This week in Illinois, my friend Asclepias was freed from banishment and declared innocent of weediness. I interviewed the syriaca representatives (S) of genus Asclepias about their new freedom. Syriaca also wanted to update us on what happened to a Missouri woman busted last year for growing weeds, the crown awarded Asclepias this summer, and their excellent support for another royal.
Q: So what’s the problem? Why were you banned and attacked?
S: The discrimination began centuries ago when European colonists saw us growing wild and noticed that, if cut, we bled a milky sap. So they called us “milkweed.” People got a rash from the sap, too. This wasn’t a big problem until humans brought livestock into our habitats. They worried that our milky sap would poison their animals, so they began cutting us down. Recently, the genocide increased as humans labelled us invasive weeds and sprayed us with deadly chemicals.
Q: Is that true? Do you poison cows, horses, and other grazing animals?
S: Honestly, we taste awful! It’s because of the compounds (cardenolides) we produce to defend ourselves from being eaten and, yeah, they are toxic. But a horse would have to eat large quantities to be poisoned. No sane horse or cow is going to eat enough milkweed to get sick when other forage is available. If we milkweed are a problem for livestock, it’s because the rancher has a barren pasture and needs to cultivate forage grasses and legumes. We also grow on rangelands and, if humans protect the natural plant diversity, there’s something for everyone. You don’t see deer lying dead in a patch of chewed milkweed, do you? One mouthful is enough to tell an animal we aren’t good to eat.
Q: Still, you admit to being poisonous. Why shouldn’t we limit where you can grow?
S: Our milky sap’s toxins are taken up by monarch butterfly larvae as they eat the leaves. Monarchs advertise their toxicity with orange and black wing patterns to warn predators they are poisonous prey. Without our leaves, monarchs won’t survive. Plus many other pollinators enjoy our flowers. Studies show that monarch butterfly declines correlate with fewer of us milkweed, as well as fewer nectar plants that also are called “weeds.” These losses parallel increases in croplands. Industrial agriculture has devastated us. You’ve taken away our lands and slaughtered us.
Q: But you are invasive! How can you say our aggression is wrong?
S: You thought you were helping the nature you favor (livestock and forage) by killing plants you called weeds. But you didn’t have all the details. There are nearly 100 species of Asclepias in the U.S. and we each have our habitat preferences. Only a few of us want to live on disturbed land. We invaders are important because areas denuded by wildfires, landslides, and other natural disasters need plant colonizers. Not many Asclepias prefer your trashed fields and road edges. But, when you create so much disturbed land you encourage those colonizers to move in. This makes us looks bad.
Q: Well, it sounds like human misunderstandings led to your troubles. Congratulations on being vindicated of your weed crimes in Illinois. Is there anything else you want to say about that?
S: Yes, we all collaborated and wrote a press release we’d like you to share.
Tuesday november 7, 2017 — for immediate release
contact: members of genus asclepias native to your area
Today, the Illinois state government used science to inform legislation and rule1 that milkweed isn’t a weed. The legislation (Sec. 5-1057.5. Milkweed classification) further rules that milkweed cannot be classified as a noxious or exotic weed. We hope this legislation ensures that we milkweed will not be eradicated under noxious weed ordinances and that people won’t be busted2 for growing us. (We commend The City of Maplewood Missouri for dropping charges against Alice Hezel. Now the city needs to spring our Asclepias cousins from their weed ordinance.3)
Vindication of milkweed in Illinois is important because northern states are prime monarch breeding habitat now and will be even more critical as climate change increases temperatures.4 Also, don’t forget our flowers are important nectar sources for many wasps, bees and other butterflies.5
Our freedom is especially appreciated since we were crowned the Official Illinois State Wildflower in August 2017.6 This royal status coordinates with the honor done to monarchs. Thanks to lobbying by children 41 years ago, the monarch butterfly was already designed the State Insect.7
- Lawmakers approve plan to protect monarch butterfly habitat. (The Illinois Senate approved the plan 41-6 Tuesday. It awaits Governor Bruce Rauner’s signature.)
- Who says what is or is not a weed? (A 70 year old woman in Maplewood Missouri was arrested for growing common milkweed and other pollinator plants in her front yard.)
- Good News! Maplewood dropped the charges.
- Had We But World Enough and Time explains the studies showing changes to monarch’s suitable habitat due to climate change.
- A study of insect pollinators of milkweed species collected different 170 insects from plants.
- Governor OK’s Illinois’ Official Pet, Exercise, and Wildflower (FYI: shelter dogs/cats, cycling, and milkweed.)
- Illinois State Insect