SafePlants

Milkweed: A Vital Plant for Monarch Butterflies and More

Milkweed, belonging to the genus Asclepias, is a crucial plant, especially noted for its relationship with Monarch butterflies. This plant plays a critical role in the monarch's life cycle.

Considerations for Pets

• The text mentions that milkweed is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

Considerations for Children

• Milkweed contains milkweed fibers.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Asclepias L.
• Common Name: Milkweed
• Family: Asclepiadaceae
• Milkweed is a genus of herbaceous perennial, dicotyledonous plants.

Distribution and Habitat

• Milkweed is native to North America.
• Common milkweed is found in the eastern half of the United States.
• It grows well in disturbed areas such as roadsides, pastures, and along railroad tracks and bike paths.
• Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) is commonly found in swamps and river bottomlands in Mississippi.

Ecological Role

• Milkweed is essential for monarch butterfly caterpillars (Danaus plexippus), which feed exclusively on it.
• It supports a diversity of insects, including Milkweed Bugs and Milkweed Leaf Beetles.
• The loss of milkweed, particularly in agricultural fields in the Midwest, contributes to the decline of monarch butterflies.
• Aphids can often be found on milkweed plants.

Morphological Characteristics

• Milkweed stems are collected after the stalks senesce in late fall-early winter.
• Most associate milkweed with the large, elongated tear-drop shaped seed pods that the plant produces during late summer.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Monarch larvae feed exclusively on milkweeds.
• Aphids are often found on milkweed plants, damaging them by feeding on new shoots, stems, buds, and leaves.
• Milkweed also acts as a nectar source for a variety of butterflies.

Resources and Further Information

• MONARCH JOINT VENTURE
• Live Monarch
• Milkweed Seed Finder
• The Old Farmer's Almanac
• Ontario Wildflowers (Photos and description of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca))
• The Milkweed Project The Nature Center
• The St. Louis Butterfly Project. Milkweeds for Monarchs.
• The David Suzuki Foundation