And as far as the cardenolide levels, could high levels also be a potential benefit because the monarchs would be more poisonous? I live in the Bay Area in California – I am a novice – just started raising Monarchs this year. “Milkweed hurting the monarchs” is just as wrong and confusing to people as using whorled milkweed as a supposed threat to horses and cattle to eradicate all milkweeds for all reasons. I am letting you know all of this information because I also wish for you to know that I also use the non-native milkweed to promote large numbers of monarchs. I photo-documented everything I witnessed. To give you an idea of how monarchs inadvertently get transported around the world, consider this very recent sighting of three monarchs observed on a ship a couple hundred miles out in the Gulf of Mexico south of Louisiana: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sightings/query_result.html?record_id=1396193428. A leaf node is the area on the stem where leaves grow. I intend to cut all the milkweed back in a couple weeks gathering as many seeds as I can. I live in the Sacramento Valley and am very new to the Monarch situation. After a few successful meals, predators learn there is no reason to avoid feasting on monarch larvae. So i’m debating. YES! Hi Tony — I have a question about how you know when your little Monarch caterpillars have wandered off the milkweed because it’s time to pupate, or maybe they just got lost and are just slowly starving. Monarchs that are in diapause are not changed and trapped by the presence of ASCLEPIAS CURASSAVICA . If you raise indoors, rinsing off milkweed also helps. I asked the local nursery what they recommended. Asclepias curassavica thrives as a potted plant. 2) Anyone that can trim or mow back the milkweed patch (or get someone else to do it for them participate. Showy, Swamp Milkweed and tropical. If I didn’t have Tropical Milkweed, I’d have NO milkweed. My Tropical milkweed from last year, which had been cut to the ground in December as per best practice, had plenty of fine, tender new leaves ready for the hungry critters when they arrived. I hadn’t visited in quite awhile so my last visit a couple years ago was a shock. With a patch of common milkweed and pruning shears or string trimmer, you can help Michigan State University scientists learn if managing common milkweed for mid-summer regrowth is a reliable way to increase monarch egglaying and caterpillar survival. Thank U. Hi Robert, all you need to do with tropical milkweed is direct plant in your region (no cold stratification necessary). I had never had this problem using wild milkweed varieties up east, or in Florida. Tony, I am with you in your belief that it can be used by those willing to take the steps to keep it safe and clean — and contained. Take small cuttings (at least 3 sets of leaves) to midsize cuttings (up to 2 feet) cuttings. Hi Deanna, I have nothing against native purists and, as long as someone takes responsibility for the plants they grow, it’s their choice to decide which plants are best suited for their garden…native or otherwise. The eggs of the caterpillars pictured above were laid in late March and because of our cool spring, no native milkweed was up and out of the ground yet. Milkweed is not a cause. Because of this milkweed diversity we see and support many monarchs throughout the season. Every word you wrote was intended to insult him. The writer slams those who prefer to use native plants in their garden. If milkweed leaves get infested with bugs or start looking diseased I would cut back those parts of the plant and discard them. The A. curassavica is robust and beautiful. My question is can we get away with just thoroughly rinsing the stems and leaves under a strong cold spray of water from a shower-head spray, and “squeegeeing” each leaf between thumb and forefinger under running water — that should physically (not chemically) remove any OE spores, right? Introduced species have multiple impacts on the biotas disrupting the normal functioning of the ecosystem and affecting the local flora and fauna. That’s the true threat to our bees, butterflies, and caterpillars. Grow at least 2-3 different species of milkweed, and grow several patches (and mini-patches of 2-3 plants) around your yard/garden if possible. D. erippus learned how to deal with tropical milkweed. Yes, many eggs were laid per plant, yes the caterpillars devoured the plants, loved it. Let me know, thank you for being willing to answer and be patient with us that are slowly learning but quickly falling in love with the Monarch Butterfly, Hi Elizabeth, unless the weather is unseasonably warm, the monarchs probably won’t make it out on time. We still need conclusive data on this issue to understand how the reuse of tropical milkweed is negatively impacting the monarch population. Nurseries in the area do not have native milkweed. On 60 acres in north Florida we have lots of native milkweed on which I have never found a Monarch. its a great book, but very science orientated. Sure enough, we have 45 eggs. Touching spores while nectaring cannot infest an adult butterfly, and spores cannot move onto new parts of a plant, such as flowers that are opening in the fall.). Here’s more info on overwintering: Hi Gabrielle, thank you for taking the time to share your experience, and also for your thoughtful reply…always appreciated! Ideally, cuttings will include three leaf nodes. This has really given me pause. 