Milkweed 2020

 We've been in this house now for over nine years and for eight of those years I've tried different ways to grow milkweed behind my back fence.  I've planted and and lately I've just scattered them.  Working from home and with COVID, I just don't find myself out where I see pods to grab.  My neighbors who have milkweed have stripped the pods and so that source is not there.  I was resigned to having a fall without trying.

Then this week out of the blue, Cindy's brother-in-law Brad mails me what you see below.  It sure mean a lot that he thought of me.  He and I walked in the woods last time he was here and I must have made it sound pretty important that I get some growing...

Thank you Brad...these are all the way from Wyoming.  Who knows, could be a different type of milkweed.  I'll be putting these out some time next month...usually around Thanksgiving.

Monarch

Every summer I hope to not only see Monarch butterflies but to get pictures.  That's why over the years I have tried growing milkweed.  Now I just rely on my neighbor's flowers.  Here is what I saw yesterday...

Monarch moment

Did the best I could leaning over the fence to capture these...I kept waiting for the wings to spread.  Didn't quite get it...

All hail the Monarch!

Always an eye-catcher.  This was outside my bank today...

Dog(bane) gone

I cut out the plant I'm now suspecting was dogbane.

My "milkweed" may actually be a type of dogbane

There are many different types of dogbane.  Dogbane has opposite leaves and usually has reddish stems (or partially reddish).  Supposed to flower July to August.  Different types and names include: dogbane, hemp dogbane, prairie dogbane, clasping dogbane, spreading dogbane, Indian hemp, wild cotton.

It's poisonous to dogs.  If I can confirm that's what I have, I will likely get rid of the plant for that reason.  Stay tuned.

Here is a picture from the internet of clasping dogbane...

 

Compare to my plant...

 

 

 

My plant has a thin stem and has appeared reddish.  The leaves are opposite.  The proof is always in the flowering so we'll see if this one make it that far this year.



Comparing common milkweed to the plant I'm watching

These pictures were taken about a day apart.  The first picture is my plant and the second picture is common milkweed from my neighbor's yard (the neighbor that has been supplying me with pods over the last few years).

 

The leaves are different.  The stem/stalk is not as thick and you can see the buds on the second picture.  Anxious to see if my plant flowers this year.  It has stretched a bit higher than my cage so I may need to protect better.



common milkweed

Checking in on my milkweed

Just about 28" as of today and almost time to add more chicken wire.

 

 

Nothing happening with the butterfly bush.  I don't think it survived the winter. 

 

 

Also, it's officially toad and frog season...

 

Time to start measuring my milkweed

Close to 21" as of this morning.  The leaves showing a little insect damage but appears to be strong....

I put more chicken wire on my milkweed plant today

It's really growing so I added another layer to keep the deer away...

 

Butterfly bush and milkweed update

It's getting deeper into May so what's going on with my bush and any milkweed you may ask...

For the butterfly bush, nothing right now.  From what I've read, it can be late May or June before signs of life appear.  I have learned new growth most often comes from the root.  On established bushes, experts advise cutting them way back.  They have "die back", so they will appear dead and then take off.  I am prepared for mine NOT to take off.  So the branches look dead which I've learned is normal but I've included a picture of the roots before and after I added more dirt.  It appears some of the dirt I buried it with last year washed away or the ground heaved a bit and exposed some of the root system.  So the jury is still out...

 

Before more dirt added

I threw a bit more dirt at the base...

 

 

So onto the milkweed front.  I have been faithfully planting seeds since fall of 2013 in hopes at least one plant would make it.  Last fall I just threw seeds out by hand and didn't even plant any.  Last year I noticed a plant that appeared to be milkweed but not Common milkweed that I was planting.  I have learned it can take until year three for a plant to flower.  I caged off that plant and this year it is really taking off and appears to be ready to flower this season.  I find it funny that the plant that is finally coming up may not be one I planted.  I asked God for one plant and I have it.  The leaves are narrower and the stem/base appeared different than a Common milkweed plant.  But they may change as they mature.  The big test and reveal will come this summer if/when it flowers.  I have suspected it to be a Swamp milkweed plant but the location may not make sense for that type.  Butterfly milkweed are also found in Iowa and have narrow leaves.  Expect many updates.  The next order of business is to make my cage taller to keep the deer out of it.

  

Here are pictures from the last few weeks...

 

 

Just before the snow...

I thought I better get some milkweed seeds down.  I know my readers in Salina have been waiting for an update on milkweed.

Two years ago I bunched the seeds too close together.  Last year, I spaced out one by one and no real results.  So this year, I just cast them out in an area I would like them to grow and I'll let nature take its course.

I got a butterfly bush for my birthday!

Faithful reader and wonderful mother-in-law Ruth surprised me with a butterfly bush for my birthday.  She knew I was bound and determined to attract butterflies and she thought this would help.

It's a Black Knight butterfly bush which will result in purplish blooms.  We debated on putting it in the yard but are always worried what Russ will get into plus he seems scared of bees.  And we decided not to put near our front porch for the same reason...didn't want to attract bees.

I have longed wanted a splash of color beyond our back fence and this fits in nicely.  Plus, that is where the action is for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Fern was nice to offer some of here chicken wire/netting to protect the bush from critters.  So I thought I better get it into the ground.

Here is the bush a few days ago.  The blooms looked a little dry from the trip to Des Moines and my wait in getting it outside.

 

I watered the bush and I'm going to build on this promising sight...

 

 



I went out last night with my wagon of tools, wire, stakes, zip ties...whatever I thought I needed. 

 

 

 I cleared an area with an L-shaped weed whip.

 

 

While I was out there, I put a quick protector around my sole milkweed plant...

 

Ready to plant...

 

In the ground (hard to see)...

 

 

First piece of wire (I used stakes from an old volleyball set to hold down)...

 

Here is a picture looking over the top of the bush back at our house to give you an idea of placement...

 

 



Close-up of a healthy bloom...

 

Here is the bush with a 2nd "layer" of wire...

 

 

Here is a view of the finished project from the house...

 

 

Another shot from this morning...

 

And one more of my milkweed cage...

 

Thank you Ruth!  And yes, you will see updates in the future...