Milkweed Pod Collection in Ohio Runs Through Nov. 10 to Aid Monarch Butterflies

The Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative leads a milkweed pod collection from Sept. 1 through Nov. 10, to support monarch butterflies. Milkweed, the sole host plant for monarchs, has declined on the landscape, directly affecting butterfly populations.

Collected pods of common milkweed, or Asclepias syriaca, provide seeds used to establish new plantings and create additional habitat for monarchs throughout Ohio. Only ripened pods that are dry and gray or brown in color are suitable for collection. Pods are ready when the center seams pop with gentle pressure.

Seeds are best stored in paper bags before being dropped off in the large green bin with a yellow top outside the Carroll Soil and Water Conservation District Office at 1029 Countryside Drive NW, Carrollton.