Milkweed – The Right Stuff

Yes, to this milkweed No, to the red & orange

Did you know that Florida has 21 native species of the milkweed that is essential for monarch butterflies but only three are available from nurseries: They lay eggs on milkweed and it is the only food for monarch larvae. Black swallowtail caterpillars feeding on parsley are sometimes mistaken for monarchs, to which they bear a passing resemblance.

The Right Stuff – Milkweed beneficial to Monarchs. Read this Smithsonian article: “How This Popular Garden Plant May Spread Parasites That Harm Monarchs. Non-native tropical milkweed encourages year-round monarch populations which harbor a deadly parasite for the imperiled insect.”

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-popular-garden-plant-may-spread-monarch-parasite-180970257/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20180911-daily-responsive&spMailingID=35973486&spUserID=NzQwNDU4NjcyMjUS1&spJobID=1361068202&spReportId=MTM2MTA2ODIwMgS2