# Milkweed



## Vicious Fishous (Sep 12, 2006)

We are waiting on our MW seeds from last year to sprout. The stuff that is established seems to spread by a large root system a foot or so underground. Another good flower for pollinators is butterfly weed. I'd like to get more of that around our property


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I plan on starting my "prep" around August 1. I will put down plastic to kill off the existing grass/weeds. Then I hope to till the area in late Sept. I hope to collect seeds from seed pods for the milkweeds. I will be looking for other wildflowers to put in as well. I know little about this but it will be fun learning. 

I can't do a lot, but I can do what I can. I sure wish I had a lot of acres to play with. Not only would it provide for pollinators, it would do wonders for small game.


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## capper (Sep 3, 2015)

James Dymond said:


> *My folks used to pick the dry pods to sell years ago. They used them to make life preservers out of them.
> Jim*


When I was a little kid during WW 2, there was a drive on for the military, and all us kids would go out and collect milkweed pods and turn them in at school. They told us then that they used them to fill life preservers.


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## StormyChromer (Jul 20, 2016)

I planted a 30 X 15 butterfly garden at my place about 3 years ago.
The vast majority of it is Common, Swamp, and Butterfly milkweed. Along with Michigan lily, Wood Lily and Aster.

Milkweed spreads like wildfire so you really don’t need to invest much on plants (if you can wait a few years). Between the 3 milkweed varieties I listed above, I planted maybe 10 total. I have a decent mix of probably 60 now.


This is where I buy all my plants for that garden. They only sell plants native to Michigan.
http://www.hiddensavanna.com/

We have triple the amount of butterflies, humming birds and oddly enough fire flies now.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Vicious Fishous said:


> We are waiting on our MW seeds from last year to sprout. The stuff that is established seems to spread by a large root system a foot or so underground. Another good flower for pollinators is butterfly weed. I'd like to get more of that around our property
> View attachment 260942


I have on butterfly weed plant in the front of the house. I do not know what happened to the seed pods I picked off of it last fall. I have been trying to get it started for a number of years. The pods are similar to milk weed pods except longer and thinner but the insides are about the same.

I have seen it growing wild in a few places, fact is the plant I have is one I dug up. I did find some in a big box store one time but they did not over winter. There used to be some at the north bound North Muskegon exit on US 31.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I MAY try collecting milkweed seeds this fall, and putting them in my "garden" before they frost. I assume they would act pretty much as nature intended them to do and come up next spring? Anyone gone this route? If so, how did it work for you?


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

DecoySlayer said:


> I MAY try collecting milkweed seeds this fall, and putting them in my "garden" before they frost. I assume they would act pretty much as nature intended them to do and come up next spring? Anyone gone this route? If so, how did it work for you?


My milkweed plants appeared all by themselves along the fence last year. My wife cut them and tried pulling them out. This year they are back in the same place. I told her to leave them alone this year.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I wish some would magically appear in my yard! LOL! I need to get some books on the subject, I just don't know enough about what I want to do. It's back to school time, I may try the library, if I can find it.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

DecoySlayer said:


> I wish some would magically appear in my yard! LOL! I need to get some books on the subject, I just don't know enough about what I want to do. It's back to school time, I may try the library, if I can find it.


Here are three of the libraries in the Monroe area.










A. 
Blue Bush Branch 
2210 Bluebush Rd
Monroe, MI
(734) 242-4085

B.
ELLIS LIBRARY & REFERENCE CENTER
3700 S Custer Rd
Monroe, MI
(734) 241-5277

C.
Dorsch Memorial Library
18 E 1st St
Monroe, MI
(734) 241-7878


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

*Ferndale Welcomes Monarchs with Milkweed and Way Station
*
http://oaklandcounty115.com/2017/08/21/ferndale-welcomes-monarchs-with-milkweed-and-way-station/


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

*my brother has made it a ritual to grow milk weed and even then very rarely has the larvae, this year he has at least 3 larvae. i havnt seen one in many years. when i was kid they would be as thick as tomato worms..*


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

List of native flowers I put together as I'm trying to take my yard to all native status. Birds and bugs like them all. 

Sun Need Bloom time Moisture Color Height Width
Penstemon (Beard Tongue) full or afternoon shade spring-summer 10-40", well drained orange, yellow, pink, white, purple 8-10" 12-15"
Bee Balm full sun or partial shade summer well drained red purple pink 24-36" 15-18"
Tall Bellflower sun-shade summer-fall moist soil blue green 4-6' skinny
Black-eyed susan partial-full sun summer-fall well drained yellow 2-3' 18-24"
Marsh Blazing star Full Sun summer wet/moist purple/pink 5 skinny
Rough Blazing Star full sun late summer medium dry-well drained purple/pink 2-5' skinny
Blue Lobelia partial-full sun summer moist purple 1-3' skinny
Butterfly Weed full sun spring summer any orange or pink 1.5-2' 1-3'
Cardinal Flower partial-full sun summer-fall well drained red purple pink 3-4' 15-18"
American Columbine shade-partial shade summer dry-moist red, pink yellow 20-30"
Coneflower partial-full sun summer well drained purple 2-4' 18-24"
Sand Coreopsis shade-full sun spring-summer medium yellow 0-1'
Culvers Root partial-full sun summer wet-dry white 5' 2-3'
showy goldenrod partial-full sun summer-fall Dry yellow 5' 2-3'
Harebell shade-sun summer dry purple-blue 1-3'
Horsemint partial-full sun summer dry yellow-pink 2-4' 15-18"
Wild Indigo full sun spring-summer moist purple 3-5' 3'
Ironweed full sun summer moist purple, red 4-6' 18"
Joe-Pye weed (sweet) shade-full sun summer moist-dry purplpe-white 6' 3-4'
Lupine full sun summer moist all colors 30-40" 2-3'
Michigan Lily partial-full sun summer wet-medium orange 2-5' 12-18"
Monkey-Flower
Mountain Mint partial-full sun summer wet-dry white 3' 12-18"
Nodding Wild onion partial-full sun summer wet-dry pink 18" 4-8"
Prarie Phlox partial-full sun spring-summer wet-dry pink 2' 10-12"
Woodland Phlox shade-partial shade spring moist blue, lavender, white 8-18" 10-12"
Queen of the Prarie full sun summer wet-moist pink 5' 18-24"
Wild Senna partial-full sun summer medium yellow 5' 35-30"
Sneezeweed partial-full sun summer-fall wet-moist yellow 4' 18-24"
Spiderwort shade-partial shade spring-summer medium purple 1.5-3' 1-1.5'
Spikenard
Turtlehead (chelone) partial-full sun late-summer moist pink 2-3' 1-2'
Blue Vervain partial-full sun summer wet-moist purple 5' 18-24"
Hoary Vervain full sun summer dry pink 2-4' 1'
Virginia Bluebells shade-partial shade spring wet-moist blue 2' 1-2'
Yarrow partial-full sun summer dry white-pink 2-3' 1-2'


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

JBooth said:


> List of native flowers I put together as I'm trying to take my yard to all native status. Birds and bugs like them all.
> 
> Sun Need Bloom time Moisture Color Height Width
> Penstemon (Beard Tongue) full or afternoon shade spring-summer 10-40", well drained orange, yellow, pink, white, purple 8-10" 12-15"
> ...


Wow, you did your homework. And saved a lot of time for the rest of us. 
Thanks


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

I grow thistle behind my garage. If my neighbors knew they would hate me lol.


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

If you have a good nursery you can find 1/3 to half of these there. There is a native nursery in mason that has all of them


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## Gander Club (Dec 31, 2004)

My swamp milkweed seeds are opening right now. Pm me an address and I will mail a pod to anybody that wants them until they're gone.


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## eucman (Jan 24, 2009)

JBooth said:


> List of native flowers I put together as I'm trying to take my yard to all native status. Birds and bugs like them all.
> 
> Sun Need Bloom time Moisture Color Height Width
> Penstemon (Beard Tongue) full or afternoon shade spring-summer 10-40", well drained orange, yellow, pink, white, purple 8-10" 12-15"
> ...


Nice! I converted about 3000 sq ft to wildflowers this spring. I used Vermont Wildflower Farm's American Native Wildflower seed mix. I got lucky with plenty of moisture this spring.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

petronius said:


> My milkweed plants appeared all by themselves along the fence last year. My wife cut them and tried pulling them out. This year they are back in the same place. I told her to leave them alone this year.


Well, my milkweed plants are back going in the same spot in the fence. My wife started up about cutting them. This morning I went out to take a look at them and saw a Monarch flying over head. I backed away and watch it land on the milkweed. They are flowering too.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I did not get to plant my "butterfly garden" this year due to my septic problems. Once we figure out what we are going to do, we will include an area for that when we do the landscaping after the new system is in.


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

i was out doing some tree stand work and have several patches on this property and i also took time to watch a couple of monarchs flying around got blossoms but no larvae yet.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

I checked the ones that I left in ones of the food plots and there are worms on some of them. We have a lot of butter flies this year so I know it must be paying off


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

i saw eggs and butterflies and one worm today


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

One of these threads around here last year inspired me to leave milk weed alone. Milkweed grows each year around my grapevines and normally I cut it. Aside from deer topping it early on, its doing well. I also kept a pocket full of milkweed pods during deer season last fall. Pocket turned into a mess but I spread seed everywhere I traveled.

I have more growing out back. Appears to be 2 or 3 varieties. These pics are from my grapevine milkweed. Not sure.on the hairy caterpillar, but as far as I can tell, the green one is a Monarch!. I've also seen Monarchs over the last 2 weekends @ the tip of the thumb.










It's always rewarding to see efforts in helping wildlife payoff. I believe this is a Monarch. Like any critter in nature, it probably has a long road ahead to becoming an adult. Hope he makes it.


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## Timberdoodle2 (Jan 6, 2015)

he has already made adult hood he is full size now


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

One of the Christmas tree grower sprayed all there fields again this year and the spray does not kill milkweed. One field is around 10 to 15 acres and there is all kinds of milkweed growin in it


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

Not seeing the numbers as last year but still far more than in years past. See them.everyday. Perhaps higher numbers of sightings will show up with the migration. Here's 2 on one plant. I haven't checked a large patch of milkweed of a different variety.


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## Rowdy Bandit (Mar 22, 2016)

My property is quite dry, and very rocky soil. I never saw Monarchs as numerous and dense as I did this spring, it was truly amazing. My 'lawn' is only about twenty percent grass and the rest has been one wildflower after another through spring and summer; also with strawberry, clover, and dandelion most of the time, especially clover. There is Milkweed spread out all over and the fragrance is great; around spruces, in a meadow, on field edges, around my burn pit,... I learned the Monarch's need of it for reproduction, but have also seen them feed on just about every flowering plant here. They went crazy for the Devil's Paintbrush, and cool to see them the exact same color orange. I haven't investigated many of the Milkweed plants here closely yet, but the only chrysalis I've seen so far were at the Seney Wildlife Refuge a couple weeks ago. Pretty cool looking with the gold bead string around the green color. l may look for some again later today here, but not sure if maybe they're done already.

Fewer numbers of adults around lately but I can still see at least one just about anytime I look around. They look very playful and carefree now. Seems as they're preparing to head south. It was particularly hot the other day late afternoon, one was playfully flying all around me. I tried to play St. Francis and stood still with my arm out straight to see if it would land on me. It knew I was looking as it kept flying all around me closer and closer. At one point it landed on the pavement directly behind me a couple feet away, looking very curious, but never landed directly on me. I think if I could have avoided moving my head and looking at it directly, it would have landed on me.

I learned most of what little I know about Milkweed this year (before, I thought it was only going to be a nuisance), and will collect a pod or two for use. So I can't tell you anything you probably don't already know, but I thought it grew and spread easily since it's considered noxious in some states. I'd bet someone on here near you could give you some pods, if you don't already have them, and you could place the seeds before snowfall or first thing after the spring thaw.


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## Rowdy Bandit (Mar 22, 2016)

Timberdoodle2 said:


> he has already made adult hood he is full size now


Kidding? The yellow/white/black striped caterpillar pictured is a monarch. I'm no entomologist, but I believe after munching down in Milkweed it will pupate before emerging as a winged adult. That caterpiller may be on it's final molt/instar. I didn't think the caterpillar was considered an adult.

Just found this...

https://monarchlab.org/biology-and-...istory/breeding-life-cycle/annual-life-cycle/


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## Rowdy Bandit (Mar 22, 2016)

DecoySlayer said:


> I did not get to plant my "butterfly garden" this year due to my septic problems. Once we figure out what we are going to do, we will include an area for that when we do the landscaping after the new system is in.


DS, Did you ever get your wildflower / Milkweed garden planted?

If not, and if you didn't get any pods (from Gander Club) yet, I could send you plenty. I have probably thousands of plants. Just let me know.

I didn't realize this thread was two-years old when I posted before... finally read the rest of the thread today.

Can someone post the timing that is _ideal_ for picking the pods for use of wind indicators?




JBooth said:


> If you have a good nursery you can find 1/3 to half of these there. There is a native nursery in mason that has all of them


Thanks for the list. The previous property owners here were avid gardeners for ornamentation. There are a lot of the native flowers on that list here, along with grasses, red clover, non-natives, Milkweed, Goldenrod, ... Also lots of things I haven't identified yet.

Glad I decided not to mow my meadows, other than a few old paths, because the deer love it all; beginning to believe only water and maybe a mineral site would be needed to keep some bucks around longer (no plotting work).

