Category: Native Plants

Milkweed – good for Monarchs, bad for eyes

I had a scare last week, and I hope others can learn from my experience. One afternoon, my eyes suddenly started burning and tearing. I washed them with artificial tears and used a cold wet compress and they seemed okay. However, a bit later my world became extremely foggy although my husband, Harry, assured me the air was perfectly clear.

When I got to our eye doctor the next morning, the only letter I could see on the eye chart was the largest letter at the top. The diagnosis was cornea swelling in both eyes. I finally realized I had first felt the symptoms shortly after cutting some of my Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) to feed Monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus).

my backyard milkweeds (asclepias)
My backyard milkweeds: 1. Non-native Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). Kentucky native milkweeds: 2. Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), 3. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), 4. Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens), 5. Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).

Research revealed that the sap of Tropical Milkweed causes severe eye problems and others have had similar experiences: link 1 and link 2. Apparently all milkweed sap is cause for caution, but Tropical Milkweed is especially dangerous.

I like fog and the impressionistic effect it creates, as in this backyard image.

backyard fog

However, I want the fog to be in the atmosphere and not the result of poor vision. I’m extremely happy to say that my sight is now close to normal and I expect a full recovery.

This was a frightening experience and I have a new appreciation for my eyes and the ability to see. I had no idea milkweed could cause eye problems. I’m reporting my story in hopes of preventing others from having a similar experience.

Monarchs must have milkweeds to survive and I will continue to grow them. My Tropical Milkweeds have attracted more Monarchs than any of my other milkweeds this year and I will plant them again. However, I will treat them with high respect and caution.

Cardinal Flowers and Hummingbirds

I’m enjoying the bright red Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) and Great Blue Lobelias (Lobelia siphilitica) that are blooming around the Bald Cypress tree (Taxodium distichum) in our rain garden.

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica). According to Tom Barnes, author of Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky, Cardinal Flowers “may be the best hummingbird-attracting plant in the state.”  I’ve enjoyed seeing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) feeding on our plants. I’ve discovered that photographing them is indeed a challenge, but managed to get this image.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Arcchilochus colubris) & Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)Hummingbirds are one of my favorite birds and it’s great fun to have them in the backyard. I try attracting them with feeders but we see them much more often on the native plants. Cardinal Flowers are one of my favorite native plants and the fact that they draw hummingbirds makes them extra special.

Pearl Crescent chrysalis & butterfly

It’s easy to get excited about big butterflies such as Monarchs and Swallowtails. It takes more effort to see and appreciate the  smaller ones, but I find them just as exciting.

My friend, Connie May, has a keen eye for small things, especially caterpillars, which she often gives to me to photograph and raise. She recently discovered a half-inch Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) chrysalis while pulling weeds and gave it to me.

The next morning I saw orange and black wing markings showing through the previously opaque chrysalis, and suspected the butterfly would soon emerge.

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) chrysalis

With camera ready, I was watching when “poof” the magic happened and the butterfly appeared.

Pearl Crescent butterfly newly emerged from chrysalis

The wings gradually lengthened and after a minute the butterfly became still while the fully formed wings hardened.

Pearl Crescent butterfly and chrysalis

In a couple of hours, it was ready to fly.

Adult Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) butterfly Crescents get their name from the markings near the bottom of the hind wings. At three-fourths inch wide, Pearl Crescents are one of our smaller butterflies. They are also one of the most common in North America.

A great way to encourage Crescents is to plant native asters. They are the only plants on which Pearl Crescents lay their eggs. As an added benefit, the beautiful aster blossoms are an excellent source of nectar for many fall butterflies.

I feel fortunate that Connie discovered the tiny chrysalis and gave it to me, and that I was able to see it emerge and set it free in the backyard. As to butterflies, large or small, I like them all.

Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar

There are caterpillars on my milkweed but they aren’t Monarchs. Instead, I have Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars (Euchaetes egle).

Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars on common milkweed leaf

Some folks refer to them as ‘the yarn caterpillar.’ They do resemble tufts of yarn and are very soft to the touch.

Euchaetes egle caterpillarMilkweed Tussock moth eggs are usually laid generously on older Milkweeds while Monarchs generally lay only one or two eggs per plant and prefer younger, more tender leaves.

I’d be much more excited about Monarch caterpillars. However, I have plenty of mature Common Milkweed leaves and am glad to have a diversity of insects adding interest to the backyard.

Turk’s Cap Lily

It took five years, but I finally had a blossom on my Turk’s Cap Lily (Lilium superbum) and it was well worth waiting for.

Lilium superbum - a Kentucky native flower

I got a very different view when I looked into the blossom.

Lilium superbum

The Turk’s Cap Lily is a tall slender plant – about four feet tall. It’s considered rare in Kentucky and I have never seen it growing in the wild. However, I understand it grows in Eastern Kentucky on Black Mountain, and its blooms attract numerous swallowtail butterflies. I’m thrilled to have seen it flower in my backyard and I want to see it in the wild.

This blossom brought two quotes to mind. My father’s favorite Bible verse was Matthew 6:28, “Consider the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin.” And after waiting five years for this flower to bloom, I appreciate this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”