By: Reba Kocher
You may remember that we announced we were planting Milkweed in March. We are super excited because it is starting to sprout up now! As we get into the warmer summer season, the milkweed will start blooming and bringing in lots of pollinators!
Milkweed is an awesome and beneficial plant to have around. Even though Milkweed has “weed” right in the name, it actually is not invasive nor pesky at all. Milkweed is found in lots of diverse ecosystems--from meadows to prairies and from woodlands to wetlands. It attracts many species of beneficial insects, especially our beloved pollinators! Pollinators like honeybees, native bees, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, and butterflies LOVE Milkweed. Milkweed attracts so many pollinators because of the abundance and good flow of high quality nectar. Their flowers also have a very unique shape that makes them very enticing for several insect species. Pollinating bugs like flies, beetles, and wasps have short tongues and can more easily drink the nectar from these flowers. Milkweed is also very important to butterfly species--specially the Monarch-- because they lay their eggs on Milkweed, and then as they become caterpillars, Milkweed leaves are actually the only food that they can eat!So, what do pollinators do and why should we care? Pollinators move pollen from male structures of plants, called the anther, to the female structures of plants, called the stigma. This movement of pollen results in fertilization and the production of seeds. Pollination is SUPER important for food sources. Think about all of the fruits and vegetables you love--avocados, broccoli, tomatoes, apples. Without pollinators, like bees, we would lose all of these and more! Plants, like Milkweed, help save these important creatures, so don’t pull it out! If you can, plant Milkweed and other pollinator friendly plants at your house. In the meantime, come to the Gardens and see these beauties popping up! Maybe you’ll even meet a pollinator!
References & Further Reading:
Check out this list of foods we would lose without bees! https://honeylove.org/list-of-food/
https://ento.psu.edu/pollinators/resources-and-outreach/what-are-pollinators-and-why-do-we-need-them
https://xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Milkweeds-of-Central-US_plus-vendors_XercesSociety.pdf
https://www.beeculture.com/milkweeds-honey-plants/
https://www.americanmeadows.com/perennials/milkweed/how-to-grow-milkweed