I took a short walk yesterday to look under leafs for Monarch chrysalis'. I didn't see any but quickly found a few caterpillars and lots of pods. Some Milkweed were producing new blooms, and I reckon the current flyers are the second or third adult generation this year.

A few plants with blooms, caterpillars and pods:


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

UnknwnBanditRowdyTucoRojo said:


> DS, Did you ever get your wildflower / Milkweed garden planted?
> 
> If not, and if you didn't get any pods (from Gander Club) yet, I could send you plenty. I have probably thousands of plants. Just let me know.
> 
> ...


Pick them off when they start to split lay them up to finish drying then split them open


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

I am finding that the milkweed plants I have growing along my fence near the house are attracting a lot of flies. These plants just grew there by themselves. I going to pull them out as soon as I can harvest the pods. There aren't any caterpillars on them, only flies.


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

Petronius said:


> I am finding that the milkweed plants I have growing along my fence near the house are attracting a lot of flies. These plants just grew there by themselves. I going to pull them out as soon as I can harvest the pods. There aren't any caterpillars on them, only flies.


I read an article that explained how Canada is using road right of ways and what not to help the Monarch. I can't remember the month but think they do a July/August mowing. Reason for the late mowing is milkweed will regenerate with lush new growth which is desirable and coincides with egg laying. Also, one of the 3-4 varieties of milkweed is most desirable. I have one plant that grows 2 to 3 shoots every year within my grapes, it has had catapillars the last two years. Another patch 50-60 yards away in the roadside ditch hasn't had any. Roadside patch is a different variety. It's too bad as the roadside patch has been increasing in size each year.

Perhaps cutting them in late June might give you results. I'll be trying next year.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

A little thing I learned around 70 years ago about milk weed milk. I had a nasty wart on my chin. My grand mother took me out to the field near her house. She broke off a milk weed and put some of the milk on the wart. It stung like He!! In a week or so the wart fell off.
I have had it work on numerous warts both mine and others. One time it was on a nasty big wart on my thumb that had been burnt off a couple of time that did not work.It has to be done at a certain period of the mile weeds growth to have it work.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

multibeard said:


> A little thing I learned around 70 years ago about milk weed milk. I had a nasty wart on my chin. My grand mother took me out to the field near her house. She broke off a milk weed and put some of the milk on the wart. It stung like He!! In a week or so the wart fell off.
> I have had it work on numerous warts both mine and others. One time it was on a nasty big wart on my thumb that had been burnt off a couple of time that did not work.It has to be done at a certain period of the mile weeds growth to have it work.


Read some of the FoxFire books. They used milkweed for a lot of things back in the hills. They also told what time of year to cut brush and other weed so that it would not come back. I know that worked on some brush that I had growing down state


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

I have an almost complete set of the Fox Fire books. I spent many hour reading them. There is a lot of great information in them. I need to get them back out and reread them.
I had a chance to buy the complete set in hard cover one time for cheap. The young grand daughter of the woman that was holding the yard sale was standing by me. I showed a couple of them to her and she was interested. I bought the set and gifted them to her. Hopefully she soaked up some of the great stuff in them.


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## jasperdog (Nov 8, 2007)

I am looking for my milkweed photos.. We have a bunch of them on a place we bought last fall.

This is a wildflower meadow we planted this spring. Tilled,sprayed, tilled, planted, cultipacked... perennial/annual mix. Perennials probably did not flower just yet... plan to mow and overseed/cultipack.... some after frost and some in the spring..


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## jasperdog (Nov 8, 2007)

There are tons of bugs in this meadow and really all over... very many Monarchs as well...


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## jasperdog (Nov 8, 2007)

Sample of the milkweed that basically grows wild...
The knapweed in the background is well liked by the bees as well.. Not so much by hay farmers.... looks like some vetch in the foreground...


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

jasperdog said:


> View attachment 422507
> 
> 
> Sample of the milkweed that basically grows wild...
> The knapweed in the background is well liked by the bees as well.. Not so much by hay farmers.... looks like some vetch in the foreground...


Nice! Ever look them over for catapillars?


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## Rowdy Bandit (Mar 22, 2016)

Adults are all over the Liatris lately.


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## Rowdy Bandit (Mar 22, 2016)

They're still at it...


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## on a call (Jan 16, 2010)

Timberdoodle2 said:


> good luck on the monarchs, my brother has a large patch and has only had one monarch larve make it to pupae stage usually n larve at all the monarchs in this area are very sparse to what used to be.. they grow well the milkweeds and hummers love them.


he is doing something wrong


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## jasperdog (Nov 8, 2007)

Still seeing a few Monarchs.. 
Milkweed is maturing


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