Seed Balls for Monarch Butterflies
In this activity, you make 2-3 seed balls filled with milkweed seeds. After the seed balls dry, you can throw them into an area that gets plenty of sun and water or you can give them away as gifts.
What You Need
- A piece of clay
- Clean soil
- 20-30 milkweed seeds
- 1-2 toothpicks
- Table cloth
- Craft stick for stirring
- Newsprint
- A container to mix
- Water
Guide:
What To Do
To make the seed ball
- Cover your workspace with a piece of tablecloth.
- In a container, add equal amounts of soil and clay, along with a little bit of water (just enough water to bind the clay and soil). The clay helps to protect the seed from drying out in the spring before it germinates and also helps to prevent animals from eating the seeds.
- Roll about 1/3 - 1/2 of the soil/clay mixture into a ball (around 1 inch in diameter).
- Using a toothpick, poke some holes into the ball and add seeds (add roughly 1/3 of the seeds).
- Roll the ball again so the holes are covered.
- Place some seeds on the tablecloth and roll the ball in the seeds so there are a few on the outside as well.
- Place your seed ball on a piece of newsprint to dry. Let it dry 2 to 3 days.
- Place your seed ball in an air tight container until you are ready to plant them.
To plant the seed ball
- Plant in the fall after a few frosts, when here is no chance that the seeds will start to germinate.
Discovery
Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, have to lay their eggs on milkweed plants because the leaves of the milkweed are the only food monarch caterpillars can eat. By planting milkweed seeds, you are helping Monarch butterflies find more places to lay their eggs and feed the caterpillars.
The Monarch is on the Canadian Species at Risk Act as an endangered species. This means it is at risk for going extinct like the dinosaurs did. One of the reasons the Monarch is endangered is because of a loss of milkweed plants.
Guide:
What's Happening?
Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, have to lay their eggs on milkweed plants because the leaves of the milkweed are the only food monarch caterpillars can eat. By planting milkweed seeds, you are helping Monarch butterflies find more places to lay their eggs and feed the caterpillars.
Why does it matter?
The Monarch is on the Canadian Species at Risk Act as an endangered species. This means it is at risk for going extinct like the dinosaurs did. One of the reasons the Monarch is endangered is because of a loss of milkweed plants.
