Milkweed still a popular native perennial for Mississippi gardens – Picayune Item

By Patricia Drackett

Director of the Crosby Arboretum and

assistant extension professor of panorama structure with the Mississippi State College Extension Service.

Though it has been over seven years since The Crosby Arboretum first began receiving a gradual barrage of questions from coastal gardeners looking for one of the best species of native milkweed (Asclepias) to profit dwindling monarch butterfly inhabitants, we proceed to get inquiries about Mississippi milkweed species, and sources for seed.

Fortuitously, backyard trials carried out over time on account of these inquiries yielded some very helpful info, which is now accessible on The Crosby Arboretum web site. To learn or obtain these assets, merely plug the key phrases, “Mississippi Milkweed Undertaking” into your favourite Web search engine.

Many gardeners could also be acquainted with the frequent orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), however unaware that there are roughly 70 different species native to the U.S.  About 15 of those species are native to Mississippi.  The most effective species of milkweed for planting in a typical sunny backyard mattress on this area was decided to be swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), which has a variety of soil situations below which it should prosper.  Butterfly weed (A. tuberosa) can be performer, however whereas swamp milkweed can tolerate each moist and dry soils, butterfly weed prefers to be in a extra dry, gravelly soil.  Aquatic milkweed (A. perennis) is discovered on the mudflats of the Pearl River and has massive seeds with no “fluff” as its seeds are water-borne somewhat than wind-distributed.  Nevertheless, aquatic milkweed prefers a moist soil, along with some shade.

The posters on our web site point out a number of milkweeds with potential for rising the density of present milkweed stands which develop in pure areas, equivalent to longleaf milkweed (A. longifolia) or pineland milkweed (A. obovata), each of which happen in Pearl River County. Two native milkweeds happen on the Crosby Arboretum, fewflower milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata) and the longleaf milkweed, each coastal species which might be present in moist pine savanna habitats equivalent to our south pitcher plant bathroom.

Whereas milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly, that means, it supplies meals for its larval kind – caterpillars, it is also an ample nectar producer, and is useful to pollinators basically, as insect populations worldwide are experiencing vital declines.

When designing your butterfly backyard, embody host and nectar crops to maximise the variety of butterflies you’ll appeal to. In case you are fortunate, your backyard shall be dotted with the inexperienced chrysalises of monarch butterflies. These superb buildings are trimmed with metallic gold dots. It’s an superior sight to expertise a monarch chrysalis change from opaque inexperienced to clear, after which a brand new butterfly rising, often in 5 or 10 minutes! Search the online for a video if in case you have by no means been handled to this present.

A generally accessible milkweed is the tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. Whereas it’s a sexy perennial with blooms of deep orange and yellow, sadly, along with being invasive, this non-native species can harbor a illness that impacts monarch butterflies, inflicting crippling deformities or demise. Search the Net to study extra about analysis on this “OE illness” as effectively the detrimental impact this non-native species seems to be having on monarch migration patterns.

Inexperienced milkweed (A. viridis) can be discovered Mississippi (though not in our coastal counties).  It’s widespread in different components of the nation. Whereas it’s a helpful species, it’s site-specific, preferring alkaline soils. The inexperienced bloom clusters is probably not to everybody’s style, I discover them to be very uncommon and engaging. Butterfly weed is the most typical Mississippi species, rising all through the state, and can be a standard native perennial present in backyard facilities. Nevertheless, in case your backyard doesn’t present the suitable situations, notably the dry, well-drained soil it prefers, you’re out of luck.

If the topic of monarchs and milkweed pursuits you, make a degree to do a little analysis on-line. Go to the Arboretum’s Mississippi Milkweeds web page and examine the USDA vary maps exhibiting the distribution of our state’s milkweed species. See examples of swamp milkweed in our Pollinator Backyard.  Most of all, keep tuned, as we are going to proceed to supply packages on this subject!

You’ll be able to study some distinctive Mississippi native shrubs on your dwelling panorama on Saturday, August 13 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. with forest and wildlife biologist Robert Smith of Wildlife Mississippi who will lead a stroll via the Crosby Arboretum’s plant communities. Many native shrubs present invaluable meals sources for wildlife all through the seasons. Program price is $3 for members and $6 for non-members.

Registration is extremely advisable for all packages so you’ll be assured a spot, as we is not going to at all times have room for walk-ins. Name 601-799-2311 to enroll. For extra info, see our web site calendar at http://crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu/ or go to our Fb web page. The Arboretum is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday via Sunday and is situated at 370 Ridge Street in Picayune, at I-59 Exit 4. Leashed pets are at all times welcome!