Tag Archives: Milkweed

Evey day is Earth Day

Plants growing at a farm in North Kohala, Hawaii
A crop growing against a backdrop of wind turbines and the ocean. And, yes, that’s a monarch butterfly happy about the arrangement.
Papaya flowers and fruits growing in Hawaii
Flowers and fruits on a Papaya.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Earth Day.’ See more responses here.

I’m never quite sure what’s appropriate for Earth Day, but I figure nature, farming and renewable energy fit the bill, so here are some photos from a recent walk in the neighborhood.

Madagascar Jasmine flowers in Hawaii
A Madagascar Jasmine vine grows along a fence.
Tropical Milkweed growing at a farm in North Kohala, Hawaii
Tropical Milkweed flowers.
A Hawaiian Beet Webworm moth on a nasturtium flower in Hawaii
A Beet Webworm Moth on a Nasturtium flower.
Plants growing at a farm in North Kohala, Hawaii
A farm with a view!
A fading sunflower in Hawaii
A spent sunflower, but still huge.

Tropical Milkweed

An Asclepias curassavica flower in Hawaii
An Asclepias curassavica flower in Hawaii

Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is an introduced species here. It’s become popular in part because milkweeds are food for butterflies, including Monarch Butterflies, whose numbers have been falling for some time. However, there are questions about whether planting Tropical Milkweed is a good or bad thing.

One concern is that Tropical Milkweed’s perennial habit might be disrupting the Monarch’s epic migrations. Another concern is that the plant hosts Oe (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha), a parasite that adversely infects butterflies, and that is passed down to subsequent generations. This parasite is more prevalent in non-migratory butterflies such as those in Hawaii, but it’s not clear whether Hawaii’s population is suffering in the same way as some of those on the mainland. Hawaii’s Monarchs primarily use Crown Flowers to lay their eggs.