Date: 03/31/2007

Number: 1

I checked the milkweeds in Monarch Waystation #1 yesterday morning to see if any had begun to poke through the soil. I figured if they were coming up anywhere, it should be in the garden.
I looked but found none. Later in the day I ran into Margarete, our ace Master Gardener who dispenses her wisdom and skills to make the garden a showpiece. One of the first things Margarete said to me was - "Did you see the verticillata? It's up. The incarnata too." Astounded, I followed Margarete out to the garden where she showed me three clumps of emerging verticillata and numerous clumps of incarnata with new shoots. I missed them. I didn't look in the right parts of the garden.

Milkweed typically begins emerging around the 10th of April in the warmest locations such as the margins of dirt roads and burnt over fields. The plants in the garden had been above ground at least two days (29th). Too early can be bad and it looks like the early bloom is going to be a disaster this year. Freezing temperatures are predicted for at least three mornings beginning on Wednesday - with temperatures reaching the mid 20s on two of these nights. Those who grow apples and grapes in this area could lose their entire crops.

As for the milkweeds, it will be interesting to see if the shoots are killed back to the ground. Even if they are, we should have new grow for the relatively few overwintering monarchs make it this far north.
The earliest monarch for me in eastern Kansas was seen on the 7th of April. It is more common to see monarchs here after the 14th with most being seen between the 14th and 21st.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Lawrence, KS

Latitude: 39 Longitude: -95.2

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