Embedded Files
By Jon Sandusky
By Jon Sandusky
Introduction:
Introduction:
The Asclepias Variegata has the common names, white milkweed and redring milkweed. Contrary to it's name, the milkweed is not a noxious weed. This perennial flower consists of 4 petals handing downward and a crown of 5 in-curved horns: white with purple center: borne in an upright, rounded cluster. The white milkweed is the more common name but the reddish ring around it's base gives it the redring milkweed name. After floral pollination, the pods for which disperse numerous seeds at maturity. It's interesting flowering bulb shape caught my attention in the forest I was hiking in near Helen, GA. It was one of the few flowers in the area, that was blooming, during that rainy May morning. It usually flowers between May and June so this must have been one of the first ones in the area, that I found.
This is the milkweed with immature follicles before the flowering opens. (NC State)
The redring milkweed with some of it's flowers not quire in full bloom. (USDA)
This is a picture of the Redring Milkweed I found on a hike in Helen, Ga almost completely in bloom
Taxonomy for Asclepias variegata
Taxonomy for Asclepias variegata
The most common name is the white milkweed, for it flowers, and another name is the redring milkweed for the red rind under the flowers. The genus Asclepias is named afater the Greek demi-god Asclepius, the physician for the milkweeds many medicinal uses. The reddish ring around the base of the each flower gives the species name variegata.
Habitat
Habitat
Most commonly found from Texas north through Oklahoma and Missouri to Illinois and east to the Atlantic from Connecticut to Florida and formerly areas of Ontario. These flowers are in open upland forests and woodland edge habitats and requires some shade. It does best in dry or rocky woods, sandy open ground, ravine bottoms, low woods, slopes, ridges, roadsides. In certain areas of the north eastern America it is considered endangered such as New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Recently Ontario has reported this specific species to no longer be found.
Evolution
Evolution
The redring milkweed has a deep root stock that helps the plant survive fire and drought. This milkweed produces large amounts of sweet nectar that attracts pollinators. It's perfect for butterfly gardens because it's sweet nectar is so attractive to monarchs and other butterflies which creates a good feeding ground and nesting area for them. When these animals use the plant for their food it helps the milkweed spread its seeds by attaching to their bodies as they are carried off elsewhere. The foliage contains toxic cardiac glycosides making it nasty for mammal herbivores to eat. It can be poisonous to animals in large quantities.
Environmental Impacts
Environmental Impacts
Due to human developing areas and changes in global temperature the redring milkweed is already going instinct in certain areas of the north. As the milkweeds are disappearing the monarch butterflies are going as well. This plant is a very important part of the monarchs life cycle making it harder for them to reproduce. Since the monarch butterflies are a threatened species it's important to keep milkweeds thriving to ensure the butterflies have a place to reproduce. The lack of these pollinators could cause a chain reaction for other plants to start dying out as well. Conserving the redring milkweeds habits is difficult but not impossible.
Conservation
Conservation
The redring milkweed is a host plant for the monarch butterfly which lays eggs on the leaves, the flowers are popular with pollinators like bees and butterflies . When humans use more herbicides on their crop can lead to killing the pollinators. Even some heavy populated areas affect this milkweed because it is known to grow on roadsides and will often be eliminated by mowing. Some people try to regrow these plants in gardens but their unusual habits are difficult to recreate.
Friends and Foes
Friends and Foes
Pollinators like bees wasps, butterflies, flies, moths, hummingbirds, and ants are attracted to the redring milkweed because of it's high amount of nectar. This is good for the reding milkweed because they help it spread its seeds. It also serves as larva food for monarch butterflies. Due to it's high amounts of nectar it produces, it is very valuable to many animal life cycles. Birds may also use it's silk to make nests and help make their shelter. Since the milkweed has ways to detour most predators, like dear who try to eat their leaves, the largest foe is humans. Humans destroy its habitat by constant development and the rapid rate of mowing near roadsides.
Resources for Teachers
Resources for Teachers
https://blog.nwf.org/2015/02/twelve-native-milkweeds-for-monarchs/
This is a website that shows how the redring milkweed is one of the more important milkweeds for monarch butterflies.
https://monarchjointventure.org/get-involved/create-habitat-for-monarchs
Here is a website devoted to saving monarch butterflies and how planting milkweeds can save them.
The presentation here by Scott Allen Davis with "The milkweed-monarch Conservation Initiative" gives a lot of good information on preserving the environment for milkweeds and details information about them. It even shows the migrating habits and details of the monach butterflies.
https://ozarkedgewildflowers.com/summer-wildflowers/variegated-milkweed-asclepias-variegata/
Teachers can use this site to identify and explain with picture the various stages of the redring milkweed as it growing.
https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/winter-sowing-milkweed-seeds-checklist/
For steps, procedures, and supplies, teachers can use this site to help organize a mikweed planting project.
Resources
Resources
ITIS Report - https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=30319#null
United States Department of Agriculture - https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/asclepias_variegata.shtml
NC State Extension Gardener - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/asclepias-variegata/
The Herb Society of America - https://herbsocietyorg.presencehost.net/file_download/inline/0927dfd6-370e-435a-a855-d02500866441
Georgia Native Plant Society - https://gnps.org/plants/white-milkweed-asclepias-variegata/
James Leon young "Pollinators on Reding Milweed in Gadsen County Florida" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsvXDAlnmtM
Ozarkedgewildflowers.com - https://ozarkedgewildflowers.com/summer-wildflowers/variegated-milkweed-asclepias-variegata/
Google Sites
Report abuse