Milkweed and Monarchs
A lot of people don't know that monarch butterflies need milkweed plants to survive. That's because the only food monarch caterpillars eat is milkweed. Without milkweed, there wouldn't be any monarchs; without butterflies and other insects that are pollinators, there wouldn't be any plants. The problem is that milkweed is quickly disappearing in the United States. It's being destroyed by farmers seeking to use their land for crops.
So what do we do? Concerned gardeners to the rescue! Small scale gardeners in cities, suburbs, and rural areas are taking up the cause of monarch protection by planting milkweed in their home gardens. Milkweed is a pretty flower that's easy to grow. Its genus is asclepias, and it can be found in either seed or plant form at garden centers. Some people create monarch gardens that that include milkweed and other plants that are beneficial to butterflies, like catnip and coneflower.
If there's a child in your life who enjoys nature and science, the picture book Monarch and Butterfly might make the perfect gift. Illustrations and details follow the migration and reproduction of the monarch butterfly to teach children about the symbiotic relationship between these beautiful creatures and the plants they need to survive.
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