The listing, Ohio Milkweed seeds has ended.
SAVE THE MONARCHS!
Sometimes considered a nuisance weed and carelessly eradicated from farm fields, milkweed (Asclepias spp.) is a hot topic of conversation among butterfly enthusiasts and gardeners alike. This native wildflower grows along the roadsides, in hedgerows and in abandoned areas providing food and shelter for butterflies and many other insects.
Over the past 14 years, there has been an unfortunate decline in our native milkweed due to numerous causes. Recently it has been disappearing at increased rates partially due to use of glyphosate herbicides on genetically modified resistant crops like soybeans and corn. Loss of habitat due to urban sprawl, increased roadside management practices and even temperature change are also adding to its reduction. Because native milkweed is considered such a high-value wildlife plant its wane is of concern to conservationists.
The loss of this plant directly affects the annual migration of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) because milkweed is the larval host plant needed for its lifecycle. The monarch lays its eggs specifically on milkweed plants. From the eggs hatch caterpillars that devour the leaves as they grow, eventually pupating and changing into butterflies that continue the migration northward. In spring 2013, the World Wildlife Fund reported a 59 percent reduction in monarchs from the previous year. Without milkweed, the monarch butterfly population could dwindle even more.
I am offering a 1 heaping teaspoon to start and will add a teaspoon per 500 credits, so bid high and have fun!