Milkweed: A Whole Ecosystem on a Plant
Milkweed plants are important to Monarch butterflies, which depend on milkweed to raise their caterpillars. But Monarchs aren’t the only ones who benefit from milkweed. Scientists once documented hundreds of insect species they found eating some part of the common milkweed plant – including 132 species of beetles alone. When it’s part of a diverse community of plants, milkweed helps many species find food and shelter, including birds.
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2026-04-28
1 min
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Milkweed: A Whole Ecosystem on a Plant | BirdNote Skip to main content Skip to navigation Your Donation Makes BirdNote Possible! Give a Gift Today Today's Show: An App That Helps You Hear High-Pitched Bird Songs Listen In Menu Your Donation Makes BirdNote Possible! Give a Gift Today Today's Show Listen Search All Shows BirdNote Daily Bring Birds Back Threatened BirdNote en Español BirdNote Presents Sound Escapes How to Listen Explore Field Notes BirdNote+ Sights & Sounds Birdwatching Resources for Educators How to Help Birds From Love to Action Take the Survey Resources: Take Action for Birds About Who We Are The Team Board Members DEI/IDEA Commitment Partners Science Advisory Council For Radio Stations Work With Us Contact Us FAQs Support BirdNote Shop Donate Your Donation Makes BirdNote Possible! Give a Gift Today Search Image: Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th! Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction! RESERVE YOUR SPOT Milkweed: A Whole Ecosystem on a Plant April 28, 2026 A plant with countless links to other species. Listen Now Subscribe to BirdNote Daily Share This: Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Email Expand Image © Tom Koerner / USFWS Milkweed plants are important to Monarch butterflies, which depend on milkweed to raise their caterpillars. But Monarchs aren’t the only ones who benefit from milkweed. Scientists once documented hundreds of insect species they found eating some part of the common milkweed plant – including 132 species of beetles alone. When it’s part of a diverse community of plants, milkweed helps many species find food and shelter, including birds. Full Transcript Credits BirdNote ® Milkweed: A Whole Ecosystem on a Plant Written by Conor Gearin This is BirdNote. [Brushy field soundscape] Milkweed plants are important to Monarch butterflies. Adult Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweeds, and their caterpillars feed on the leaves. Milkweed contains a toxin that helps protect the caterpillars from predators. But Monarchs aren't the only ones who benefit from milkweed. Scientists in Ohio once tried to document every insect species they found eating some part of the common milkweed plant. They identified hundreds of species, including 132 kinds of beetles alone. And many bees, butterflies and other pollinator insects visit the milkweed’s flowers. Milkweed is almost like a tiny ecosystem of its own, drawing in creatures of all shapes and sizes. When it’s part of a diverse community of plants, it helps many species find food and shelter, including birds. [Eastern Bluebird song] The fluffy fibers in a milkweed seed pod are the perfect lining for a songbird’s nest. [Eastern Bluebird song] Not to mention, some hummingbirds drink nectar from milkweed flowers! [Hummingbird buzz] Planting milkweed helps the declining Monarch butterfly and a whole host of other species, including birds. Learn how to find seeds for milkweed and other native plants on our website, BirdNote.org. I’m Michael Stein. ### Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill Producer: Sam Johnson Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel Content Director: Jonese Franklin Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Environmental ML305942 recorded by Wil Hershberger, Eastern Bluebird ML534348 recorded by Wil Hershberger, and Anna’s Hummingbird ML6121 recorded by David G. Allen. BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler. © 2023 BirdNote July 2023 & April 2026 Narrator: Michael Stein ID# milkweed-01-2023-07-14 milkweed-01 Reference: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3999873 https://www.thenatureinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/A-Synopsis-of-the-1976-Survey-of-Insects-Frequenting-the-Common-Milkweed-May2015.pdf Conor Gearin Writer Michael Stein Narrator Tags: North America , Conservation , gardening , science Related Resources How to Grow and Care for Common Milkweed More than Monarchs: Bumble Bees’ Role in Milkweed Pollination Garden For Birds — More from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds connect us with the joy and wonder of nature. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world – and take steps to protect it. Support BirdNote About Annual Report Contact Science Advisory Council Pitch Page Work With Us Sign up for our newsletter! Email BirdNote on Instagram BirdNote on Facebook BirdNote on Youtube BirdNote on Tiktok BirdNote on Linkedin Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy
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