Butterflies need Milkweed
Narrow-leaf milkweed is a beautiful spreading perennial that reaches a height of 3 feet. It has buds that look like little pink pearls that open to pale pinkish-white flowers. The flowers are umbel-shaped, meaning they are a flat-topped or rounded flower cluster in which the individual flower stalks arise from the same point. Umbel-shaped flowers are perfect landing pads for pollinators.
The “milk” of the milkweed has alkaloids and latex as well as other chemicals that can be toxic. Monarch butterflies, however, can safely eat this chemical, which then protects them from being eaten by birds. The chemical they ingest makes them taste horrible.
Milkweed can be considered weedy because it likes to travel within the garden, but it is quite easy to pull out any plants that have invaded.
Milkweed grows in dry, open fields below 7000 feet from Southeast Washington through Oregon and California, all the way down to Baja California. It is an easy plant to grow; it likes clay soil, can tolerate little water and it dies back each winter.
If more homeowners grew milkweed in suburban and urban gardens, maybe a new pathway could be created for migrating Monarch butterflies.
Patrice Hanlon
ANG Newspapers
http://www.birdlodges.com/butterfly-vivarium.html
http://www.birdlodges.com/butterfly-blue.html
http://www.birdlodges.com/butterfly-orange.html
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