Monarchs and Asclepias

Hoping y'all can help this newbie out. I bought a straggley looking asclepias incarnata and it finally began getting new growth about 2 weeks ago. I was very excited to find about a dozen Monarch larvae on it last week. Problem is, now there's no more plant left for them to nibble!
This morning the larvae were crawling on the surrounding plants (black eyed susan, monarda, beautyberry, baptisia) trying to find food. I have two small asclepias tuberosa that are several feet away but uncertain if those are a food source. I feel so badly...will the larvae die off now? I assume the asclepias will come back from the bare bone twigs they left behind?

The tuberosa is a suitable larval host. Put the cats on it. Sometimes they don't like to change host plants but if they are hungry enough perhaps they'll chow down.

The incarnata should put out new leaf growth in short time.

~ Cat

ps....Rule # 1 - you can never have too much of a larval host plant - more so when you are raising monarchs :o)

This message was edited Aug 18, 2008 1:53 PM

Duly noted: need more host plants...always nice to have a "reason" for buying more plants. ;)

Just went and checked on them; one managed to find the tuberosa and a couple are still gnawing the incarnata sticks. I'll try moving the stray ones. Thanks, Cat!

Edit: Was able to wrangle 7 of the 12 onto the tuberosas

This message was edited Aug 18, 2008 3:31 PM

Rule # 2: Adding more milkweed might sometimes put you on the "map" for more Monarch butterflies to stop by to visit.
Now, I think every household in the country should grow milkweed and other host plants. Humans are responsible for more destruction of the natural habitat of butterflies every year. It's the least we can do to give them a few plants per house.

Plant mover..... Go out on craig's list or local DGs in your area, and ask if someone can spare clippings of their milkweed. You could keept them fresh by giving a new cut when you got home and plunging them in water. Leave them there until they root and you will have a new plant. Meanwhile you can feed baby cats if needed.

I see a perpetuating problem here...lol. I did not know milkweed cuttings would root so easily - good to know. Thanks Linda and Sheila!

At MOSI where I volunteer, we take the milkweed cuttings and stick them back in the ground after the cats are done gnawing on them. We have a large area planted with milkweed that I like to call the "milkweed forest". At home, I keep a couple of milkweed plants on the screened-in porch where they're protected. I have a pipevine I do the same thing with. That way, I always have emergency back up food!

Melanie

FYI: Re-read Rule # 2 :o) That is soooooooooooooo true!!!

...and they don't RSVP either!!!

~ Cat

lol...

Do the milkweed cuttings have to be from 'tender' shoots?

I have some straggley mature-looking A. incarnata and would like to make some more of it using cuttings. Faster than seeds, I think.

Same thing for A. tuberosa. Any chance it would work?

You can make cuttings of almost all Milkweeds!

Well, are you doing that for your 'Heaven'?

Yes. That is why I am also asking for Milkweed cuttings.

Do you have any cuttings?

Any idea if the cats like Sandvine Milkweed?

I know I planted a clump somewhere, but for the life of me -- i cant recall.

I WS"ed the seeds ... 5 germinated and the vines started twisting amongst each other... i was running out of room to put plants, so i just dig a hole and stuck them in.

If the cats like the vine, i can move a few cats over there ... as they [i found 1 big Cat and 4 smaller one] are really munching up my scarlet MW.

I think they do. They like all milkweeds(Asclepias and Calotropis Gigantea and Calotropis Proceara or something like that)

thanks... i did click on a link, when i googled the sandvine, and saw monarch cats in the images.

know that i know where i planted the vines [i went out looking for them] I'll keep a closer eye on them. Hope they perk back up with all the water i just gave'em.

I've read that they do use the Sandvine sometimes (it's called Honeyvine also). I've also heard of some people who dislike it because it can be invasive.

I love it!