Milkweed, Monarchs and More
ID: #793963
Description
Milkweed, Monarchs and More, The Enlarged and Updated Second Edition, A Field Gide to the Invertebrate Community in the Milkweed Patch, was created to be a field guide and provide basic background information for volunteers in the citizen science Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, as well as monarch enthusiasts and classrooms involved in monarch studies. It covers the diverse natural community thrives in the milkweed growing along our highways and woodland edges; in our open fields, fragmented prairies and vacant lots; and in our lovingly tended gardens. Several kinds of insects depend on milkweed as a food source. The best known of these are the monarch butterflies whose late summer generation graduates from milkweed nurseries all over North America to join in an impressive migration. Some fly as far as 4800 kilometers (3000 miles) from the northern United States and Canada to the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico. That incredible accomplishment by such a small, seemingly delicate creature has captured our imaginations and awakened many of us to the milkweed community. We invite you to explore the milkweed growing in your neighborhood for a fascinating glimpse into the complex interdependence of life on our planet. In the six years since the publication of the first edition, Milkweed, Monarchs and More has found its way into classrooms, homes, and nature centers. The larger type and pictures in Milkweed, Monarchs and More, The Enlarged and Updated Second Edition are in response to requests for a larger format-more classroom friendly for student reports and easier on older eyes. We've also updated many of the sections, and added more information on milkweed. We hope you enjoy it!
Price
$18.00
Last Updated
10 August 2026, 10:27 UTC
Store Information
physical store
Location
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Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)
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There is but a single species native, or presumably native, to Florida, and that is Blue porterweed, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis. The typical height of only 0.5 to 1 feet with a sprawling habit to about 3 feet. It is best used as ground cover in a garden with extremely well drained soil as its typicaly habitat includes coastal dunes and disturbed areas - not a plant you want to overwater! Butterflies and other pollinators love it. It does best in full sun to part shade. Blue porterweed is not frost tolerant and can potentially die if exposed to temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Pruning it back typically provides for new growth if it gets burned by a freeze. The blooms are edible and have a taste similar to mushrooms and look cute on salads. The flower spikes can be used similarly to how a bay leaf is used in cooking. This plant gets its name "porter"weed as there is a natural foam that will build up from dried leaves if made into a tea or brewed into a beer. There is /AC
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$2.00
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Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa)
$11.00
Wild coffee - Psychotria nervosa , also known as Seminole balsamo, is a shade-tolerant medium-sized evergreen shrub, with glossy leaves, which grows to 4' and native to Florida. It will typically only reach 4' in full sun and will grow much taller in shade. So while it grows in sun or shade, it will do best in partial to full shade. Its small white blooms in spring are a great nectar source for bees and other pollinators. It produces a small, red fruit that resembles "the true coffee bean" in shape and attract birds. Though the "beans" contain no caffeine, they can be roasted and consumed as a coffee-like beverage. The seeds turn black in late winter. It is moderately salt-tolerant. It is also the host plant for the Coffee-loving pyrausta - Pyrausta laticlavia moth.
Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis)
$1.25
Aquatic milkweed ( Asclepias perennis ) a great evergreen Florida native perennial milkweed, but quite a different species from Swamp Milkweed ( A. incarnata) . It can survive lower amounts of direct sunlight than our other native species, while also handling full sun. It can become lankier during the season but a terrific native as it is available all year to our beloved Monarchs. Aquatic milkweed can tolerate 2-3 months of drought in our Florida sandy soils but also does very well in extremely wet and nearly underwater conditions during the Florida rainy seasons. A mature height in the late spring can reach about 2 - 3' feet. Each is densely covered by lance-shaped deep green leaves approximately 3-5 inches in length. I have witnessed during a few years of milkweed research studies in Central Florida this plant flowers and pushes seed pods in Florida winter months. The flowers are bright white with an occasional hue of pale pink before opening. This wildflower is commonly propagated for home gardeners and is quite hardy. It is also a good specimen for container growing. I plant it in shady areas around my yard that get a mix of filtered sun and shade as well as some areas that are full sun - the plants do well in pretty much any condition Florida seems to throw at it. If you have sprinklers hitting it regularly, it will receive enough water from my experience of having it side by side with 7 other milkweed species. This one is my favorite since it grows year round in Florida!