but notice the many monarch butterflies fluttering among the still-green stalks. Instead all we read are nebulous complaints and ad hominens about “purists” (a dog-whistle word intended to describe, not purity but a busy-body who is dogmatic about a subject – which ironically is what you, the author of this article is). I hadn’t visited in quite awhile so my last visit a couple years ago was a shock. What has always bothered me about the tropical milkweed issue, is that none of the potential solutions are discussed. Later in the day that milkweed pod had split and the caterpillar had disappeared. I will not buy another milkweed plant unless it has an established root system in a larger pot. Eventually the natives were eaten back and have not recovered. When my last two monarchs emerged in December, there was nothing blooming. I fear my experience my support the tropical milkweed “nay-sayers” I don’t want that. Skepticism over scientific results is healthy and essential to the process. I don’t know why tuberosa has been called the “worst host plant”. Hi Michele, up north I have noticed that the younger plants always look healthier. I told the ranger that I was raising milkweed in my garden, she thanked me, with a very sad look in her eyes, it is very desperate now. Then why do the monarchs ever even bother leaving Mexico? And, as you point out, there are even potential benefits for improved monarch health with tropical milkweed. Was this because predators somehow knew they were more poisonous? Since we’re playing seniority cards, I’ll toss in mine. As of now I have 20 chrysalis and 20 caterpillars close to pupating. Evolution has devised its plan over millions of years and we are possibly interrupting it in just a few. The way I see it, tropical milkweed re-growers are putting adults that are spore free & migrating south at risk of becoming infected by luring them to one’s newly re-bloomed milkweed, not guaranteed to be “clean”. I have raised monarchs for over 30 years. It is used as a host plant by monarchs (and other milkweed-associated butterflies) both where it has been introduced in the States and where it naturally occurs beyond U.S. borders. Hello! I have seen at least 10 split green milkweed seedpods. They even started trying to position it as monarch enemy #1a, right along side the ultra-controversial buddleia davidii (butterfly bush)…but that’s a post for another day. I have no technical expertise on Monarch’s physiology beyond a basic knowledge Last year was excellent, and during their migration south for a period of several days I had an amazing abundance of dozens of Monarchs feeding on my flowering plants. The female butterflies should not have been busily depositing eggs on the leaves' undersides. I had one plant right outside our toy room window, my grandson got to see hummingbirds just inches from him, on the other side of the window. Among them, 5-foot-tall Mexican milkweed plants bordered the driveway near the front door. Go Figure. Milkweed is the only plant that Monarch caterpillars eat. Hi Jane, congratulations on your late season monarchs! but then….. I kept thinking I would do it and propagate the cuttings. Once your season slows down is a good time to cut back plants. The female monarch knows if there is enough milkweed present at any one site to sustain her larvae. D. erippus learned how to deal with tropical milkweed. Too many native-only gardeners are trying to push ultimatums that just aren’t necessary. I want to grow milkweed plants to attact the monarch and other butterflies. Thank you in advance. [During monarch migration] flight is fueled by nectaring on the flowers and is punctuated by laying eggs on milkweeds. When you say our tropical milkweed plants should be cut to the ground do you mean that literally or maybe leave 3 or 4 nodes above ground and be certain to remove all leaves? Ok I think that’s it. Many thanks to you for this site and all those who share their knowledge and enthusiasm.:). I’ve not noticed any difference in cut or potted plants and both the swamp and tropical are easy to pot up for placing indoors but need to be rinsed and inspected for tiny predators (spiders and ants). I also have a large population of small lizards. I ordered some other milkweed seeds to give them a go, but I’ve been told not to expect much success. They hide them pretty well, but keep in mind, less than 5% survive outdoors mostly due to predation…. I can’t argue that tropical lasting longer than the Common is a benefit if the Monarchs artificially wait around longer. I have raised monarchs since 1969. I keep up with my tropical milkweed, keep it cut back, and I use a mild bleach solution on the leaves I feed the cats (when I briefly stopped cleaning them with bleach, a large majority of my monarchs eclosed with deformities). The milkweed in my yard in SE Georgia is entirely tropical