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#milkweed

2 posts2 participants0 posts today
Public
Nelson

Oleander aphids (Aphis nerii) are on my milkweed again. They are unsightly, and may stress the plants and spread plant disease. Insecticides or even jets of water risk harming monarch caterpillars.

So I want biological control. What natural predators can kill oleander aphids without being hurt by their toxins? Are any of them native?

This paper suggests planting "service plants" to attract predators, but I don't know which predators I want to attract: mdpi.com/2311-7524/8/11/1038

#aphids#milkweed
Public
Ele Willoughby, PhD

A piece for Manufactured Ecosystems about the future of pollination about who decides what gets pollinated if humans and our devices are the only pollinators.

The definition of “weed” is usually pretty arbitrary and usually all sorts of native plants get caught up in our human biases. Milkweed is insanely popular with the pollinators in my garden and the host plant of the monarch butterfly. 🧵1/2

My linocut print on Arches paper with a deckle edge shows a common milkweed plant on collaged washi papers in green and plum overprinted with magenta sans serif text “WE’RE NOT WEEDS” with the Robobee pollination drone in black on an angle inside the O. The little drone is a vertical shaft with a dot and two wings at the top and a tripod at the bottom.
#linocut#sciart#printmaking
Public
ferrousironic
Welp, here is a random photo of the finished milkweed and monarch.

I am very happy to have this piece behind me, but I feel ambivalent about its appearance, atm. Perhaps I just feel brain dead but at least I don't hate it (yet).

I will probably touch it up somewhat, but I looks fine. It's much more radiant IRL but I can't seem to capture the colors in a file.

Cameras do not like contrasting color juxtapositions, it seems. This photo reminds me of so many other photographs, especially of grid pieces, that look like their made of maybe ten colors, but when seen IRL it's obvious there are so many more.

And the brain performs a plethora of brain tricks too, some known and some unknown, and I can never be sure which is which.

Anyway, part of the idea was to hide the subject matter too, and keep the piece in the abstract genre.

Half disappearing monarch, half disappearing art, half disappearing observer.

#painting #milkweed #monarch
#monarch
Public
Native Plants Unlimited

It’s our last week for Indiana native plant preorders! Get orders in now to make sure you're ready to plant in May!
We have 100+ species available for preorder, including 5 species of milkweed and select species in one gallons!
As always, those who preorder will get first crack at the 200+ species at our main sale before we open to everyone on May 7th!
#nativehabitat #milkweed #butterflygarden #monarchbutterflies #pollinatorgarden #gardeningforwildlife #indianapolis #indiana #indianawildlife

Public
DoomsdaysCW

Excerpt from "How to make your yard a friendlier place for #pollinators"

#Pollination doesn't only produce more plants – it also helps make fruits and vegetables larger, more abundant, and even more flavorful.

by Abby Jackson, January 22, 2024
The Cool Down [#US-based publication]

How to Support Pollinators in Your Yard

"Plants are the foundation for every living thing on our planet, and without pollination, plants would be unable to reproduce and our food supply would be at risk.

"Here are a few things you can do to support their safety and protect our food resources for years to come:

- Avoid #pesticides, #herbicides, and synthetic #fertilizers as much as possible.

- Choose flowering plants that produce pollen and nectar, that are native to your area, and that support a variety of pollinators. Avoid hybrid plant varieties, as they've been bred specifically for aesthetics and may have unattractive nectar.

- You can use the #NationalWildlifeFederation's #NativePlant finder to discover plants in your area that attract pollinators. The #AudubonSociety has a similar search that identifies native plants in your area that attract birds.

- Follow seasonal changes and diversify your yard with plants that bloom at different times of the year for year-round blooms.

- Remove #InvasivePlants and weeds when possible.

- Provide a hydration station. Birdbaths are hazards for many pollinators because they can easily drown in them and because they are preyed on by other animals. Filling a shallow bowl with pebbles or marbles to a low water level will allow pollinators to drink while sitting on a perch. [I do create "bee baths" with marbles and rocks. I will be very cautious if I decide to provide "bird baths" this summer]

- Provide nesting sides, like a #BeeHouse. [Old logs can be good for some bees]

- Use certain plants strictly as food for the larvae of pollinators to ensure they will have enough energy to grow and frequent your yard. For example, #MonarchCaterpillars [and #TussockMothLarvae] love to eat #milkweed, and #BlackSwallowtailCaterpillars feed on #parsley [I did not know this! I will provide some parsley for their consumption this year!]

"#Rewilding your yard with native plants and #clovers, designating a garden bed to attract pollinators, or even having a pollinator-friendly plant in a pot on your #balcony are other ways you can make your area a friendlier space for pollinators.

"Any action that helps pollinators is a positive action that benefits you and the animals and nature around you."

Read more:
thecooldown.com/green-home/how
#GardeningForPollinators #GardeningForBees #Gardening #SolarPunkSunday

The Cool Down · How to make your yard a friendlier place for pollinatorsWe need pollinators, and making pollinator-friendly adjustments to your yard can have more of a difference than you might think.
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DoomsdaysCW

Speaking of #Rewilding, some new signs went up at nearby #CaliforniaFields in Southern #Maine! Looks like the #MaineDepartmentOfInlandFisheries finally acknowledged that there are some #EndangeredSpecies there, and put the pressure on #BlueTriton / #PolandSprings / #BigWater -- who had planted a bunch of pine trees in the field (to hide the drilled wells that they claim are "springs"). But now they have to take them down and restore the grasslands! (And it's full of #Milkweed which the #MonarchButterflies love!)
#GrasshopperSparrow #UplandSandpiper #NorthernHarrier, #HornedLark, #Kestrel, #Meadowlark, #Bobolink

The tree harvest (begun in the fall of 2024) is part of a collaboration by BlueTriton Brands through its Poland Spring® Brand and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to restore the important grassland habitat at California Fields for the bird species below. Grasshopper Sparrow: Small, buffy-tan colored sparrow with distinctive yellow eyebrow. Requires sparsely vegetated grasslands (bunch grasses) with patches of bare ground to forage for prey. As of 2024, Grasshopper Sparrows are only known at 3 sites the state, one of which is California Fields. PRIMARY FOOD: (Arasshoppers, along with other simall insects and seeds. Song: A insect-like, buzzing. Nesy: Domed-shaped, usually hidden on the ground at the base of a grass clump STATUS: Endangered Upland Sandpiper - A shorebird that avoids wetlands and prefers to nest in large patches of grasslands, prairies, pastures. Males of this species are known for perching on fenceposts and for their territorial/mating. PRIMARY FOOD: Grasshoppers and other insects. - Song: An unearthly trilling that first rises in pitch, then descends in a low whistle. Status: Threatened Here are some other bird species of concern that use California Fields - Northern Harrier - Horved Lark - Kestrel - Weadowlark
WHY PROTECT GRASSLANDS? Since the 1970's, North America has lost one quarter of its birds. grassland bird species have accounted for over 50% of this loss. California Fields is part of a sandplain grassland ecosystem. Historically, this natural community type was prevalent in southern Maine and was maintained by fire. However, over time most of these ecosystem have transitioned to forest due to fire suppression. The tree harvest (begun in the fall of 2024) is part of a collaboration by BlueTriton Brands through its Poland Spring® Brand and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to restore the important grassland habitat at California Fields for the bird species below.
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