The Inestimable Value of Milkweed
The Monarch butterfly population is in bad need of help. Estimates by scientists show a 90 percent reduction in their populations over the last several decades. While there are a number of factors involved in this reduction, one of the biggest is a lack of milkweed. Twenty-five years ago, milkweed was as common as grass and could be seen in just about every field in the eastern United States and into the Midwest. Then Round-Up Ready crops became the new hot commodity. These food crops were altered to tolerate the herbicide Round-Up. Milkweed was not tolerant, of course, and was killed off in huge numbers, according to scientists, resulting in the loss of millions of acres of milkweed. The bottom line is Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed. The milkweed is the host plant of the Monarch and it is absolutely vital to the survival of newly hatched caterpillars. The milkweed plants provide all of the nourishment they need to transform into the beautiful Monarch butterfl...