Monarch Butterflies Habitat
Help rebuild the Monarch butterflies habitat with Tuberosa Asclepias
(Butterfly Weed/Milkweed)
During the past two decades, the monarch butterfly population has seen a significant decline likely due to many factors such as loss of overwintering site habitat, changing weather patterns, a drop in forage plant diversity and the reduction in milkweed habitat.
To help increase milkweed habitat, BASF launched Living Acres, a research and education initiative dedicated to finding best practices for establishing milkweed refuges in non-cropland areas. (More information from link below.)
As the host of choice for this delicate insect, Milkweed leaves are the singular food source to the Monarch larvae. The bright orange-hued blooms are a rich source of pollen and nectar, attracting hummingbirds, bees and other beneficial insects.
More about Tuberosa Asclepias (Butterfly Weed/Milkweed).
- Height: 30 in/76 cm
- Easy to grow from seed, check packet instructions
- Low maintenance
- Long-living perennial, zones 4-9
- Likes full sun (6 hours at least)
- Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
- Grows well in acidic and sandy-loam soils
- Deadheading flowers will allow for another bloom cycle a month later
- Seed pods are perfect for flower arrangements, fresh or dried
- Mark planting area as emergence is slow in the spring
- Direct seed: Can be sown in the fall or spring
Resources:
http://agro.basf.us/sustainability/
More about the Monarch Butterfly
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/migration/index.shtml
Tuberosa Asclepias (Butterfly Weed/Milkweed) Stokes Seeds Item# 605
https://www.stokeseeds.com/us/tuberosa-asclepias-milk-weed-605-group