Could Carmel IN Become a Butterfly Champion City?
That’s the bold ambition of the Spring Green Garden Club of Carmel. First step is to remove milkweed from the “value-less plant” category in their local weed ordinance. As the ordinance stands, those who plant milkweed on their property are in violation of Division II: 6-88, and face a possible fine.
Here’s a presentation made by Cathy Weber, chair of the club’s Project Monarch, to the Carmel council.
Mr. Chair, members of the Council, Mayor [Brainard]…On behalf of Spring Green Garden Club of Carmel, I would like to address the Council on the issue of monarch butterfly conservation within the City of Carmel.
More than 90% of North American Monarch Butterflies have been wiped out in the last 20 years. Monarch scientists attribute this decline to the loss of habitat stemming from land development and the widespread eradication of milkweed plants. Milkweed provides a secure habitat and all the nourishment needed to transform the Monarch caterpillar into the adult butterfly. But these plants are rapidly disappearing and the monarchs are disappearing too.
As concerned citizens, Spring Green Garden Club believes Carmel has a critical role in helping to save the monarch butterfly. We feel simple changes in local landscaping ordinances and policies can make a difference for the long-term survival of monarchs. With this in mind, Spring Green Garden Club has two requests to put before the Carmel City Council:
FIRST) Remove milkweed from the list of value-less plants in Carmel’s Public Health and Safety Code, where it is currently listed in Common Weeds of the United States as an undesirable or value-less plant. Specifically, we propose the top 15 varieties of Indiana Native milkweed should be defined as Valued Plants.
Additionally, Spring Green Garden Club recommends convening city park and public works staff to identify opportunities for revised mowing programs and allow for milkweed habitats. And direct city property managers to consider the use of native milkweed and nectar plants at city properties where appropriate.
SECOND) We request that Mayor James Brainard take the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge. This action has already been taken by 13 mayors in the state of Indiana, including Zionsville, Westfield, and Indianapolis.
This to be followed by the mayor and his staff working toward becoming a Monarch Champion City by taking these specific actions:
First, declare September 2019 “Monarch Butterfly Awareness Month” in the City of Carmel, in recognition of when monarchs begin their winter migration, passing through Indiana on their way to winter habitats.
Second, create a webpage providing information about planting monarch friendly backyards or container gardens as part of the National Pollinator Garden Network’s Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, this is a program endorsed by the National Garden Club and The Garden Clubs of Indiana.
Finally, Spring Green Garden Club recommends using two or more roundabouts to establish Monarch Waystations with official signage. Spring Green Garden Club has vetted 2 locations for this purpose: a) The roundabout at Keystone & 116th street, which features vegetation including a variety of native plants, that make it ideal for transitioning to aMonarch Waystation. b) The roundabout at Gilford & Carmel Drive, which features a large planter and space for appropriate vegetation to be cultivated.
Milkweed and Monarch Facts:
With regard to Division II: 6-88 Removal of Weeds, Debris, and Other Such Rank Vegetation — Weeds shall include any plant that is not valued where it is growing, and is of rank growth, tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants and/or is listed as a weed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture publication entitled Common Weeds of the United States, or in any similar government publication.
Glider pilots have reported monarchs flying as high as eleven thousand feet.
A female Monarch lays one egg at a time, up to 500 per day.
Several studies have documented mortality rates of over 90% during the egg and larva stages.
Monarch caterpillars eat 200 times their birthweight in milkweed leaves in 10 – 14 days.
Monarch caterpillar can easily defoliate an entire one-gallon milkweed plant–consuming 175 – 200 leaves per caterpillar–before moving to the chrysalis stage.
Native Milkweed Examples:
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Asclepias incarnata (‘ice ballet’ swamp milkweed)
Asclepias perennis (aquatic milkweed)
Asclepias purpurascens (purple milkweed)
Asclepias sullivantii (prairie milkweed)
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
Asclepias tuberosa (‘hello yellow’ butterfly weed)
Asclepias variegata (redring milkweed)
Asclepias verticillata (whorled milkweed)
Asclepias viridis (spider milkweed)
Cynanchum laeve (honeyvine milkweed)