Because the butterfly weed has a big taproot that can reach a depth of a foot or more in the soil, division is difficult, but it can be done in the fall or early spring before new growth begins. Butterfly weed necessitates the identification of the optimal plant location. Plants grow more stems as they mature, and they don’t transplant well. Because of its previous therapeutic usage in treating lung inflammation, the taproot is also known as pleurisy root.
After fertilization, butterfly weed forms a seed pod. The seed pods, also known as follicles, are three to six inches long and turn brown and split, causing the seeds to be dispersed in the wind by their silky-tails. The seed pods can also be clipped to encourage more flowering and keep the plants from self-seeding. In dried flower arrangements, the seed pods are appealing.
It’s difficult to talk about butterfly cannabis without mentioning its main consumer. This notable perennial is important as a monarch caterpillar host plant. Female monarch butterflies that lay eggs favor the newer growth of the butterfly weed plant and produce roughly 700 eggs over a two- to five-week period. The egg stage lasts three to eight days, depending on temperature. Caterpillars, also known as larvae, hatch from the eggs and become ravenous diners of butterfly weed and other Asclepias genus milkweeds.
The monarch caterpillars are easily identified by their yellow, white, and black stripes. The caterpillars molt throughout this nine to fourteen-day period when they outgrow their skin. Instars are the intervals between molts.
The monarch caterpillars eat cardiac glycosides, which are toxins found in butterfly weed (and other milkweeds). This toxin is more concentrated in the caterpillar than in the plant’s leaves, and it persists through the next two phases of metamorphosis. Predators have learned to avoid them due to their brilliant warning colors and toxicity, as well as the fact that birds and other animals who eat them become sick and vomit.
The next step of metamorphism is triggered by hormones produced by the caterpillar, and the pupa stage is commonly known to as a chrysalis. Caterpillars aren’t always able to pupate on the butterfly weed. They can go up to 20 feet away from the garden in search of a suitable pupation site. The caterpillar hangs upside down after molting for the last time, and silk is generated from a spinneret at the bottom of its head. Under typical settings, this stage lasts eight to fifteen days after encasing, after which the change is complete. The black, orange, and white wing patterns become evident through the chrysalis just before the butterfly emerges.
Last year, after renovating a raised flower garden at the side of my house to contain butterfly weed, I discovered my first ever chrysalis.
The caterpillar had moved about 10 feet from the side flower bed to a column on my front porch to pupate. The wing patterns were apparent by the time I noticed it, and the chrysalis was gone in a matter of days. I’ve since discovered that they can pupate on just about anything and then live for another two to six weeks after emerging as adults. Monarch butterflies that travel south spend the winter for six to nine months.
What is eating my butterfly weed?
Milkweed leaves have been known to be eaten by deer and rabbits, and milkweed bugs, tussock moths, queen butterfly larvae, and other insects feed on the plant.
Do animals eat butterfly weed?
The flowers, leaves, stems, and roots of the butterfly weed are all poisonous. If humans or animals consume it, they will suffer. If you or your children ingest some of the sap, you may get diarrhea or vomiting; if you touch it, your skin may burn or itch. If your pets eat butterfly weed, they may be in more danger because little dosages as little as 0.1 to 0.5 percent of an animal’s body weight can be fatal. Grazing animals, not home pets, are more likely to be affected. Get emergency medical help if you fear your child or pet has eaten part of this plant.
What kind of caterpillar eats butterfly weed?
While many butterflies require certain host plants to grow their young (a list of other butterfly host plants may be found here), no butterfly is more important to our collective psyche than the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterfly numbers have plummeted in recent decades, and an increasing number of home gardeners want to help by planting a monarch butterfly host plant in their yard.
Monarch butterflies evolved with milkweeds, and as a result, their caterpillars developed a unique adaption that allows them to feed on a plant that few other insects can. Cardenolides are poisonous chemicals found in the latex-based sap produced by milkweed plants. With the exception of a few species, most other insects are unable to metabolize these toxins, which either kills them or causes them to avoid them altogether owing to their unpleasant taste. However, monarch caterpillars absorb these toxins while feeding on milkweed leaves, making the caterpillars themselves poisonous to predators. The poisons contained in the monarch butterfly host plant actually aid to protect the caterpillars and adult butterflies against predators such as birds and other insects.
Here’s a video of Jessica Walliser finding little monarch caterpillars on milkweed in her own backyard.
Do rabbits eat butterfly weed?
Butterfly weed (also known as milkweed) is a beautiful natural plant with spectacular flower heads of orange or yellow blooms. This tough perennial blooms nonstop all summer long, growing 1 to 3 feet tall. Butterfly weed is a must-have plant for everyone who enjoys butterflies. The nectar-rich blooms attract a variety of butterfly species, while the foliage provides food for Monarch butterfly larvae. Plant butterfly weed in a sunny location, then sit back and watch the butterflies swarm your yard. The plants are also rabbit and deer resistant in general!
The Perennial Plant Association, a group of growers, breeders, authors, and other perennial experts, has awarded butterfly weed Perennial Plant of the Year for 2017.