25 years ago a university physical geography professor warned the class I was in that if measures were not taken to control global warming, we faced multiple challenges in our physical world. or was it because they were unfamiliar with this non-native milkweed and didn’t know to search for caterpillars? It was going to be freezing the next day so I brought them inside. I’m making the fourth attempt with seeds kept indoors, and so far, so good. Can I focus on just part of it so I don't have to check hundreds of stems every week? I looked at this so-called science about a year or so ago. I hope more people are willing to stop giving ultimatums and start discussing viable options. When should I mow/trim my milkweed patch? Our garden is small, so many of the true natives just won’t do in our garden. (Or at least as far from it as frost-free areas of the US get) The plant can even establish in a non-cultivated setting here, I wouldnt be too surprised if it would be locally banned or regulated at some point. The “potential solutions” involve humans. I started heart leaf milkweeds, they are hard to start, my one plant is small, it is nice and it will if it survives it will be a beautiful plant. They even started trying to position it as monarch enemy #1a, right along side the ultra-controversial buddleia davidii (butterfly bush)…but that’s a post for another day. More than any other, the caterpillars of Monarch butterflies are most closely associated with eating milkweed–anything in the Asclepias family. If they are removed, then we can not able to test their survival. That puts people on the defensive, & doesn’t help at all. What has always bothered me about the tropical milkweed issue, is that none of the potential solutions are discussed. They don’t jump onto adult butterflies. They’re not staying around for the milkweed and are obviously taking other cues to start their migration. Texas Butterfly Ranch reported that a tropical milkweed research patch left overwinter in San Antonio had an occurrence of 15% OE…however, other monitoring sites observed by the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project had 47%! MOST CHYRSALISES WERE FORMED PERFECTLY, BUT OFTEN THE BUTTERFLY WOULD NOT EMERGE, THOUGH I COULD SEE THE FORMED WINGS, AND COULD TELL WHAT DAY IT SHOULD EMERGE, THE BUTTERFLIES WERE DYING IN CHYRSALIS. If you are willing to take simple precautions growing Asclepias curassavica, then it can be a valuable asset for attracting and supporting monarchs inside your butterfly garden. I have begun to cut the seed pods off as soon as they develop because the plant is sprouting all around my yard – I believe it will eventually be classified as “invasive” here, as use of it is already being discouraged. They get onto the mesh and then climb up the wall and end up on the roof of the butterfly habitat. I do actually have a question, though (climbing down from my podium, here). My catz love the tropical especially the flowers. Thanks. The tropical produced seed so I threw them in one of my beds last winter and planted the others. I knew nothing about how to grow for Monarchs, I always assumed they were doing their thing over there in the sanctuary, so I found some seeds for tropical milkweed online, I bought them and started my garden. Thank you for providing all this info and the links. Florida where I have swamp if I want to use it. Raising the caterpillars on cut leaves proves little since that method takes tropical milkweeds inherent problems out of the equation. Milkweed is also well known for attracting butterflies and serving as a host plant for their caterpillars. On the other hand, the Tropical plants have produced strong, live, healthy Monarchs. I have three kinds of Milkweed, tropical, heart leaf and swamp. If you’re south of us it may be a week or two earlier, if you’re north of us it could be a week or two later. Every year monarchs use ALL of our 15 milkweed species at various points in the season, and so do other pollinators and native wildlife. I think to myself, surely there wont be any eggs at this date. thanks for your comment. Hi Ana, check out some of the milkweed options on the link below. I have no idea about OE/spores/migration, but I know from direct experience that potted tropical milkweed is A MONARCH KILLER. They cut the milkweed veins to let the sap escape before chewing on a leaf. I’m sure the lizards eat some/most because I have seen them on the milkweed plants. All I could find was a PhD candidate down in Georgia who was doing research on monarchs who decided that tropical milkweed was harboring spores. Like monarch caterpillars, swamp milkweed beetles take measures to reduce the flow of sticky sap from the host plant. Please help. Last season, I found four instar 5 cats on my physocarpa plants…those have higher cardenolide levels than curassavica. Jeffrey W. Dwyer, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. If