Butterfly Garden Oct 14 2019

Zizotes Milkweed, Asciepias oenotheroides, is blooming right now, see photo. A native fall blooming milkweed has me wondering if the non-native Tropical Milkweed, Asciepias curassavica is as bad as is being reported in the last few years. My tropical milkweed is not blooming now. There are monarchs fluttering by me right now. Across the street from my butterfly garden, my neighbors have 3 Golden Rain Trees, Koelreuteria paniculata, that are blooming now. I have observed monarchs on them every year. This is a non native tree from China. I see more monarchs on those trees than on any of my plants in my garden except gregg mistflower, which is not blooming much now due to drought. Good thing these non native trees are supplying a food source to power the migration during drought(?!) Complicated issue. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the issue around the tropical milkweed in Central Texas but I feel like it isn’t as serious as round-up ready crops as far as impact on the migration goes in this part of the world.

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