Send us an email with your questions, and one of our perennial gardening experts will respond.
What animals eat monarch butterflies?
Monarch butterflies have a lot of natural adversaries. Monarch eggs and caterpillars are killed and eaten by predators such as spiders and fire ants. Adult butterflies are eaten by several birds and wasps. These predators are obvious, but monarchs also face parasitic attacks from microbes that dwell inside their bodies.
What happens if a dog eats milkweed?
“We all adore our pets and want to provide the finest possible care for them. You instantly sense when something isn’t right. “The day the consumed toxin hit the target,” Dana says. “Every day when I go home, I’m greeted by a bouncy dog who leaps and dashes to show me one of his babies…squeak toys! He demonstrates his strength by squeaking and shaking his selected toy as loudly and quickly as can. When I compliment him, he dashes into my bedroom for more play and bravado while I change out of my work clothes. Except for this one day, it’s the same routine every day.”
“Buddy was there to meet me when I opened the door, but he was standing still, his tail scarcely wagging. He didn’t appear guilty, but he did appear as if something had gone wrong,” Dana continues. “When I brought him up, I noticed his eyes were dilated. His beautiful greenish brown eyes were black marbles with fully dilated pupils. My initial instinct was poison, so I lifted his cheeks to examine his gums. White! I pressed against them to see if they blushed. No, it’s as white as it gets…pale, dingy white. This was not a nice situation. His heart beat slowly and rhythmically. His heart should be racing because I’ve just arrived and he’s ecstatic to see me. I didn’t want to think about what his resting heart rate was if this was an exuberant heart rate!”
Acting Fast to Save Buddy
“I needed to stay calm, think clearly, and move quickly. “My thoughts jumped to the thought that someone had poisoned a bone and flung it into my yard,” Dana explains. “Is Buddy suffering from internal bleeding? The hunt got underway in the backyard, where he had access at all hours of the day and night thanks to a doggy door. Nothing was discovered… save three massive mounds of milkweed caked in mucous. Obviously, he ate it and then puked it up. I expected to find toxic fragments of bone or meat, but all I found were dark green milkweed leaves that had been bitten but not digested. The plant had to be the culprit. He puked three times, or ate so much that he puked up the contents into these heaps.”
Milkweed is a mild to serious poisoning in dogs and cats, according to the Pet Poison Helpline, so take your pet to the vet as soon as you suspect your pet has eaten the plant, or even butterflies or caterpillars that consume milkweed. Buddy’s symptoms were typical of poisoning, however he also showed the following signs:
How toxic is milkweed to livestock?
Milkweed does contain poisonous cardiac glycosides, however they are rarely harmful to humans or animals. Milkweed is usually not fatal to animals, although it can be dangerous if taken in high numbers. Milkweeds are rarely sought after in grazing fields if sufficient feed is available. Poisoning is most common in places with little forage and a lot of milkweed, according to the USDA. Milkweed should not be present in excessive amounts in prepared diets or hay. Please see our MJV handout: Monarch and Milkweed Misconceptions for additional information.
Is diatomaceous earth safe for monarch caterpillars?
Butterflies frequently lay their eggs on plants, and the young caterpillars that hatch from those eggs will stay and feed on the plant as they grow. Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, is a common organic insecticide that can be used to control caterpillars. Bt is a bacteria that causes caterpillars to stop feeding and eventually die. Depending on the sort of caterpillar you’re targeting, other Bt variants can be utilized, including one for Colorado potato beetle larvae and another for maize earworms. Tomato hornworms, small green worms that eat broccoli and cabbage, and bagworms are all susceptible to Bt. To destroy following generations of insects, Bt should be applied every 1-2 weeks. Bt is toxic to butterfly caterpillars, so gardeners with butterfly gardens should avoid applying it on their plants. Bt, on the other hand, is fully safe for both dogs and people.
Another natural pesticide that may be used on a variety of insects is diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder that resembles talc, but it is made up of the fossilized skeletal remains of diatoms, small aquatic animals. It is entirely safe for humans and pets, but when soft-bodied insects come into touch with it, the diatoms’ microscopic sharp edges lacerate them, causing them to dehydrate and die. When the plants are moist with dew in the morning or evening, apply diatomaceous earth, which will cause the powder to cling to the surface of the leaves and kill any insects that walk through it. Ants, aphids, beetle grubs, box-elder bugs, flea beetles, those pesky tiny earwigs, and a variety of other insects can all be controlled with diatomaceous earth. It’s also safe to use on houseplants and can be sprayed on the ground to keep slugs at bay.
ants, caterpillars, cutworms, fleas, ticks, cockroaches, snails, slugs, spiders, termites, silverfish, lice, mites, flies, centipedes, earwigs, aphids, beetles, fruit flies, lemon tree borer, borers, thrips, pysllids, and other pests
http://www.greenurbanliving.co.nz/diatomaceous-earth-for-natural-insect-control/
And here’s what the maker says: (look half way down where I bolded, italicized, and starred)
While most crawling insects are killed by Red Lake Diatomaceous Earth, there are a few species for which DE is known to be particularly effective. These are some of them: