Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Milkweed for Monarchs Plant it and they will come Waystation, 1 by coleup

coleup wrote:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/butterfly/msg0723520...
"As I mentioned earlier, within the same species there are differences by regions. Primarily in attributes such as emergence, length of time before flowering, vigor of growth, tolerance to wet/dry periods, disease/insects. In other words, even though the same species exists in different regions, the plants from a particular region have had mother nature selecting out attributes that make the plants best suited to the environment.

All of this is to say that if you are just wanting a particular species to grow in your garden that you cultivate, and you don't live next door to a protected prairie or wild area, then just get seed/plants from anywhere. However, if you are putting plants in your garden that you don't intend to cultivate and let fend for itself, or are trying to restore a native habitat, then it is best to try to get seed/plant sources from your region.

Here are some quotes from Western Illinois University reports on commercial Common milkweed production studies. "Plot establishment (2001): seed was collected from locations in Wyoming, Nebraska, and Illinois", and "Second year results (2002): with the Illinois population showing the most vigor as evidenced by increased height, resistance to fungal diseases, and number of blooms and pods ... with the Illinois population of common milkweed being the last to mature." Also, "Third year results (2003): The Illinois population surpassed the non-native populations in disease and insect resistance as well as plant height and strength."