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A monarch butterfly on swamp milkweed Asclepias syriaca seed pods, upper image from August and lower from December Milkweed sprout, a few days after sowing Chemical structure of oleandrin, one of the cardiac glycosides. Members of the genus produce some of the most complex flowers in the plant kingdom, comparable to orchids in complexity.
Other common names include bloodflower or blood flower, [3] cotton bush, [6] hierba de la cucaracha, [3] Mexican butterfly weed, redhead, [6] scarlet milkweed, [3] and wild ipecacuanha. [ 3 ] It is grown as an ornamental garden plant and as a food source for some butterflies , however it may be harmful to the migration patterns of monarch ...
The eastern monarch migration largely depends upon only three milkweed species: common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), green antelope horn milkweed , and antelope horns milkweed (A. asperula). [23] Butterfly gardens and monarch waystations in eastern and central North America should therefore feature one or more of those species, depending upon ...
The same study also examined the genetics of a collection of reared monarchs purchased from a butterfly breeder, and found they were dramatically different from wild monarchs, so much so that the lead author described them as "franken-monarchs". [160] An unpublished study in 2019 compared behavior of captive-reared versus wild monarch larvae. [161]
These aphids primarily target milkweed plants so treating infestations can harm the pollinators that depend on milkweed for survival, including monarch butterflies and bees.
The milkweed tussock moth (Euchaetes egle) is native to this area. Its range in the U.S. extends from Maine to Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas.
Milkweed plants are a major food source for Monarch and Queen butterfly caterpillars and as with other milkweed plants, it bleeds white latex if a stem is cut and this sap is toxic to some animals and to humans. It also makes Monarch and Queen butterflies taste bad to potential predators, an effective defense mechanism.
Asclepias eriocarpa is a specific monarch butterfly food and habitat plant. It is one of the most poisonous milkweeds. It is one of the most poisonous milkweeds. Natural History July/August 2015 calls it the most poisonous, but most sources put it below A. lancifolia (now known as Asclepias perennis).