Discover why milkweed is essential for the survival of monarch butterflies. Learn how planting different milkweed species can help support monarch populations.

2017年2月17日 · You’ve probably heard that you should plant milkweed to save the monarch butterflies. But many people make this one common mistake when they buy milkweed plants for their garden—and inadvertently do more harm than good.

2022年6月6日 · Monarch butterflies have a symbiotic relationship with milkweed: their larvae eat the leaves, giving them lifelong toxicity to predators, and in return, the adult butterflies pollinate the milkweed. Though milkweed is the only recognized host plant of monarch caterpillars, adult monarchs enjoy nectaring from a variety of different flowers.

Not all milkweeds are created equal when it comes to species of the native flowering plants that monarch butterflies prefer most. That’s the conclusion of a team of Agricultural Research Service ( ARS ) and university scientists who monitored the egg …

Milkweed and monarch butterflies have an intrinsic connection. Learn the benefits of growing milkweed and about several varieties that you might grow in your garden.

2024年9月13日 · Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a native herbaceous perennial that appeals to butterflies—especially the monarch butterfly. Asclepias is the only plant family that serves as the host plant for monarch butterfly egg-laying.

2015年2月27日 · Monarch butterflies rely on milkweed plants for survival. Meet 12 of the most showy native milkweeds that you can add to your garden.

2023年3月20日 · Monarch butterflies only lay eggs on milkweed and monarch caterpillars only feed on milkweed leaves. The key to this specialized relationship is found in the milky latex produced by the plant, which contains compounds called cardiac glycosides that are poisonous to most other animals.

2024年1月9日 · Growing milkweed is the most effective way to help because it is the only plant that sustains a monarch through each of its life stages. It also produces a chemical that makes monarchs toxic and bitter-tasting to some of their predators.

2024年9月27日 · As the only plant monarch caterpillars (Dannaus plexipips) live and feed upon, milkweeds are critical for the keystone monarch butterfly’s survival – but they also support scores of pollinators and beneficial insects, including bees, other butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds.