It looked to be milkweed. I let it grow where it shouldn’t have been, knowing the Monarch butterflies depend on it for survival.
For several years now, I’ve been meaning to plant some milkweed, the only host plant to Monarch caterpillars. Each year has passed without me planting any. We have plenty of nectar plants to attract Monarchs, and a host of others as well, and I knew there was milkweed nearby in a vacant lot. Their needs to survive and to reproduce were covered, but, I looked forward to having milkweed nearby, to see the eggs, then watch the caterpillars as this lovely insect’s cycle kept on.
What looked to be milkweed is, indeed, milkweed and I was as excited as a schoolgirl getting her first “A” in biology when I found several eggs on the back of a leaf Saturday afternoon.
One of our wonderfully dedicated garden club members, Pat, aka The Butterfly Lady, raises Monarch butterflies and has ventured on several trips to the Monarch’s overwintering spots in Mexico. She and fellow member Jane have not only enlightened our club about these beautifully winged insects, but, they give talks to schools and other garden clubs. They have also been instrumental in guiding many other organizations and individuals in establishing credited Monarch Waystations throughout the area. I am proud to know Jane, who initiated the Monarch Sustenance Project in our garden club, and Pat, whose tender nurturing is admirable and I appreciate how much they have enriched my life and the lives of other.
Monarch Waystations are designated areas where nectar plants, water, and the essential milkweed are established to help the monarch population thrive and act, as well, as an oasis during migration.
On Sunday morning, camera in hand, I set out on a mission to photograph the Monarch eggs. As I gazed down upon the plant, my hopes of some pictures were dashed in a second. There it stood, as it did the day before, tall and determined, as milkweed are prone to be, and there, upon its sturdy stalk, was the evidence of the cruelty of nature. One, and only one, milky leaf had been eaten off of the plant, the handiwork of deer. The leaf that was gone was the one upon which the eggs were laid. I was devastated.
With Irene raging against New England, wars being fought, fires burning, droughts strangling much of a continent, can one eager lady be truly distraught on a pleasant Sunday morning over a few Monarch eggs?
Yes!
There I stood, camera shuttered, mouth agape, lower lip trembling, wondering why, of all the leaves ripe for the picking, a ravenous deer would choose just this one.
oh dear, i am so sorry about the plant. maybe there is some way to cover it or put out the stuff that deer don’t eat around it for next year. i am thinking of other plants or the commercial products that repel deer.
we had a similar disappointment when the deer ate every single pink tulip. i do so love the deer though.
LikeLike
Oh, to lose a tulip. There blossoms are so fleeting as it is, Marilyn. I love them to and think the naughty deer probably didn’t like the milkweed, as it didn’t eat the entire plant, but, I still felt bad. Today, new eggs on another part of the plant. Yes!
LikeLike
That is so sad! I wonder seriously if there was a special reason for the deer to choose that leaf? It seems to much to be perfectly random. Bummer.
I would love to go to see the Monarchs winter ground someday.
LikeLike
I would love to see their wintering grounds, too, Sallie. It is pretty spectacular to see, though a strenuous journey to get to. Someday.
LikeLike
The secret is to plant a whole patch, which may happen naturally anyhow since they tend to spread. I could mail you some. :<) We lose some leaves to insects – I presume the dreaded Japanese beetle. One year we were very fortunate. When the kids were little we brought in a larvae on a leaf and put it in a jar, AND we saw the turning happen.
LikeLike
There you go, Nan. I think you are probably right about this one plant spreading. The Japanese beetles are so destructive, aren’t they? We’ve had some damage here as well. What a wonderful thing to see happen, especially as a child. Thanks, Nan.
LikeLike
Oh, how heart-rending! and yes it does matter! I love that word ‘waystation’ – a little pocket of food along the monarchs’ flight paths. Do hope you can protect the milkweed from the deer.
LikeLike
Isn’t a wonderful word, Juliet? There are many being established from Canada through the states and it is a wonderful thing to see one of the waystations, teeming with monarchs. All creatures need places to rest on their journeys.
LikeLike
Devastating, Penny, so sorry this happened! The milkweed has chosen your garden, so with any luck a few monarchs will come your way and choose it once again….I do hope so…
LikeLike
I should now do an update, Kate, as there are three more eggs on the plant. Such drama, I know, for a few little caterpillars to develop, but, I do love these moments in nature. Fingers crossed.
LikeLike
I have enjoyed reading your last week of posts Penny, all so very good.
How very sad to have lost your milkweed leaf with Monarch eggs on it, I love to watch the milkweed growing a in a wee reserve very close to our house, to see the whole cycle of the monarchs. I do hope that you soon have many more eggs on your plant.
LikeLike
Thank you, Marilyn. I’m excited to hear you have milkweed there, which makes sense as you also have monarchs, don’t you, though they overwinter in New Zealand. These monarchs are the generation that will make the trek over thousands of miles to Mexico to overwinter. The good news is that I discovered three more eggs yesterday. Yes!
LikeLike
Oh, how sad. I have been finding eggs on milkweed around here. Nobody plants milkweed around here. It grows everywhere, but sadly many farmers feel they have to mow the edges of their fields before they harvest so the milkweed goes. There is still plenty left around our house. When the 4th graders start their Monarch project, they have an 85% survival rate egg to hatched butterfly. That is much higher than nature.
I hope you find some more eggs soon. If you spray deer stuff on it, I don’t know if the butterflies will like it. It is a problem.
LikeLike
I did find some more eggs on the same plant, Janet, and was excited to do so. The butterflies are still coming to the butterfly bush and coneflowers, so, they are okay and I know there is some milkweed in the lot next to us, but, I wanted to be able to watch it here. I check a few times each day to make sure the new eggs are there – they are. My neighbors must surely wonder about me.
It is because there is less milkweed in the fields and other places, like around expressways, over time that the monarch population is dwindling. You might want to check out the Monarch site that is highlighted above. Monarch Watch tracks them as they travel to Mexico. There are little tags that adhere to the wings that they provide with good instructions. You send in the tracking number to them. When the butterflies reach their overwintering site, the villagers there are able to remove the tags without harming the butterflies and MonarchWatch can determine how many make it and where they come from. There are fewer monarchs reaching the Mexico, which is why butterly waystations are being promoted. The grandkids might enjoy doing this with their granny, if they don’t already, or the students you work with.
LikeLike