Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias tuberosa
The lovely Monarch
Shows citizen scientists
How life intertwines
~ Dorothy Rodwell
There are 25 milkweed species in the genus Asclepias that reside in Florida. Twenty-four are native, one, the tropical, is not native. Milkweeds are the only plants that monarch butterflies will lay their eggs on. Butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, is common through the State. It is a somewhat different then the other milkweeds. For example, the leaves on most milkweeds are opposite; one to three stems, with latex or milk. Tuberosa’s leaves are alternate, it is multi-stemmed and has no milk. A maverick indeed. Tuberosa grows to height of about two feet and it has orange to reddish flowers in an umbel inflorescence, (flower arrangement).
Citizen Scientists
Recently, I acquired a tuberosa from the Florida Native Plant Society. I donated the specimen to Project Monarch, a program sponsored by the Friends of Matanzas Pass Preserve for the purpose of establishing a monarch butterfly population in the Preserve. This specimen has been planted and is being monitored by a small group of dedicated citizen scientists for deposited eggs, flower blooms, larva stages, heights of planted milkweeds and other scientific data points that are duly recorded. We could use some more citizen scientists.
by Jim Rodwell
Shows citizen scientists
How life intertwines
~ Dorothy Rodwell
There are 25 milkweed species in the genus Asclepias that reside in Florida. Twenty-four are native, one, the tropical, is not native. Milkweeds are the only plants that monarch butterflies will lay their eggs on. Butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa, is common through the State. It is a somewhat different then the other milkweeds. For example, the leaves on most milkweeds are opposite; one to three stems, with latex or milk. Tuberosa’s leaves are alternate, it is multi-stemmed and has no milk. A maverick indeed. Tuberosa grows to height of about two feet and it has orange to reddish flowers in an umbel inflorescence, (flower arrangement).
Citizen Scientists
Recently, I acquired a tuberosa from the Florida Native Plant Society. I donated the specimen to Project Monarch, a program sponsored by the Friends of Matanzas Pass Preserve for the purpose of establishing a monarch butterfly population in the Preserve. This specimen has been planted and is being monitored by a small group of dedicated citizen scientists for deposited eggs, flower blooms, larva stages, heights of planted milkweeds and other scientific data points that are duly recorded. We could use some more citizen scientists.
by Jim Rodwell
