H20140611-2884—Asclepias eriocarpa—RPBG (14445162271)

Description:

Asclepias eriocarpa— woolly-pod milkweed. A favorite larval food of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). The mild toxins contained in the plant makes the monarchs unpalatable to birds. Americans have had a love-hate relationship with milkweeds for generations. At one time, all milkweeds were considered poisonous to livestock, especially sheep, and efforts were made to rid the nation of the scourge, Then, during World War II, little boys like me collected the pods as a replacement for the unavailable kapok for life vests. After the war the belief in poisons returned, then it was discovered as important to the survival of monarchs. The current thinking is that milkweed are a mild toxin generally avoided by livestock. The monarch populations are crashing for several reasons so a concerted effort is made to plant milkweeds all along their migatory route. Photographed at Regiona Parks Botanic Garden located in Tilden Regional Park near Berkeley, CA.