Monarch butterflies are exceptionally rare in western Washington, but if you're going to see one, June is the most likely month for them to be on this side of the Cascades. Their breeding ground is centralized in the Columbia Basin, but occasionally, an ambitious or misguided individual may cross the mountains. However, milkweed is also scarce here, and it is the host for Monarch caterpillars. I wouldn't want a little Monarch caterpillar to go hungry, so I've put some milkweed in the Barren Wasteland "just in case." I'd also like to have some dried pods for crafting, but although insects succeeded in pollinating a few of the flowers last year (where my own attempts failed), the pods rotted on the plants when our customary wet fall weather arrived. For the record, milkweed has a lovely sweet scent. I can understand the Monarchs' attraction to it, but I have yet to see one.
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