Milkweed: "an important part of our local biodiversity"

Milkweed is "an important part of our local biodiversity," says Luther College Professor of Biology and Ph.D. Kirk Larsen, and the community has been noticing just how essential it really is. "People seem aware of the declining population size of the monarch butterfly and how milkweed availability is crucial to its reproduction and helping slow its decline...It has been gratifying to see more and more milkweeds appearing in gardens and flower beds around town."

Planting milkweed is part of a larger movement to "plant native" throughout the community, as native plants support more wildlife and pollinators than non-natives.

Community awareness hasn't been the only contributor to the increasing local milkweed population. Winneshiek County Roadside Manager Corey Meyer says that ensuring the abundance of milkweed is part of the Roadside Management Project. The project aims to manipulate the county's roadside vegetation through controlled burning, spraying, or seeding in order to decrease non-native plant competition.

Meyer notes that encouraging the growth of milkweed through the Roadside Management Project is helped greatly by the weather. Milkweed thrives in rain and heat -- both of which there seems to be no shortage of lately.

If you're looking to plant milkweed in your garden, you're in luck. "Milkweed is easy to grow from seed, or you can buy small plants from some of the native plant nurseries in the area.  You can collect seed heads from milkweeds in the fall, and even plant the seed in the fall," says Larsen. In addition, while common milkweed spreads very easily, butterfly weed and swamp milkweed stay put and are great for gardens.