Plan your oasis for monarchs

Fall is the perfect time to harvest and dry the seeds of common milkweed, a flowering plant essential to the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Follow these steps to create breeding habitats for monarch butterflies and other pollinators.

 

Identify the plant

First, make sure you've identified the common or Syrian milkweed. If you have any doubts, consult the milkweed identification sheet.

 

Collect seeds

Seeds are found in the fruits, which are green pods 7 to 10 cm long.

 

• Choose pods whose slit is still closed or barely open.
• Gently squeeze the follicle to open it.
• Ready-to-pick seeds have a greenish, slightly brownish color and are easy to detach. If they are white, leave them there!
• Don't harvest all the seeds, to allow them to disperse naturally in the wild.
• Dry the seeds for 1 week on absorbent paper or cardboard in a cool, dry place.
• Once dry, the seeds can be sown in autumn before the first frost. If you prefer to wait until the following spring, remember to "stratify" the seeds before sowing them.

 

Want to grow common milkweed at home from seed?

 

Consult Espace pour la vie's short guide to common milkweed seedlings.

 

Did you know that as of June 8, 2021, the City has joined the "Monarch Friendly City" movement, the result of a partnership between the David Suzuki Foundation and Espace pour la vie. Find out more about our initiatives here.

 

Source:  Espace pour la vie