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Milkweed Seed Bombs

Gradient Ocean

Terry Cullen

Mar 11, 2022

United States

Categories:

Habitat Preservation, Insects, Migration, Conservation

Milkweed seed bombs sound ominous, but far from it, it is a novel way to save the Monarch butterfly. These beautiful black, orange, and white butterflies, native to North America, are disappearing because of the loss of their food source and place where they lay their eggs, milkweed.


Save Our Monarchs (https://www.saveourmonarchs.org), a grassroots non-profit group, would like to reverse that course and save this exquisite little creature. The good news is that you can help, and it is easy to do.


Monarch butterflies are extraordinary. The Eastern Monarch butterfly migrates up to 3,000 miles from Canada and the U.S. to the same forest in central Mexico and back again over the course of four to five generations. It is the most evolved migratory pattern of its kind.


How do these creatures find their way back to the same forests in Mexico? They are so delicate in physical form and yet can endure such a long migration. Why or how they make this epic journey is not entirely known.


What we do know is that human activities are killing them. Unless we find a way to reverse the dramatic decline, the Monarch butterfly could become extinct. Humans have converted natural grasslands, home to milkweed, to farmland. Then we applied herbicides and pesticides in increasing numbers, killing both butterflies and milkweed, and destroyed the forests in Mexico where they migrate and hibernate.


I have many fond memories of Monarch butterflies. I grew up in one of their migratory paths in southwestern Ontario (Canada). As a young school child, I remember a field trip to Point Pelee National Park. Each autumn, the Monarchs gathered there in great numbers, preparing to make the long trek across Lake Erie to the U.S. mainland. They clung to the trees alongside the point of land, jutting out into the lake, waiting for the winds to be just right before flying aloft. Many years later, I had the opportunity to visit the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, the terminus of their migration and during their winter hibernation. Millions of butterflies fluttered through the air or clung to the trees. Close your eyes, and you can hear the soft fluttering of countless wings beating the air.


Save Our Monarchs has a novel way of helping save the Monarch butterfly; they plant milkweed and encourage others to do likewise. The organization reaches out to individuals and organizations and asks them to support the monarchs by planting milkweed. If you sign up at their website, they will send you milkweed seeds.


And you can learn how to make milkweed seed bombs. According to Save Our Monarchs, a seed bomb is a quarter-sized ball made of clay, compost, and seeds used to plant milkweed and other native plants casually. The website also explains why seed bombs work better than scattering seeds loosely:


The clay protects the seed from drying out in the sun, and the seed bombs are heavy enough not to be affected by wind or heavy rains.
The clay casing deters animals from eating them.
The shape of the ball conserves moisture.
The compost provides nutrients for the seeds.
As the seeds begin to germinate and grow, they provide shade for the next generation of seeds.


Once you have made your seed bombs, you toss them into appropriate places to grow. There is a right and wrong way to do this, so please consult with Save Our Monarchs before dispersing your bombs. Thankfully, milkweed is a low-maintenance plant, and it is a perennial, meaning it will grow back year after year.


The seed bombs look a little like truffles (if you squint hard). Save Our Monarchs suggest that seed bombs make lovely gifts, even suggesting that they could be wedding and party favors.


Get inspired to help the Monarch butterflies in your community. Making and distributing milkweed seeds bombs can be an ideal project for schools, community garden groups, churches, horticultural groups, and local governments, among others.


And if you do not live in an area where the Monarch butterflies live, consider using the seed bomb technique to grow plants that other butterflies and wildlife need to survive. For example, when I lived in Florida, I planted coral honeysuckle, and the flowers attracted honeybees and other butterflies. Butterfly gardens are simple to grow alongside your vegetable gardens. We beautify the world with more flowering plants as we throw our support to save the Monarchs. Sounds like a win-win to me.


To learn more about Save Our Monarchs, obtain milkweed seeds and learn how to make your own milkweed seed bombs, please click on the link below.

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Catalog #:

0222.100.01.03112022

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