We offer (seasonally) milkweed, aster and speedwell seeds, as well as plants. We have both common (Asclepias syriaca) and swamp (Asclepias incarnata) milkweed seed in the winter, and plants in the spring.
Each year, in addition to providing seeds and plants for others, we raise several plots for polinators, specifically for Monarchs, but also for other butterflies, honey bees, and other insects. This includes common and swamp milkweed, as well as many other native and non-native flowers.
We gather Monarch eggs and caterpillars and place them in safe containers to complete their transformation and become the beautiful butterflies they are.
Some times we miss one, and most we will collect, but this one had already entered the final stage so we left it.
For those that we collect, the whole family looks forward to releasing the new butterflies. Some times the butterflies don't seem to want to leave and land in interesting places!
And some times one escapes and finds its own place to transform!
These didn't travel far at all, but they can travel a long distance to find the perfect spot. We once found one on our cloths line. It was still looking so who knows how much farther it would have gone. It was already 34 feet from the closest milkweed patch. We were surprised, but a quick search told us this was not impossible. For more information on Monarchs, check out Monarch Joint Venture
You don't have to collect the eggs and go throught the process like we do. And if you don't know what you are doing, you shouldn't, as you can do more harm than good.
But, if you can dedicate a small area of your yard or garden to helping provide a area for the Monarchs to enjoy, you can help them to survive as well.
Last updated: October, 2022.