The Monarchs are coming!

 pic taken from the early spring migration

 
It is that time again. The milkweed is blooming and there is half eaten leaves hanging on by a small stem...

you can see the half eaten leaf on the top

The Monarch butterflies are doing their late summer migrations. For those who know me, the milkweed (asclepia) is one of my favorite plants.  This popular food of the monarch caterpillar has many stages that rival the metamorphosis that occurs with it's brilliant host, the monarch.  The plant grows beautiful and tall (about 4 ft) from spring to late summer where it sends it's dainty orange and red flowers on the tips of it's bamboo like stems. 

 

The Monarchs are attracted to the flowers where they meet to mate. They lay their eggs under the leaves and the stages of the caterpillar begin. 

The caterpillar eat ALL the leaves one at a time on the entire stem. The first year this occurred, I just knew it could not come back from this decimation. However, a few weeks later a green leaf sprouted from the stem and within a month the entire plant looked as if it had never been bothered. I like to plant these stemy long plants in the back of my border right next to my screen porch. The monarchs crawl from the plant to the wood and cocoon along the railing of the porch. The plants metamorphosis is not complete come fall and winter where it produces the softest little seed pod.  These pods blow like wishing flowers all over the garden where you will find many many volunteers in the most strange places. 

  

The only con to these amazing plants is the insects that love to eat them.  I never noticed these "oleander aphids" until my flower bed filled in the entire back row with old and new volunteers. The aphid love to suck the sap of the young tender new leaves that coincide with the caterpillars voracious appetite.

 This makes the plant "look" bad and they turn a pale color. This can also happen because the aphids suck the juices out which makes the plant weak and more susceptible to virus.  In the past few years,  I use a well renowned very expensive remedy. This remedy is highly under-rated in the commercial insecticide business. I send my 3 kids out with a spray bottle filled with soap, water and a bit of neem oil. I use this method frequently and then spray the leftover off with a hose. 


So, my recommendation this fall is to find a gardener that has milkweed in the garden and ask for some of their volunteers come fall and winter. If you are in the South Alabama region..give me a note in the comment section below and I maybe able to help you out. Until next time...




Happy Gardening!
Nicki