Consequently only 5 per cent of the next monarch generation makes it to adulthood, falling prey to spiders, stink bugs, wasps and other insects. One mouse variety in Mexico has also learned to deal with the toxins and eats monarchs. But milkweed populations have been dwindling. For many years, the planting of milkweed has been discour-


aged by farmers for fear that it might contaminate hayfields. While it is true that milkweed is toxic to livestock such as cows, horses and sheep, it needs to be ingested in very large quantities (about 10 percent of the animal’s body weight) to be dangerous. Nevertheless, milkweed has been declared a noxious weed


in many parts of the country and this also contributes to the decline of the plant. Interestingly, the government of Ontario, heeding reports of the harm a lack of milkweed is doing the monarch, announced in March 2014, that it would remove milkweed from its noxious weeds list. Like all good weeds, some milkweeds spread by underground


rhizomes, so milkweed planters should check the variety for invasiveness. If you are not sure, you may prefer to house it in containers unless there is a nice big area where it can roam free of constraint. Milkweed is a lovely plant when in flower.


Asclepias syriaca, common milkweed often found growing


wild, has very attractive clusters of pink flowers. The plant is large – it can grow as tall as six feet, with leaves that are four to 10 inches long. Native to Canada from Saskatchewan to the east coast, A. syriaca can be invasive. It has a heavy, cloying scent which may seem overpowering to us but is loved by pollinators.


Oh so useful milkweed


that it may have earned due to the wandering nature of some of the native species. Many species, however, make beautiful garden plants and offer a classroom for children interested in nature and watching the monarch caterpillars. But truth to be told, milkweed has many virtues.


T


Although labelled toxic, the young parts of the plant are not only edible, but are deliciously so. The toxins are readily broken down in water. Milkweed shoots, boiled, taste like a cross between


asparagus and beans, but better. Milkweed flower buds can be cooked and eaten like broccoli. Young milkweed seed pods can be used as a filler and taste a little like cheese when cooked. Milkweed floss from mature seed pods has proper-


ties similar to those of goose down. Even better, it is hypo allergenic. It was used to stuff jackets during World War II. In pioneer days, it was collected to be used in beds and pillows. The fibrous stems were used to make cords for a multiplicity of uses. The oil from milkweed can be readily converted to


cinnamic acid, a very good sunscreen at low concen- trations of one to five percent – and it contains natu- ral anti-oxidants. Numerous tests and studies have been done on converting milkweed oil into bio-fuel, although so far the economics don’t work. Other research has been conducted on using milk-


weed to make paper and textiles. The latex was seri- ously experimented with in 1943 to make low grade rubber at a plant in Michigan. Synthetic processes nipped this experiment in the bud, however.


www.localgardener.net


he milkweed is an extremely useful and beautiful plant in spite of its designation as a ‘weed’, a term


tion, where they need to store up reserves of fat before heading south. Some of the plants favoured by the butterflies


L include:


• Arabis • Asters • Bee-balm • Black-eyed Susan • Butterfly weed • Candytuft • Cardinal flower • Catmint • Chrysanthemum • Columbine • Cosmos • Dandelion • Daylilies • Gaillardia


• Goldenrod • Grey-headed coneflower • Honeysuckle • Joe Pye weed • Mint • Ox eye daisies • Purple coneflower • Red clover • Scabiosa • Sedum spectabile • Verbena • Yarrow • Zinnias


Notice that many of these flowers are native plants.


The glamorous hybrid hothouse bedding plants don’t offer much nectar. Monarchs also enjoy visiting lilacs, sumac and flowering viburnums. You can put out overripe, mushy bananas, oranges,


kiwi and bits of watermelon to provide a dining table for the butterflies. Plant flowers such as sedum and zinnias bloom that


late in the year. This is important for the last genera- tion of butterflies, providing a rich source of nectar so they can build up a good storage of fat to begin their migratory journey back to Mexico.


Early Spring 2014 • 19


Whether you plant monarch friendly plants or just leave out some overripe fruit, you can help the monarchs fuel up for their long migration.


Feeding the healthy adult monarch


ike hummingbirds, monarchs need a lot of fuel of keep going, especially during the fall migra-


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