2024 June 6 If You Plant It They Will Come

 If you plant Milkweed, Monarchs will come. 

I’ve been checking my Milkweed every day multiple times a day. I’ve been waiting to see my Monarch friends come in from their long journey. Carli spotted one Monarch so far a couple of weeks ago. We saw no eggs. But…

…here is one on the Common Milkweed, and it’s already big!!!

This is the first!!! Hopefully there will be many to come. I have not decided if I will tent them up this year. That was A LOT of FUN work last summer, but I’ve read studies that the human intervention may be breeding the mites that are killing the whole population. 

The Milkweed has taken off this year. We have Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca, Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata, and Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa in the front and back yards. I planted Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata last year, but I’m pretty sure the bunnies ate it. With that rain yesterday, everything is REALLY POPPIN. 

I tried to make it clearer with portrait mode. 

The Common Milkweed on either side of Buddha.

The Butterfly Weed on the left and the Common Milkweed on the right. 

The Swamp Milkweed is still little. I like that it’s inconspicuous.

Hooray!