Milkweed butterfly

Did you know that the native red maple tree you bought from your local nursery may have originated with a clone collected in Florida? Or that the native meadow seed you planted likely was collected in the Midwest?So what does that matter? Over millennia, truly local plants have evolved to flourish in the local conditions, and to harmonize with the local wildlife, Sefra Alexandra explains. These locally evolved plants are what scientists describe as ecotypes.

Photo about a Monarch butterfly sipping milkweed nectar being attacked by another Monarch butterfly. Image of bloom, leffanta, flower - 34788221

I’m seeing a lot more Monarch butterflies this year. I wonder if that is due to the huge effort that people are putting into restoring habitat and planting natives. Here a monarch caterpillar is chewing on a milkweed. Danaus plexippus, Asclepias syriaca

Did you know?: An onion bulb is not a root but rather an underground stem made up of modified leaves. The number of above ground leaves is equal to the number of leaves in the bulb or onion rings.

Want to help monarch butterflies? Be careful when selecting your milkweed. Not all plants that go by the common name of "milkweed" are the food that these butterflies need. Milkweed is both a food source and a host plant on which the monarch butterflies lay their eggs. Monarchs lay their eggs on the underside of the milkweed foliage.

Butterflies and their host plants

Discover the lifecycle of Milkweed, from annual to perennial varieties. Learn how to incorporate Milkweed into your native garden!

Bright orange wildflower, host to Monarch butterflies