Most of us may automatically think “monarch” after hearing the word “milkweed,” or vice versa. And that's in fact a critical and intimate relationship, the one between monarch butterflies and native milkweed plants.
But the genus Asclepias offers sustenance to a wide diversity of animal species beyond just that one beloved insect.
Today's guest is Eric Lee-Mader, author of the recent book “Milkweed Lands: An Epic Story of One Plant: Its Nature and Ecology.” Eric is an ecologist at the invertebrate-focused Xerces Society, where he is the pollinator and agricultural biodiversity co-director. He and his wife also operate Northwest Meadowscapes in Port Townsend, Wash., providing regional native seeds and consultation services for meadowmakers.
In the age of climate change, my guest on today’s reprise edition of the podcast told me, we can expect “more poison ivy and...
In a recent phone call, today’s guest, Tim Johnson, used the phrase “bio-productive gardens,” and it stopped me. What does he mean by that,...
If it thaws outside, should I clean up now, or what if I do and then the weather gets freezing cold again? What am...
