Everyone has heard of milkweed and its importance to Monarch Butterflies but I had no idea of the diversity of milkweed species. The Florida Plant Atlas lists 22 species of the genus Asclepias documented growing wild in Florida only one of which is not native. The Scarlet MIlkweed (Asclepias crusieoni) is this non-native that is shown in the first picture and is easy to pick out in the garden if it is blooming. Giant Milkweed flowers (Calotropis procera) are large and cream or purple as shown in the next picture. It is another cultivated species that is a favorite in butterfly gardens because it quickly grows into a large plant with abundant and large leaves that are able to satisfy the appetites of voracious Monarch caterpillars. These are the species most available to gardeners and are very easy to grow.
Native species that are common in Charlotte County are shown in the next 3 pictures. These include the Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) that is the one most seen on the trails at CHEC. It has a dense crown of orange flowers and abundant relatively wide leaves. The Longleaf Milkweed (Asclepias longefolia) has long thin leaves with cream and purple flowers. Fewflower Milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata) flowers look similar to the butterfly weed with only a few flowers on the crown and very thin and sparse leaves.
Milkweeds have chemicals called cardenolides that some species of butterflies can incorporate into their bodies. These chemicals, in small amounts, will make a predator vomit or, in larger amounts, will cause the heart to beat wildly. One encounter with a Monarch is usually enough to teach a predator to avoid it and anything that looks like it.
