Milkweed, Monarchs, and More

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of milkweed for monarchs and conservation efforts with experts from Daniel Stowe Conservancy.

Hosts Jason Bonham and Dylan Wrubel are joined by Janet Manuel and Cassy Hallman from Daniel Stowe Conservancy to discuss Trailhead’s tastings and then spotlight milkweed (Asclepias): its latex, toxins, specialized pollination, flowers, and silky seed pods, plus historical uses like WWII life-jacket stuffing. They explain milkweed’s role as a keystone host plant for monarchs and highlight Carolina-native species and conservation through Stowe’s new regional seed bank and nursery. They warn against tropical milkweed because it spreads OE parasite and disrupts monarch migration.

People in this episode

Hosts: Jason Bonham, Dylan Wrubel

Guests: Janet Manuel, Cassy Hallman

Topics covered

• milkweed
• monarchs
• conservation
• pollination
• seed bank
• historical uses

Keywords

• milkweed
• monarchs
• conservation
• pollination
• seed bank
• tropical milkweed
• historical uses

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Products: milkweed

Places: Carolina

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