A Native Gem

BUTTERFLY WEED HAS BECOME POPULAR in northern Michigan, especially in the last ten years, as we have come to learn about the critical role the Genus (Asclepias) plays in the life cycle of Monarch butterflies.

Butterfly Weed (tuberosa) is in the same family as Common Milkweed (syriaca); it is chosen more for its ornamental value. They're not quite as prolific as the Common Milkweed, and they do not produce the sticky milky latex substance of Common Milkweed that we likely discovered playing outdoors during our childhood, but like all milkweeds, they, too, have that special relationship with the female Monarch.

I’ve recently planted small nursery pots of Butterfly Weed in the gardens at the golf courses. If I can get them through the first year after transplanting, they usually need very little care as they begin to establish themselves and form gorgeous orange flowers in July and August. Not to be confused with the Butterfly Bush, (Buddleia davidii) – a six-foot perennial shrub with purple-colored flowers on an extensive framework of woody stems. They have also become popular, but many shun them for being invasive and non-native. The nectar must have something going for it, as Monarchs are certainly attracted to their conical-shaped flowers. They don’t have the same important role in sustaining the Monarch butterfly population as the Asclepias family does.

The above photo is of the Butterfly Weed I’ve had in my patio garden for three years. Be patient in the spring as they are slow to begin their annual regrowth. The flowers share their nectar with a broad cross-section of flying critters; they further go on to have that special relationship with the female Monarchs, just like Common Milkweed, where the butterfly will deposit a single egg on the back of a leaf that soon develops into a very hungry caterpillar (larval stage).

Several websites are available that detail the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. If you have a deeper interest in their amazing transformation, this is a good one. https://monarchjointventure.org/monarch-biology/life-cycle.  

I’m recalling memories of my mother scrubbing away at Milkweed spots on my clothes after playing in open fields during my youth.