" if you don't own the land, someone else does."

I think that sums it up very well, Rick!

(I've always assumed your avatar was a drawing of Audrey 2 )

Weedwhacker said:" (I've always assumed your avatar was a drawing of Audrey 2 )

I thought it was the plant thing on Super Mario Brothers that came out the pipe

On other forums, where I can put a caption underneath my avatar, it says "Hungry for knowledge".

I think you'd have to use a photo editing program to add the wording and then download the edited photo as your avatar.

Love the "hungry for knowledge" caption!!

Weedwhacker said:

Rick, my understanding is that the state (or maybe the county?) controls -- or perhaps owns -- the right-of-way? Which, in Michigan, is "66 feet, or two rods (33 feet), on each side of each section line" (which I don't entirely understand - what do they mean by section line?). I do know that our property description is blah, blah, blah, lying north of county road A-31, blah, blah, blah.... but, truthfully, I'm not at all sure where our property would actually start if not right at the pavement. I know we mow along the shoulder... LOL. Things are pretty loosely controlled here in the UP, I think.

The section line is the centerline of the road. In most states roads that are maintained by the state or county have right of ways on each side of the road. Most also have this right of way on city roads too. The width of the right of way can vary depending on the type of road and the state guidelines. If it is being mowed by the county then it is in their control. The right of ways are there for road maintenance purposes mostly, and sometimes to allow for future widening.

MI has some hefty fines for picking, digging or destroying their protected plants. I always think of Trillium in that regard. People were always getting caught trying to take them from forests when I was growing up. Milkweed though was really common in my area so I am guessing you could find a source for seeds.

Good post, Leslie -- thank you! I wonder what happens when they use their right-of-way to widen the road... do they then somehow have more right-of-way beyond the edge? This isn't something that directly affects me, we're set WAY back from the road, they can feel free to widen away if they want (maybe then they would at least dig the ditches out again), but in the nearest town they recently did a widening which practically put the highway on the doorstep of some houses .

But, regarding the milkweed -- I would highly recommend buying seed to start plants from, rather than collecting established plants; many varieties of milkweed seed are available, and that way you are truly increasing the milkweed population.

Milkweed was such a part of my childhood. I am not sure I could grow it where I live now in NC. I never see Monarchs anymore either which I really miss.

Lestv said:Milkweed was such a part of my childhood. I am not sure I could grow it where I live now in NC. I never see Monarchs anymore either which I really miss.

There are so many different types of milkweed, there must be some that grow in NC (I think?).

Unfortunately, the Monarchs are very rare in my yard for the past few years -- especially since the terrible winter of 2013/2014, despite having been plentiful prior to that. Oddly, though, an official "Monarch count" is done on the Stonington Peninsula up here, which is just across the Lake Michigan "bay of Green Bay" from where I am, and the numbers have been up the past couple of years. So, I keep planting more milkweed, in hopes that they will show up here again.

Weedwhacker said:Good post, Leslie -- thank you! I wonder what happens when they use their right-of-way to widen the road... do they then somehow have more right-of-way beyond the edge? This isn't something that directly affects me, we're set WAY back from the road, they can feel free to widen away if they want (maybe then they would at least dig the ditches out again), but in the nearest town they recently did a widening which practically put the highway on the doorstep of some houses .

But, regarding the milkweed -- I would highly recommend buying seed to start plants from, rather than collecting established plants; many varieties of milkweed seed are available, and that way you are truly increasing the milkweed population.

Great point again!

Weedwhacker said:

There are so many different types of milkweed, there must be some that grow in NC (I think?).

Unfortunately, the Monarchs are very rare in my yard for the past few years -- especially since the terrible winter of 2013/2014, despite having been plentiful prior to that. Oddly, though, an official "Monarch count" is done on the Stonington Peninsula up here, which is just across the Lake Michigan "bay of Green Bay" from where I am, and the numbers have been up the past couple of years. So, I keep planting more milkweed, in hopes that they will show up here again.

Here's a field guide to Georgia milkweeds:
http://www.eealliance.org/asse...

I'm sure that most grow in NC.
I rarely see monarchs, my garden is kinda out of the route... The monarch that I saw this spring failed to visit the milkweeds.... Just nectared at the stokesia, and then left.