milkweed. We have quite a few of these bugs. It seems like the best option at this point, to provide them with the best chance possible) Are there other “1st grade student approved” options? May 15, 2017. I searched for help in starting my Monarch waystation. Which milkweeds to grow I have a friend who wants to “Johnny Appleseed” the milkweed to “help” the Monarchs, which – with all I have learned about OE – is a terrifying plan, one that she will hopefully decide against. I appreciate your insight and I sure hope you are right! Zone 9b. The larvae then feed on the leaves after hatching, but cause no permanent damage to the plant. They spread from adult butterflies to caterpillars by being shed near or on eggs and being ingested by the caterpillars. I do actually have a question, though (climbing down from my podium, here). Master Gardeners tell us to cut down our milkweed in October – up til now, not for OE, but to encourage migration. So, the Monarchs seem to be noting the time of day is changing and heading out. I started heart leaf milkweeds, they are hard to start, my one plant is small, it is nice and it will if it survives it will be a beautiful plant. for several years, with much success. Now, during the migration, a constant stream of monarchs and hummingbirds are visiting the flowers on the A. curassavica. She clung to that walking up and down the string to take sips of the nectar. I should take notes so I can share real info on conditions and effects. You might try swamp milkweed if your region get’s lots of rain…it’s a popular nectar flower and host plant. Just today I cut back to about 12 inches but was reluctant to cut further as I still have at least a 5 or 6 ts on my 8 or 10 plants. Important if your other varieties run out. If they’re large and plump I assume it’s their time and they’re starting the chrystalization process. Dead flower heads of goldenrods, asters, coneflower…supply food for seed eating birds during winter. Could you please steer me towards info on the Monarchs ?? Thanks. The research is definitely “lite” but makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. If you’re going to compare tropical to another milkweed, compare it properly. We have a few of those white nylon mesh butterfly habitats (the Caterpillar Castle) and sometimes the milkweed leaves or branches touch the mesh walls of the enclosure and the caterpillars just climb up the branch … and then keep on climbing. I would like to cite it for a report. I will focus more on growing plants that will flower at a time when monarchs need a good meal for the next leg of their long journey south, such as pentas, zinnias, goldenrod and asters. Others stagger their cuttings so there will always be some milkweed available in case of an emergency. Freaked me out. Monarchs that ate native milkweed had comparable survival rates at both current and higher temperatures. Johnson grows several native milkweed species as a business opportunity and a calling. Spraying the plants would be detrimental to the caterpillars. Media Marketing/Shutterstock A monarch butterfly lands on a swamp milkweed plant. Uninterrupted fall migration is a way for monarchs to leave the contaminated milkweeds behind without infecting future generations. Please give me some tips on HOW to bring it in during the winter. It is Tall White Aster, Symphyotrichum lanceolatum , and the good news is, it is actually what the Monarchs need more at certain times of the year than Asclepias. Now that they have moved on, my plants have re-flowered, and hopefully have been pollinated. Monarchs favor a variety of milkweeds, and in fact, with variety they’ll lay more eggs. The a. Curassavica was represented to me as native. The most recent article about the monarch butterfly in the New York Times has once again raised the question of whether we should be planting non-native milkweed. Milkweed plants are the monarch butterfly’s only host plant. They don’t jump onto adult butterflies. A scientific name is made up of two words. And I don’t stop at Monarchs, I have been raising Gulf Fritillaries on my passionflowers and Painted ladies on my malvas. Monarch butterfly caterpillar on milkweed, its host plant. I found lots of input. However, there needs to be research to discover whether there are migratory monarchs from your region, and how many. The Tropical does last a longer than the Common but I think that is nature’s way of telling the Monarchs to move on. Since then the plants have frozen and our season is over. Everything has been hypothesized that is just a question without an answer or may still be wrong. Am I correct in thinking that OE is only on the surface of the plant? More than any other, the caterpillars of Monarch butterflies are most closely associated with eating milkweed–anything in the Asclepias family. 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