Common milkweed
I had an email this morning from a participant in a garden tour last week (for the Southern Appalachian Plant Society-SAPS, for short).
Help, she said -- I have monarch caterpillars on the way (via Monarch Watch), but not enough milkweed. She'd seen that we had plenty in an area near the Butterfly Garden (at the Botanical Garden where I work).
I have LOTS in my front meadow at home, I replied. And I'm coming up your way in Western North Carolina tomorrow, I said.
So I dug up as many clonal plants with roots as I could and harvested shoots, too, so I hope that will be a bridge for the monarch caterpillars that she has.
I'll be handing them off tomorrow in Franklin, NC on the way to the Great Smoky Mountain Wildflower Pilgrimage -- what fun!
Help, she said -- I have monarch caterpillars on the way (via Monarch Watch), but not enough milkweed. She'd seen that we had plenty in an area near the Butterfly Garden (at the Botanical Garden where I work).
I have LOTS in my front meadow at home, I replied. And I'm coming up your way in Western North Carolina tomorrow, I said.
So I dug up as many clonal plants with roots as I could and harvested shoots, too, so I hope that will be a bridge for the monarch caterpillars that she has.
I'll be handing them off tomorrow in Franklin, NC on the way to the Great Smoky Mountain Wildflower Pilgrimage -- what fun!
You were indeed a Monarch LifeSaver for me! Thank you so much for the generous supply of milkweed.
ReplyDeleteI potted four big pots and immediately relocated the wild monarch cats that I had brought indoors to shelter them from the recent freezing temps. They seem very happy. They are under makeshift enclosures which consist of collapsible laundry hampers turned upside down.
I hope to blog this experience in the near future.
Thanks again, Lisa. I thank you and the Monarchs thank you.
I was delighted to be able to pass on some milkweed, and glad that it's feeding your caterpillars!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your monarch-raising,
Lisa
Here's the post.
ReplyDeletehttp://graceplays.blogspot.com/