Monarchs, Anyone?

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is blooming now in our area. The plants stand from two to six feet, have fragrant clusters of pink and white flowers, and contain a milky sap. [private]Monarch butterfly larvae feed almost exclusively on milkweed. More than 90 percent of the monarch population has vanished in the last 25 years due to loss of habitat and pesticides. Scientists are interested in creating more habitat. To help, visit www.fws.gov/savethemonarch. Photo taken by Trix Niernberger, who has not seen a monarch on her milkweed in Petersburgh for the last two years. [/private]