A stand of showy butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) in the Tawes Garden meets its intended purpose--lunch for hungry monarch butterfly caterpillars. Although adult monarchs suck the nectar of a variety of flowers and fruits, the caterpillars consume /only /the leaves of various milkweed species. No milkweeds, no monarchs. So while some stems are gnawed bare, temporarily disfiguring the plant, the milkweed will survive the loss and launch its fluffy, parachuted seeds on the autumn breezes, ensuring more milkweeds and more monarchs next year. Plant milkweeds, get monarchs; it's that simple.