Caterpillars

[MateoinLosAngeles]

I am considering planting milkweed (Asclepias californica) in my patio in Los Angeles where I'm creating a little pollinator area. This is used by moths and butterflies, where they lay their eggs. Are caterpillars likely to jump from one plant to another?

I have several orchids outside, but the only ones that concern me are my terrestrials, like Thelymitra, Ophrys, Stenoglottis... these are difficult and expensive to find, and also take some work to grow, their tiny size and grass-like structure makes them very easy to be destroyed by a slug or caterpillar. I keep them on a raised table with the legs covered in copper tape to keep slugs away, the table isn't touching any wall and is about a foot away from the closest plant.

Any other precautions? Should I just not risk it with the milkweed?

[Dalachin]

I am not an entomologist, but i think your orchids would not be at all threatened by monarch larvae, they are specialists that eat only certain species of milkweed (Asclepias). Asclepias californica is lovely!

[estación seca]

Lepidopterans tend to specialize narrowly in food plants. It's unlikely any would eat exotic orchids. I seem to recall Monarchs eat only milkweeds of various species.

[Roberta]

Other butterflies and their caterpillars can also be specialists... I ended up with a "volunteer" passion-flower vine, was concerned when I found it covered in very weird caterpillars - which turned out to be the larvae of gulf fritillary butterflies, also gorgeous with their silver spots. The caterpillars were very well behaved, the orchids quite safe.