"Winter won't let go! Native Showy milkweed just starting to come up in my garden. A low of 30°F was predicted for Tuesday morning."
April 11, 2014 Kingfisher, Oklahoma

Risk of Frost
Frost damage to milkweed is a hazard monarchs face in the spring, according to Dr. Lincoln Brower. When monarch eggs hatch on damaged plants, the larvae will die of starvation.

Milkweed and Wing Development
A recent study by Dr. Andrew Davis shows how important milkweed is to healthy development of the adult monarch. What happens if milkweed is restricted from late-stage larvae? He tested the effects of food deprivation in the larval stage on multiple measures of adult wing morphology and coloration of monarchs, a species in which long-distance migration makes flight efficiency critical.

• Does Skipping a Meal Matter?

Milkweed Conservation
Scientists, educators, farmers, and other concerned citizens wrote a letter to President Obama this week urging the United States to restore the landscape with milkweed and nectar plants.

• Letter to White House