Ryall, M. E. (03 October 2007). Milkweed gathering for monarch butterfly. Washburn County Register, p. 18.

Milkweed gathering for monarch butterfly

By Mary Ellen Ryall

SHELL LAKE - Happy Tonics volunteers Brigette Hungerbuhler, visiting from Switzerland, and Alena Hugdahl, visiting from France, helped gather common milkweed seedpods on Sunday, Sept. 16. The day was sunny and dry. The conditions were perfect for gathering pods. Milkweed seedpods have a fine seam alongside the pod. When conditions are just right, the seedpods turn from green to a dull gray to beige. The pod bursts open and the large seeds, attached to silky parachutes, take off and are dispersed on the wind.

In gathering milkweed seedpods, the timing is critical, and the pods are best gathered before they split open. When the seed pods were opened, the seeds looked like tight fish scales attached to silks. In this prime condition, the seeds can be tapped and teased away from the silks and dropped into large paper bags for drying. The seeds gathered this fall are not ready to be distributed before next spring. Milkweed seeds need to be stored over the winter in a dry and cold environment. The seeds have to go through a stratification period first or they won't germinate.

Sheila Manor invited the group out to Wild Iris Shores in Cumberland in order to gather milkweed seedpods from her prairie setting. The nonprofit organization distributes milkweed seeds to buyers in order to create a floral corridor for the monarch butterfly all around the United States. Happy Tonics operates an online store on eBay. Visit the store and learn more about the seed distribution program at http://stores.ebay.com/HAPPY-TONICS.