[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

I will buy 2 plants from you when they arrive! Nelson

I raised monarchs last year and learned there are 5 generations annually. The photo is the last 15 days of sightings reported on this excellent site:

Monarch Butterfly Migration and Overwintering

One butterly wil lay up to 200 eggs on the underside of the leaves. She flits about in a lovely dance and has just begun what will be the decimation of your plant's leaves.
Point is you must plant a mass of milkweed if your bush is young in order to support their eating. Larvae aka cats, eat constantly as long as there is a bit of light.

That said, anyone reading this can get help raising butterflies from the bfly club or master gardeners. The cats can be rehomed if you run out of food, which is very common.

The leaf tips start to grow back and boom, a new girl lays, and here comes the next generation, laying on the tips of an otherwise decimated plant! Now you need help....

[duhbear]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

Anywhere I can purchase milkweed by golf cart? Will it also grow in Virginia?

You can get seeds for free at:

Free Milkweed Seeds & contributions for Live Monarch Foundation- Get your milkweed for the Monarch Migration

They say they send 15 or so. More than enough for a TV backyard.

[Cisco Kid]

...
Grow From Cuttings - Monarch Butterfly Milkweed

[Cisco Kid]

Originally Posted by SookeyJo

There is a Butterfly Gardens Club that will meet March 20th from 1:30 to 3:30 at Fish Hawk Rec Center. They always have plants for sale and you can order plants from them. We would be glad to have you join us! My husband and I new to this hobby and the
people at this club are very helpful. Hope to see you there!

Hi Scookey
Please ask the Butterfly Club what they think about tropical milkweed.
It is not native and that some scientists say that growing it in border states can disrupt the monarch migration.

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by Cisco Kid

Hi Scookey
Please ask the Butterfly Club what they think about tropical milkweed.
It is not native and that some scientists say that growing it in border states can disrupt the monarch migration.

I can answer based on UF research...
The bottom line is that Any milkweeD is better than no milkweed.
Given the state of declining populations, UF would have you plant tropical if you are unabe to locate native milkweed.

The research is not clear, but indicates a possibility that non native milkweed dies back late and may encourage butterflies to stay here onstead of migrating.

Their recommendation for those who plant tropicals is to cut them back after the fifth generation larvae are raised...here in TV that would be about September.

I have two natives species and the tropical. My heart breaks when there is no food, so I am growing extra milkweed in the lanai to save for the later generations.

[kittygilchrist]

This article by a well-known lepidopterist at UF, Andrei Sourakov, also reknowned for photography, was revised dec 2014 to include current research results, and makes no mention of problems related to tropical milkweed.
EENY-442/IN780: Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae)

[Cisco Kid]

My yard is highly landscaped. My wife thinks me planting weeds in her beautiful yard is so wrong. So I have ordered the tropical seeds off of Ebay. I have been planting the local type in my fishing spots. The farmers might not like that.

[juneroses]

For those who dislike the look of temporary naked milkweed "sticks" in their garden after the caterpillars have stripped the leaves, consider planting a low growing groundcover beneath.

In my case, this was an unplanned but pleasing consequence of planting a low growing coleus - "Indian Frills" - near the milkweed. The coleus branches touching the ground rooted, eventually covering the ground beneath the milkweed. I see small pots of this coleus currently available at Lowe's.

Depending on the sun/shade situation of the milkweed, there are quite a few plants to consider - portulaca, silver dichondra, tiny zinnias, etc.

In the attached picture you can see the coleus in the lower right beginning to fill in below the milkweed.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Cisco Kid

My yard is highly landscaped. My wife thinks me planting weeds in her beautiful yard is so wrong. So I have ordered the tropical seeds off of Ebay. I have been planting the local type in my fishing spots. The farmers might not like that.

Your yard looks beautiful from photos I've seen of it on TOTV. Maybe Debbie wouldn't mind if you planted milkweed in containers. That's what I plan to do. I have an empty container or two, as you probably know...

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by duhbear

You can get seeds for free at:

Free Milkweed Seeds & contributions for Live Monarch Foundation- Get your milkweed for the Monarch Migration

They say they send 15 or so. More than enough for a TV backyard.

I have a nice pond to the side of my home in Virginia. I will check this out and order if they think this is the right location. I have 3 nice butterfly bushes on the bay side. Thank you for the information.

[Warren Kiefer]

Originally Posted by gomoho

Monarch Watch Here is a great site that is involved in saving the monarchs. It is through the University of Kansas so I'm sure it is quite legit. I
ordered 32 milkweed plants (not seed) for $66. and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. If these are too many plants for you perhaps some can share an order. It is an awesome undertaking and if enough are planted in The Villages the preserves will probably at some point have its own population growing through birds or the wind carrying seed.

Wonderful !!!! This is exactly what I had in mind. How could this not work ???

[kittygilchrist]

Raised by hand due to milkweed shortage aug 7.
Try to keep newer plants going thru the stripping by earlier generations.

[dotti105]

What a great project. Thanks for sharing your photos Kitty! Beautiful!

And Juneroses, the bed looks very nice with the variety of plants you have in it. Very well planned.

[gomoho]

Kitty - what a darling little snake you have in the front right corner of the picture you posted!

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by Warren Kiefer

Wonderful !!!! This is exactly what I had in mind. How could this not work ???

Warren - I was providing this information for folks in TV interested in purchasing milkweed plants. I live in North Georgia so try as we might I don't think any of my seed will make it back to TV, but I'm sure others will be happy to take up the cause.