Milkweed

Butterfly Milkweed

This common plant has received a great deal of press in the last few years and landowners are now being encouraged to plant it in their gardens. The name milkweed comes from the fact that white sap is exuded from the plant when broken. Silkweed is another local name and refers to the fluffy down attached to each seed. Because this silk is buoyant, it was used in life preservers and air force clothing during World War II. Milkweed offers a great deal of nectar to a number of different insects which it advertises by its sweet scent. However, it is most famous as a food source for the larvae of the Monarch butterfly. This insect feeds exclusively on milkweeds making it an important plant for the survival of the species. The foliage is very bitter and the caterpillars can incorporate these bitter chemicals into their body, thereby making them less tasty to their predators. If you would like to plant milkweed to help with the conservation effort of this species there are three common species that are suitable for gardens. Most often seen growing in open fields is the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) but also popular in a garden environment are butterfly milkweed (A. tuberosa) which has orange flowers and the swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) that grows in a garden situation if the soil doesn’t get too dry.

By Brenda Gallagher