Milkweed is good eating for monarchs, people

The disturbing decline of monarch butterflies has had at least one beneficial side benefit. People across America are cultivating milkweed, the favored food of monarch caterpillars. It is becoming an increasingly common plant in urban areas.

Many people would be astonished to learn that this humble plant also makes tasty human food. Young shoots, stems, flowers and pods are all delicious but require special cooking.

The white sap that gives common milkweed its name is bitter and possibly mildly toxic. Covering young shoots, pods or flowers with boiling water and cooking for about 15 minutes with several changes of fresh boiling water removes the bitterness. Pour on melted butter and enjoy.

Common milkweed is a resilient plant. Light picking yields a tasty human vegetable yet the plant remains healthy and ready to feed caterpillars.

Anyone eating a wild plant for the first time should exercise caution. Proper identification and preparation are vital. Cautious foragers always identify a plant and read cooking instructions from at least two sources before they eat anything new. Fortunately the Internet and wild food books are filled with information and photos that help anyone make a correct identification and learn how to cook milkweed.

•Marion Patterson is an instructor at Kirkwood. Rich Patterson is the former executive director of Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids.