Of Monarchs, Milkweeds and Foragers

January 9th, 2025

Foragers and Monarch butterflies form an unlikely partnership when it comes to Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Foragers seek out the young shoots of Common Milkweed as a tasty spring vegetable, while young Monarch butterfly caterpillars depend on milkweed plants to survive (no milkweed = no monarchs!). 

So wouldn’t you expect these two lovers of milkweed to be in direct competition with each other? 

Surprisingly, no! The act of snapping off the young milkweed shoot causes it to send up new shoots, delaying the bloom until later into the season. It also means the plant has younger (and tastier) new growth much later into the summer. Monarch caterpillars, as it turns out, actually prefer the tender new growth which is easier for the baby caterpillars to digest. By the time we get to July, August and September (when Monarchs are visiting the northern states), our milkweed can be a bit old, tough and harder for young caterpillars to chew. That is UNLESS someone or something has somehow delayed its growth… by snapping off a tasty spring shoots for instance. You go, foragers!

Foragers and Monarchs can work together around a love and respect for milkweeds. The Monarch adult acts as a pollinator for mature plants (it's not just the bees who pollinate!). More pollination supports MORE milkweed plants. Foragers who mindfully harvest the young shoots can also help support a greater diversity of ages of milkweed plants later in the season to better supply Monarch caterpillars with food. Foragers who also love eating milkweed can go a step further and cultivate it in places where they notice Milkweed is missing. 

According to the Monarch Watch, 'There are 73 species of native milkweeds in the US. Many of these species are rare, threatened or endangered. Monarchs utilize about 30 of these plants with some regularity as host plants.' Meaning that WE have a unique opportunity as never before to be stewards of these plants in our landscapes. 

But Milkweeds don't just support Monarchs. These plants support HUGE numbers of pollinators and other insects. In fact, according to the US Forest Service, Common Milkweed helps to support over 450 species of insects! With pollen, nectar, leaves, stalks, buds, pods, seeds and roots! A veritable supermarket in the plant world. Foragers and Monarchs both have the opportunity to support a virtuous cycle, supporting more milkweed all around for everyone.

Young milkweed buds are also edible (reminiscent of broccoli!) once boiled in a change of fresh water. 

Boiled milkweed shoots in a breakfast burrito. 

Young boiled milkweed buds are also edible. Also a great food for a number of insects like these baby milkweed bugs. 

Foraging responsibly. As a forager, it is important to harvest mindfully. Harvest only a small portion of the total shoots you find. Leave alone any milkweed stand where there are only a few individuals. Only forage what you will eat. Foragers and gardeners can deeply observe the plants around us. We can act in such a way that supports greater landscape health for the long term, mimicking traditional strategies for land management to maintain thriving and robust landscapes.

While there are MANY species of milkweed out there, I am speaking here specifically about Common Milkweed shoots, buds, and young pods as edible!  Not every species of milkweed may be edible. Get a positive ID and properly process your harvest (usually a quick boil in a change of water) before eating. See the resources below for more details on eating and identifying this awesome plant!

Lastly, watch out for Common Milkweed's LOOKALIKE: Dogbane!  Dogbane is NOT sweet and tasty, but excessively bitter. If your milkweed tastes bitter, don't force yourself to eat it! You may have confused it for Dogbane. Plus, "not forcing yourself to eat something your body is rejecting" is generally a good practice to get into as any forager knows! 

Common Milkweed (left) vs. Dogbane (right). 

Common Milkweed vs. Dogbane: Both have milky sap, though milkweed is hollow and dogbane is not. Milkweed has lightly velvety hair while dogbane is smooth. 

Milkweed tussock moth caterpillars also rely on milkweed as their dominant host plant.  

Monarch egg on the velvety underside of milkweed. 

Drought hardy Butterfly Weed or Butterfly Milkweed is another type of milkweed common in landscapes.

Common Milkweed grows well on the edges of landscapes and used to everywhere. Plant this fragrant wildflower back into landscapes

Have you ever tried common milkweed shoots? Do you have any milkweeds growing in your landscape or garden? Have you ever had Monarch caterpillars in your yard? 

Resources:

Video on Common Milkweed vs. Dogbane ID by Adam Haritan of Learn Your Land: https://learnyourland.com/milkweed-and-dogbane-identification-and-sustainable-foraging/

US Forest Service on Common Milkweed: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/asclepias_syriaca.shtml

Planting (and Sourcing) Milkweeds for Different Ecoregions. Monarch Watch. https://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/milkweed/milkweed-regions-seed-needs/

The Forager Chef's Guide to Milkweed: https://foragerchef.com/guide-to-milkweed/