Milkweeds (Butterfly Bush) seeding today - Save them and the Monarchs!
Baby G (USDA:10a, Sunset:21&23 SoCal-NE. Mt Washington, Lo-Chill: 200-400 Hrs, So
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
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macranthos
8 years ago
Wild Haired Mavens
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Plant Milkweed for Monarch Butterflies
Comments (7)There is a patch of anise or fennel weed that reseeds every year in the lot behind our house. It seems to attract butterfly habitat, but not sure about milkweed. However, about 5 years ago, we awoke one morning - and going outside, found ourselves in the midst of a huge Monarch migration. What a sight, they just kept on coming, and seemed to be from the ocean. It looked as though they were headed for a huge growth of wild mustard - down in the canyon behind our house. We have lived here over 30 years, and that was the first one we had seen. Fantastic! We see swallowtail, mourning cloaks, a few monarchs every year, but that migration was a once-in-a-lifetime event, I'm afraid. Bejay...See MoreButterfly Bush and Milkweed
Comments (12)bdriver71, i know a bit about ecology so i can answer your question. Bad for butteflies Where Butterfly bush has been proven to be very weedy in moist mild climates such is Ireland and is beginning to be felt more in the PNW, and possibly along the midatlantic coast. For the rest of the country it is not likely a threat. Here is proof right here- http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/buddleja_davidii.htm Butterfly bush is a Class B Noxious Weed in Oregon, is one of the top twenty weeds in Great Britain, and is a serious problem in New Zealand. _________________ Why 1 ) Butterfly bush can be bad for butterflies by displacing the host plant. It forms dense thickets, especially along river banks and river gravel bars, which crowd out native vegetation and may alter soil nutrient concentrations. A dense growth of BB in waste areas can crowd out host plants. Nectar, while important, is not as vital as a larva host plant. If a host plant is out competed by a weedy butterfly bush, it then harms, not helps. 2) Some recent papers in botany journals (not conservation journals) shows that butterfly bush is a superior competitor for pollinators - thatÂs why we grow it right? In wild areas, seed set of native plants was severely reduced as they were out-competed for pollinators. Seed set is a measure of fitness, and lower seed set means serious problems for plants, because the seeds are the next generation. ___________ "Well I have not seen it" - probably not, in most of the country it seems not to be a problem. Deadheading would be all that is needed. But the just because you have or have not seen it means nothing, scientifically. Ever seen how weight-loss commercials all have people on them claiming "I lost 10 pounds in 6 seconds blah blah blah" Personal testimony is not a substitute for science. Its convincing but it holds no real weight (pardon the pun) and thatÂs why diet infomercials use that because its convincing and they can avoid real things like facts and science. Because yeh, they may have lost 10 pounds in 6 seconds, but is that typical? What if only 1 in 10 had weight loss? Pick 50 people and there are the 5 cases for your infomercial. My point is, firsthand accounts cannot be assumed to be an accurate portrayal. I know the person across the street has some invasives but I have not seen their offspring around my area. Does that mean they cant and therefore wont? Can that same rule be true? What if the house down the street was spawning the weed in the back alley. I havenÂt seen it. If I donÂt see it its not happening, yes? No. All that said, I think a deadheading is all that is needed, and I admit I have a bush myself. Its not a problem in my area. It only seems to be a problem in very moist, moderate climates like Ireland, new Zealand and the PNW. Outside of those areas and perhaps the midatlantic, i do not foresee a problem...See MoreButterfly Weed vs. Tropical Milkweed
Comments (39)In our community gardens, a wide variety of milkweeds are offered to the Monarchs. Every year they are covered with cats during different times of the year. It's very common to find a chrysalis hanging from a garden border 2x6 or from horizontal vine supports or any number of different plant stems. It is extremely rare to find any of them on the host plants though, as the little cats seem to want to wander off to do their magic. I'm sure there are predations, but I've photographed any of the beautiful little encasinga and even had the privilege of watching the last instar unzip into the bright green chrysalis. Up until that point I wasn't sure exactly how it happened and it was amazing and surprisingly quick! It takes me a bit of searching to find them at this point because they are so well camouflaged....See Moretoo late to save butterfly bush seeds ?
Comments (8)Hi Rane, Today on my walk back from the mailbox I stopped to check and see if there were still seeds on my butterfly bush and there was! To collect the seed, I take an old white (recycled)business envelope out with me. I cut one small portion of a faded bloom at a time, holding the branch so it won't jump once I cut the tip off. I then shake the tiny little tan hair like seeds down into the envy, and then proceed with the next little snipped portion. When I'm done collecting, there is nothing but thousands of the tiny seeds in the envy, with no chaff whatsoever. I have several varieties of butterfly bushes, and on some the seed pods did not open for harvest until sometime in Dec. Good luck! Sue...See More
lgteacher
8 years ago
socks
8 years ago
Josue Diaz
8 years agosocks
8 years agoOK, here's the update. I took the dog out for an hour this morning. When I left, the caterpillar was hanging upside down in a "J" shape. When I returned he had gone into the pupa stage; it happened in one hour! I was astonished. It's a beautiful nearly iridescent green. Research tells me this phase takes 10 days. I took the paper off the top of the vase (which was there before to keep it from crawling out) and set the vase outside in the shade which seems the most natural environment for it.
mike (zone 9b San Francisco east bay)
8 years ago
Davis Milkweed native to western states. i need to plant more of them.Wild Haired Mavens
8 years agoWild Haired Mavens
8 years agosocks
8 years agolgteacher
8 years agolgteacher
8 years ago
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