While common milkweed seed is readily available at Those "free seed" websites, it doesn't grow well in my sand.... The asclepias tuberosa is better choice, and the seeds are often up on those seed racks at the big box store.

Tropical milkweed is super easy, but there's a lot of controversy surrounding them... As being non-native... And possibly keeping the butterflies here past the appropriate fly away date... As well as concerns about butterfly pests.

After growing the easy milkweeds from seed, maybe you can experiment with the others... But matching the ideal conditions may be difficult, some of them are real specific as to growing conditions.

Speciosa the tropical one- is controversial because it needs whacked down in the fall, or it can give the monarchs a disease. It regrows and is fine then. Syriaca isn't local either, but naturalized.
Monarchs and other butterflies tend to return to where they were raised, so some areas see fewer than others.
PS- meant to add. State property such as roadsides belong to the gov't. They call it poaching. Their property lines and easements are filed in property tax offices and public domain viewing. Same as your property boundary lines

Speciosa is a US native. Currisavica is the introduced variety that is controversial.

My bad, curassavica is the tropical.

kittriana said: Speciosa the tropical one- is controversial because it needs whacked down in the fall, or it can give the monarchs a disease. It regrows and is fine then. Syriaca isn't local either, but naturalized.
Monarchs and other butterflies tend to return to where they were raised, so some areas see fewer than others.
PS- meant to add. State property such as roadsides belong to the gov't. They call it poaching. Their property lines and easements are filed in property tax offices and public domain viewing. Same as your property boundary lines

Please explain the disease part, never heard.

What I have learnt, is, that if you like I a divided climate region , that does NOT get cold enough o kill off the tropical milkweed, it stays alive, provoking the monarchs to stay, ultimately to there doom.

I certainly wouldn't want that to happen. If you keep just a small patch it shouldn't be too hard to cut it back every fall.

Lestv said:I certainly wouldn't want that to happen. If you keep just a small patch it shouldn't be too hard to cut it back every fall.

Knowledge is the best weapon

This may be lackadaisical, but you could figure out what KIND of police would enforce the "no-poaching" rules. For example, State Cops probably have the only authority on Interstates.

Call the local State Police barracks and ask THEM if it is OK to harvest seed pods or cuttings along a specific stretch of road, so you can propagate more of them. You might even say "and I'm going to re-plant 1/3rd of my sprouts in public places for the butterflies".

I'm guessing they won't care, and might say "no problem".
But they might say "You have to ask your lawyer, that's Not My Job!"

It wouldn't hurt to ask. I think in many areas they wouldn't mind as long as you don't go into the private property behind the right of ways. Asking first though!

I can give you an experience that really speaks to your question. In Washington it is illegal to take pick or dig plantings from the sides of roads and freeways, etc. One year, following a clear cut of some timber, one field popped up with more Foxgloves than I had ever seen in my life. I have always noticed clearcuts bring Foxgloves but this one must have just been the most perfect environment for them. I did not even think, my car was pulled over, and I climbed up a steep little hill in a dress and heels, and just took in the glory of all the 5 to 7 foot stalks of lavender, purple and white flowers eye to eye with me. It felt like a corn field of flowers, and a special special act of nature. Again, I did not think. Before I knew it, I had 5 stalks in my arms, (biennials die in two years) I was brought back to down to earth by the sound of a car door. I went to edge of the hill, and there below me, was a Stater, with the fosters grants and the toothpick, just looking up at me,and there I stood, in a dress with armloads of flowers. At the sight of him, I just dropped those flowers like I had never seen them before. Removing the toothpick, He asked what I thought I was doing. I really was scared I was in some big trouble. I said "Well, I guess I was stealing flowers" He smiled, and said "I better keep you away from my wife, she comes home with dirt on her dress from stealing flowers too. Grab a couple extra for the missus, and I will let you off with a warning. However, this was private land, owned to farm timber. A daisy or Biennial is one thing, though technically it is against the law here and I could have been cited. But no, I would not go into a yard, foreclosed or not, and dig up plants. You sure could give the bank a call and ask tho.

Love the story of your experience Laurie. I bet that was a pretty sight. Glad you came out of it without a fine.