Tropical milkweed has received a tremendous amount of press the past year or so. Many articles in a wide range of publications and blogs have questioned the use of Asclepias curassavica as a safe food source for Monarch larvae. In warm climates where tropical milkweed is a perennial there is an increase of the protozoan infection infecting Monarchs called Ophryocytis elektrosirrha or Oe. Like many of you I have fretted about the issue and if there is one thing we can all agree on I think it is this; we are all anxious about the fate of the Monarch and want to do the right thing for them and the environment. None of us wants to contribute to the problem.
I have read the articles, contacted professors, conferred with knowledgeable friends who are involved in raising Monarchs each year and have decided that I will continue to offer Tropical Milkweed this coming season. My decision is partially based on the fact that the problem with TM occurs when it is located in an area without hard freezes. In Oklahoma it will die during the first frost. It is no more likely to spread Oe than any other milkweed that happens to still have green leaves at the first frost.
Another reason I will continue to grow it is because of the scarcity of other milkweeds after we have gone through a hot Oklahoma summer. In late August and early September when the Monarchs begin to migrate and are looking for host plants the only reliable milkweeds still viable are Swamp Milkweed (perhaps), TM and Bluevine. I like Bluevine--I adore all our native milkweeds, but good luck getting people to plant to plant Bluevine. It can be a tad exuberant if you know what I mean.
If I were in charge of the world I would require that every yard in the U.S. have at least half a dozen native milkweeds. Unfortunately I'm not in charge, and even then some yards don't have the right conditions for milkweeds. So, I will plant my TM, let the Bluevine go crazy as it grows through the asters and the Beautyberry and nurture the Swamp MW so it will hang in there for the fall. Hopefully a Monarch will come along and grace some plants with eggs.
I will keep an open mind about the issue, I also welcome any comments or discussion on the issue.
I have read the articles, contacted professors, conferred with knowledgeable friends who are involved in raising Monarchs each year and have decided that I will continue to offer Tropical Milkweed this coming season. My decision is partially based on the fact that the problem with TM occurs when it is located in an area without hard freezes. In Oklahoma it will die during the first frost. It is no more likely to spread Oe than any other milkweed that happens to still have green leaves at the first frost.
Another reason I will continue to grow it is because of the scarcity of other milkweeds after we have gone through a hot Oklahoma summer. In late August and early September when the Monarchs begin to migrate and are looking for host plants the only reliable milkweeds still viable are Swamp Milkweed (perhaps), TM and Bluevine. I like Bluevine--I adore all our native milkweeds, but good luck getting people to plant to plant Bluevine. It can be a tad exuberant if you know what I mean.
If I were in charge of the world I would require that every yard in the U.S. have at least half a dozen native milkweeds. Unfortunately I'm not in charge, and even then some yards don't have the right conditions for milkweeds. So, I will plant my TM, let the Bluevine go crazy as it grows through the asters and the Beautyberry and nurture the Swamp MW so it will hang in there for the fall. Hopefully a Monarch will come along and grace some plants with eggs.
I will keep an open mind about the issue, I also welcome any comments or discussion on the issue.
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