so any suggestions what to do with eggs and cats on plants and what do I do to get rid of pesticide? R . I recommend raising from egg, using cuttings (which is recommended in my book), and thoroughly rinsing all milkweed before serving. I would occasionally see a Monarch but I did not get eggs or cats. Thank you in advance. Hi Danae, if you want to establish a garden outside, I would suggest a minimum of 6 plants to a patch…one monarch can eat an entire plant over a 2 week period. Many for FREE. This is what woke me up last night: If, according to alarmists, the presence of tropical milkweed promotes off season breeding, then why isn’t there an off season breeding problem in Mexico where the tropical milkweed is native? The way we have it set up, he’d have to climb all the way down, then to the middle of the butterfly habitat floor, then up the vase and back onto the milkweed plants, which is not very likely. Thanks so much! I’m wondering if some caterpillars have started pupating within milkweed seedpods in order to be protected from predators. I stopped by the ranger station before leaving, they had Monarchs in various stages in their rearing environment, they had tropical milkweed in their garden and they had various types of milkweed for sale, mostly tropical milkweed. I reveal what those issues are and if/how they can be dealt with. I’m not referring to what is done with the tropical milkweed & eggs/caterpillars after moving indoors, bleaching, spore killing…. I’m not sure how large the patch is, but something like this is an option to consider: plant cage protector. Simply cut last year’s stems back to the ground with clean, sharp pruners. While these issues are still being studied, some are calling for a moratorium on tropical milkweed and lesser known non-natives that could potentially pose the same threat. Tropical milkweed doesn’t die back in warm-winter climates and so it is recommended to cut it back to about 4″ tall in December to clear the plant of any possible pathogens. I was very concerned that they would have some food during the winter, luckily the weather got a bit warmer, so I then took them to the Monarch sanctuary and released them, The eucalyptus trees were in bloom and all of their kin were there… what little is left of the vast population that used to visit that is. But, if you are having problems you’ll need to consider adding bleach to the process. Zone 9b. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We are a winter destination for Monarchs. They need to be eating constantly at this stage, so a lost and hungry caterpillar is a sad thing indeed. Have you ever seen the black & white version of a Monarch (minus the orange color)? Hello! They love it! I suspect 20 years from now you’ll still be attacking scientist who make you feel like a murderer for the way you garden, when really all it was attempting to do was give you information. I can see why folks might be concerned about OE, but for most gardeners growing this lovely gem, I don’t think it becomes a big issue. My yard is a testimonial to native landscaping. I actually like tropical milkweed and have planted it three seasons in a row here in Maryland. You know that, & yet you continue to use this term. I am not sure what migration they are talking about along the southern california coast. In Minnesota I’ve seen monarchs, swallowtails, hummingbirds, honey bees, and other small pollinators on ours…it’s even supported tussock moth caterpillars, which I admittedly wasn’t so excited about. But it’s not in the best area to contain a chrysalis, so in a pot I’ll be able to move it and protect it more. Each fall it seeds abundantly. When do you recommend that I remove them? Merely an appeal to the researcher ‘s authority, which is a logical fallacy, not science. For the past 5 years growing tropical  in Minnesota, late egg laying has never been an issue. disease? I have 4 eggs and no monarchs in my yard for the past 4 days. Again, to infest and grow in monarchs, OE spores have to be ingested by caterpillars. Swallowtails are also down compared to the feeding frenzy we had become accustomed to. Can I remove the eggs and caterpillars from my milkweed? Later I bought a couple more tropical. 2016 Update- with more gardeners planting tropical milkweed, the overwintering population in Mexico grew 3.5 times: from 57 million monarchs…to 200 million! Good luck with your garden! It’s frustrating to hear so many people believe that just because a plant has potential issues, means it should be condemned and not even considered as a potential solution for supporting more monarchs. I don’t think Tropical Milkweed is the correct variety to scatter to the winds! Fill the container with water so the oasis is saturated. Hi Bill, Southern California is different because of the year round monarch population and drought conditions. Last year I bought 3 milkweed plants. You'll then treat this subset as your 'patch' to divide in half even though there are more stems outside of it. I know at least a hundred take flight because of Tropical milkweed. Then why do the monarchs ever even bother leaving Mexico? 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