A zebra swallowtail butterfly alights on common milkweed blossoms . was the milkweed . The intent was to use the hoe to strike the tubular root below the soil of the milkweed thus killing the plant above the ground . There were times I would accidently strike the milkweed above ground and while bending over to move the stem , would be amazed at the milky liquid dripping from the broken stalk . Cutting these stalks while the soybeans were still in their prime growing phase soon saw the beans casting shade over the previously removed milkweed , stunting their growth and effectively killing it for the remainder of the year . Less weeds in the soybeans meant more money per bushel for my grandfather when we ’ d haul them by the semi load to the grain elevator .
I didn ’ t know it then , but those were some of the last times I would see milkweed growing abundantly in the wild . The advent of genetically modified crops ( GMO ) that were herbicide resistant meant entire fields could be sprayed with herbicide killing everything but the primary crop in the field . While large swaths of America ’ s heartland deal with the reduction of wildlife habitat stemming from the herbicide sprayed on crops , these areas have an option for returning to previous , less harmful methods . That option , however , remains practically nonexistent for Loudoun County as we watch large expanses of our farmland sold off to be developed . As urban sprawl continues , a 2019 press release from Loudoun County showed from 2012-2017 Loudoun lost 12,860 acres of farmland . This farmland , which ultimately is developed into houses , roads , and manicured lawns , permanently removes valuable real estate for the perpetuation of butterfly habitat .
The good news is that there are areas of Loudoun County in which farmers and citizens have decided to make a difference by
Common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca ), as the name suggests , tends to be the most numerous of the milkweed varietal in our area . From the plains of the Midwest to the entire Atlantic Coastline ,
The good news is that there are areas of Loudoun County in which farmers and citizens have decided to make a difference by planting and encouraging the natural establishment of habitat helpful to our local butterflies and bees .
planting and encouraging the natural establishment of habitat helpful to our local butterflies and bees . Milkweed has always played a part in Loudoun ’ s attractiveness to butterflies but there are three particular varietals that you may run across while traveling Loudoun ’ s countryside . one can find this plant across the numerous states in between . Although named the common milkweed , these days it is getting more and more difficult to find growing wild in Loudoun . You may spot this in open meadows and ditches along gravel roads usually growing a bit taller than the grass
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