Most everyone is aware of the rapid decline of the
Monarch Butterfly population. According to the National Wildlife Federation,
one of the main reasons is the eradication of their host plant, milkweed. As
more of the nation’s grassland is converted to farmland and urban development the
milkweed is disappearing. Milkweed is the only plant on which the Monarch will
lay eggs. The National Wildlife Federation is urging home gardeners to plant
milkweed in effort to help save the Monarchs. Their website lists seven varieties of milkweed that will grow successfully in Kentucky.
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| Common Milkweed requires a lot of sun and moist soil. It usually grows 3-5 feet. |
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| Butterfly Weed requires a lot of sun is drought tolerant, grows 1-2 feet. |
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| Swamp Mlkweed is shade tolerant, needs a lot of water, grows 2-5 feet. |
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| White Milkweed is moderately shade tolerant and likes a dry soil, grows 1-3 feet. |
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| Whorled Milkweed moderately shade tolerant and requires little water. It grows 1-3 feet. |
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| Green Milkweed likes lots of sunshine, moist soil and is both heat and cold tolerant. The mature plant grows to 4 feet. |
There is a milkweed that will grow in most any location.
If you are age 55 or older, you are invited to a Seniors Learning for Fun presentation by Bill Black on the
Monarch Butterfly including its normal behavior pattern of migration, how
stress of migrating is creating the danger of extinction and how we can help by
what we plant in our yards. Tuesday, April 14 at 2:00 p.m. in the Emerging
Technology Center, Room 109, at West Kentucky Community and Technical College
in Paducah. For more information, (270) 534- 3335 or click on view the brochure on their website.
