Milkweed seed pod collection is underway in Richland County and Richland SWCD thanks everyone who has collected and dropped them off. There is still plenty of time to collect, so if you haven’t started yet, it’s not too late. If anything, the season seems to be a little behind.
When collecting, look for pods that appear slightly gray and are dried out before picking. Seeds inside should be brown before harvesting. Please remember, if you want to pick on private property, you need to ask for permission first.
Last year’s massive statewide seed collection effort was spearheaded by the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative (OPHI), which is working to get the word out about why monarch butterflies are disappearing and help partners create monarch habitat. The disappearance of milkweed, the only host plant for monarch caterpillars, across the U.S. has contributed to the 80% decline of the eastern monarch butterfly population over the last 20 years: http://ow.ly/ncwE30fwsKC
Collect the pods in a brown paper bag and drop them off at the Richland SWCD office at 1495 W. Longview Avenue, Suite 205B, Mansfield, OH 44906, in the green and yellow container. During winter, the seeds will be removed from the pods and we will distribute them for planting. We support saving the Monarch Butterfly and the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative and know you do, too!