Do Cats Like Milkweed

So lessons learned.

Do cats like milkweed. A monarch chrysalis hangs from the leaf of common milkweed Asclepias syriacaThis is the stage in the life cycle where the caterpillar changes to a butterfly. Humans can eat milkweed but its. Your caterpillars will grow in size roughly 2000 from the day they hatch until the time they form their chrysalidesfrom 2mm to almost 2 inches.

They are unlikely to cause direct harm to your Monarch eggs or caterpillars since they most likely eat plant material not other insects. There are many types of milkweed and I happen to have two of them in my yard. Theyre endearing ubiquitous easy to identify and we have a special relationship with them.

Monarch caterpillars do only eat plants in the Milkweed family Asclepias spp so if we want to help them out in our wildlife gardens we still need to add these plants to our gardens. Planting milkweed in gardens has become a popular way to support monarch butterfly populations. If Milkweed is a host they may be competing for Milkweed leaves with the Monarch caterpillars.

Broad velvety leaves similar to common milkweed can be distinguished by presence of white hairs Flower color ranges from light pink to purple. Overuse isnt an issue with native milkweeds is because the native leaves are only viabledesirable during the earlier parts of their growth cycle. It is known for its long blooming period drought tolerance and easy propagation.

Im happy to hear that the monarch caterpillars are feeding on your milkweed. Dont forget about adult butterflies too. Last week I noticed this fellow noshing on a pot of Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata.

They chirp or purr as well. Milkweed Tussock moth caterpillars appearance changes as they grow but I dont think they match your description. One monarch caterpillar can eat an entire milkweed plant in the 10-14 days before it turns into a chrysalis.