Date: 07/12/2021
Number: 1
Three weeks following the first monsoon rainfall, patches of whorled milkweed emerged fully and flowered as illustrated in this ~25 ft-squared patch.
This Rio Grande reach was "canalized" in 1938-1944 to eliminate flash and spring flooding/provide pecan irrigation primarily/and more recently recreation. The river now flows in a rip-rap hardened channel between levee banks. Important arthropod/wildlife habitat has become established along the banks and on the adjacent floodplain.
In the absence of maintenance mowing, which typically occurs annually, milkweed flowers may be produced into August/early September, providing sufficient monsoon rain occurs.
Las Cruces, NM
Latitude: 32.3 Longitude: -106.8
Observed by: James
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