So, we have a design on a number of products that uses the phrase, “My Milkweed Brings All The Monarchs To The Yard” and, honestly there’s a lot of levels to this phrase.
The most relevant level of meaning to native plant enthusiasts is that milkweed is the host plant for Monarchs. So, not only does milkweed provide nectar for monarchs, (as it also does for bugs in general, but specifically for pollinators like other butterflies, moths, bees, and hummingbirds), but it is also the only plant (common milkweed and other milkweeds) that Monarchs can successfully breed on.
Why? Well, the Monarch butterfly lays its eggs on the leaves pf the milkweed plant, and then when the larvae hatch, they eat the leaves of the milkweed plant. So, milkweed is the host plant for Monarchs.
This is why invasive species like the butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii ) commonly also known as Summer Lilac, or Orange-eye, is a real threat to monarch populations.
You see, the monarch butterflies are greatly attracted to the nectar of the butterfly bush, however, the larvae cannon eat the leaves of the bush. So, the monarch may lay its eggs on the butterfly bush, and the larvae will not survive. This obviously causes the monarch population to decrease over time.
Leave a Reply