Monarch butterflies will only lay their eggs on milkweed! (Who knew? There is a chemical contained in all milkweeds, and this makes the caterpillars taste really awful to birds that might attack them.)
The caterpillars hatch from the eggs and immediately begin munching on milkweed leaves. They can completely destroy a milkweed plant in a day or two, which is why you need to plant plenty of it.
There are several different types of milkweed, and some are better for Monarchs than others.
You can learn about several of them here:
Best and Worst Host Plants for the Monarch
When you think you can identify them all, try this Matching Game.
Click on Matching when you get to the EasyNotecards page.
Record your score and time on your packet. This is Station #3.
Curious to Learn More?
Check out this beautiful time lapse video of a Monarch eclosing. Can you tell whether this is a male or a female?
Answer:
It’s really hard to catch the right spot, but at 2:23, the Monarch’s wings are wide open and you can see the black dot that indicates that this is indeed a male.