How to collect milkweed seed pods

Monarch butterflies have begun migrating across Ohio to their wintering grounds in Mexico. If you’re lucky, you might have seen them fluttering across fields and meadows in recent weeks, probably to visit their favorite native spurge.

Seeing them as often as I have, having recently been listed as endangered, has felt like a blessing to me. But it’s also bittersweet. What if this is one of the last summers I’ll see them this frequently in northeast Ohio?

The demise of the monarch butterflies just feels different. On the one hand, they’ve always been there and they’ve always been part of the scenery. It seems insane to think there would ever be a time when they are rarely, or worse, gone. On the other hand, my daughter and I raised and released 10 monarch caterpillars in 2015 and I don’t think we’ve encountered that many monarch caterpillars in all the years since.

The eastern monarch butterfly population has declined by 80% in the past 20 years. The disappearance of the milkweed is one of the biggest factors in this decline. Spurge is essential to the survival of monarch butterflies. It is their only host plant, meaning it is the only plant that monarch butterflies lay eggs on and the only plant that monarch butterflies eat. Milkweed also provides a food source for monarchs and many other pollinators.

Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative, ien Works with soil and water conservation districts across the state to organize an annual milkweed bean collection. Participation and donation of milkweed seed pods can help restore habitats for endangered monarch butterflies.

Spurge seed pods can be collected from September through November, depending on where you are in Ohio. Then the seeds can be planted in the fall, stored for spring sowing, or donated to a local soil and water conservation district for distribution and planting in the spring.

recognize spurge

If you plan to collect seed pods to donate to a soil and water conservation district, learning to identify different species of milkweed is important. Sometimes only seed pods of certain spurge species are collected. Common spurge is the most desirable species for monarch butterflies, so this is often the species that soil and water conservation districts collect.

Even if you’re collecting other spurge species to plant on your own property, it’s helpful to know what species you’re collecting. Knowing the specific needs of the species can help you choose a site for establishing a new spurge stock.

collect milkweed

where to collect You should only collect spurge on your property or on private property with permission. Collecting spurge seeds from many locations will help increase diversity on your property if you plan on planting the collected seeds. Spurge plants in the same group are closely related.

Which pods to collect? Spurge pods should be collected when they are dry and gray or brown. The center seam of the pod should pop open when gentle pressure is applied, and the seeds inside should be brown. Do not collect pods that are already open. They could be infested with insects. If you come across green or white seed pods, you can make a note of where they are and come back later when they’re done.

How much collect? You should never use more than a third of the pods available in any given area or from any one plant. Ingesting more than this can impair the established spurge stock’s ability to expand and regenerate in the next season.

How do I store pods? Collected pods should be placed in paper bags or grocery bags and kept in a cool, dry place until donated or planted. The spurge species, the date you collected the pods, and the district where you collected them should be noted on the outside of the bag.

What to do with milkweed? Spurge seeds can be donated or planted. Planting spurge in the fall is probably easiest because our climate prepares the seeds to germinate naturally in the spring. However, if you miss planting in the fall, you can recreate this process by storing them in your fridge and planting them in the spring. Here is more information on selecting and planting milkweed in Ohio here.

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