UPDATE ON OUR MILKWEED NURSERY

We are growing two varieties of the milkweed plant loved by monarch butterflies. The caterpillars devour the leaves and in a few weeks we have many newly emerged adult monarchs flitting throughout our garden. It is very nice. 

The first seeds were planted on July. We harvested them from the parent plant in our garden. It is tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. This plant is a volunteer. It sprouted up by itself a few years ago. We simply let it grow. It grows quickly to 4 ft. tall and as wide. This plant is a monarch magnet. A few times each year the caterpillars strip the leaves as they feed. The leaves quickly grow back. The caterpillars create chrysalis. Wonderful adults emerge in two weeks. 

These photos show progress during the first 24 days:



Here are some photos from our garden in Chula Vista, California:


However, we have learned that tropical milkweed is not a good variety for the San Diego area. It might harbor a disease, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), a debilitating protozoan parasite that infects monarch caterpillars. Therefore, we have switched to narrowleaf milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis, a California native and not a problem. The seeds were purchased.

 A rule of thumb about which is a good or not-so-good milkweed is: flowers pink & white are good; flowers yellow and orange are not-so-good. 

This is our milkweed nursery on September 18, 2020.


We have not decided what to do with our still growing tropical milkweed plants. If you live in an area with cold winters neither of our varieties are good. You are too cold. But there are varieties that grow well in any climate zone. All attract monarchs. Consult your local nursery. 

 This same info will be posted on my ‘Garden San Diego’ and ‘Garden Design-Quick Start Guide’ FB pages.

Comments

  1. Terraflora Garden DesignOctober 3, 2021 at 8:24 PM

    Thanks for publishing such great information. You are doing such a great job. This information is very helpful for everyone. Keep it up. Thanks. garden designing services in london

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