Tammy SonsFounder/CEO, TN Nursery · CEO TN Nursery

Monarch Caterpillars Devouring Milkweed at TN Nursery 🐛🌿🦋 #MonarchCaterpillars #MilkweedMagic

19 Sept 2025 · 3 min

Watch on YouTube

2:53

In this on‑camera field demo, Bailey from TN Nursery shows a milkweed patch that was lush five days ago but is now almost completely stripped of leaves by a massive swarm of monarch caterpillars. Bailey points out individual caterpillars, cocoons, and the extent of the damage, emphasizing how many insects are needed to consume the plant. The narration stresses the critical role of native milkweed for monarch survival, citing a claim that monarch butterflies could be extinct within five years if habitat loss continues. The video ends with a promotional call‑to‑action, urging viewers to purchase milkweed from tnursery.net to support conservation and experience the same phenomenon in their own gardens.

Chapters

Hey guys, it's Bailey with TN Nursery, and this is all milkweed. And this milkweed was full and full of leaves about 5 days ago, and we went on vacation, and now it's just completely gone. Look! And I thought to myself, I know exactly what done that. And yep, look here. I need to put my hand behind it. That's the only way my camera will focus. Look at the monarch! And can you just look? He's eating the stalk right now. And look at all this. Now I can't hardly see them caterpillars, I'm nearly blind, but could you imagine how many caterpillars it took to eat? This is a million milkweed. This is— I've never— oh my gosh, I'm so excited. But I'm not joking to you, I'm not joking. 5 days ago this was absolutely full and flush with complete, uh, leaves. And oh, look at her! There ain't no telling how many cocoons is in here. But y'all ever seen the— oh my gosh, look how empty the leaves are where they've ate the far out of the leaves. Look at that. Oh my word, they're everywhere, y'all! Look at this. Good grief, look, look at him making on that milkweed. Oh, there's another one right there. I want y'all to look, and you know, if they're like that right here, they're all— look. Oh yeah, look at that. They have annihilated our— annihilated our milkweed. Look at this. Oh, there's one right there. That is so exciting. This is why native plants are important. Look at this. These are, uh, monarch caterpillars. Monarchs is expected to be extinct in 5 years, but if we could all pitch in and plant some milkweed— y'all just look, that's a testimony. I don't know what that little fella is. Look at all the— oh my gosh, look at all the monarchs! And look, that's a million milkweed, and they're all bare because of the monarchs. Oh my goodness, that's so exciting! Let me see. Well, my video's getting too long. Shop now at tnursery.net. We have this beautiful milkweed for sale, and y'all can see what it benefits right here.