RE: monarch butterflies

Certainly a worthy cause but please be 
aware that a few species of Asclepias
(or  Gomphocarpus) are quite nasty 
environmental weeds that also impact
on pastures.  The plants are quite toxic 
and the latex sap can blind if it gets in your eyes.
The seed are produced inside rather 
attractive swan shaped pods, 
hence another common name, swan plant, 
and when mature sally forth on silken threads
all very pretty but highly invasive.

Caution is advised when considering planting 
these shrubs as over 20 species are listed
as toxic in the USA (by the FDA and University 
of Idaho) and several are listed as weeds.
They contain cardenolide type cardiac glycosides and
galitoxin that can poison cattle that inadvertently eat the seedlings 
amongst mouthfuls of grass.  
They are also common causes of child poisonings due to the sap
when children play with the flowers and pods
(Sally Wilson, (1997) Some Plants are Poisonous.  Reed Books)

We have a lot  school teachers ringing us up wanting to grow
swan plant to provide food for monarch butterflies, 
they know the plant is a weed but seem
to think it will be all right for thier purposes, 
and they still want to know where to get the plants from.  
Really frustrating for us to deal with these enquiries.

Rod

> ----------
> From: 	rlance@sonnet.com
> Reply To: 	rlance@sonnet.com
> Sent: 	25 January 2000 9:23 AM
> To: 	medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: 	monarch butterflies
> 
> 
> Okay, this is really off topic, but I thought there might be a few
> individuals interested.
> This weekend I was at the Sacramento Home and Landscape Expo. (God, what a
> nightmare. I was only there because I we are planning to build a home on
> our property. Spent what seemed like hours pushing through the crowds of
> damp people  wielding umbrellas and recently purchased Super Mops.  I
> almost lost my eye 8 times.)
> Right before we left, I saw an interesting exhibit--a cage of butterflies
> and several packages of seed.  Interest piqued, I stumbled over. I met the
> President of an organization called Butterfly Encounters.  He is a
> horticulturist who became very interested in the monarch butterflies, and
> has been engaged in several studies on their migratory patterns.
> Their mission, as near as I can tell, is to encourage  home gardeners to
> plant species of Asclepias (milkweed) so that wandering Monarch
> butterflies
> will have a place to lay their eggs.  (This is the main food source for
> the
> caterpillars of these beautiful butterflies.)
> They offer seeds and information on many Asclepias at their website
> WWW.butterflyfarm.com
> 
> Seemed like a worthy cause to plug here. I enjoyed talking to them.
> 
> Rebecca Lance
> Sonora CA
> Sierra Foothills
> Sunset zone 7-8
> 
>
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