The Effects of Seed Scarification on Milkweed Germination
Location
CoLab, COM 304
Start Date
30-4-2026 1:15 PM
Document Type
Poster
Description
The purpose of this study is to find more optimal ways to germinate milkweed seeds. This is important because milkweed is the primary food source for Monarch Caterpillars. The population of Monarch butterflies has been decreasing. Our research was conducted by testing different scarification methods on two species of milkweed. The milkweed seeds were then cold stratified before being left to germinate. The method of scarification using sand germinated the most seeds in both species. The effects of sand scarification on common milkweed seeds needs to be researched more, almost all of the seeds germinated, but they barely grew. This was potentially due to mold in the petri dish.
Image
The Effects of Seed Scarification on Milkweed Germination
CoLab, COM 304
The purpose of this study is to find more optimal ways to germinate milkweed seeds. This is important because milkweed is the primary food source for Monarch Caterpillars. The population of Monarch butterflies has been decreasing. Our research was conducted by testing different scarification methods on two species of milkweed. The milkweed seeds were then cold stratified before being left to germinate. The method of scarification using sand germinated the most seeds in both species. The effects of sand scarification on common milkweed seeds needs to be researched more, almost all of the seeds germinated, but they barely grew. This was potentially due to mold in the petri dish.
Comments
The faculty mentor for this project was Sarah Powell.