Milkweed, also known as asclepias, is native to North America, and one of them, Asclepias tuberosa, has been named Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association this year. This plant, sometimes known as butterfly weed or butterfly milkweed, has bright orange flowers that attract a variety of butterflies and bees with nectar and pollen. Butterfly weed’s leaf isn’t a favorite meal of monarch caterpillars, but it can help them survive. This drought-tolerant plant prefers a dry, sunny environment and is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
Upright stems with clusters of bright orange flowers contrast attractively with the shiny green leaves of butterfly weed. Unlike other members of the genus, the stem sap is not milky. This milkweed is not invasive since it does not spread by runners like common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Although deer are not attracted to butterfly weed, aphids can be an issue in gardens and greenhouses.
This plant is expected to be in great demand in the next years. Butterfly weed blooms readily the first year after seeding, but there are a few crucial elements to remember if you want to grow it professionally.
This species displays some of the most extreme photoperiod reactions we’ve ever seen. It’s an obligatory long-day plant, which means it has to flower during long days. When grown at an average of 68° F, plants develop quickly under photoperiods of 14 hours or more, and begin flowering about eight to nine weeks after transplant. Plants that are exposed to photoperiods of 12 hours or less, on the other hand, die dormant after a few days (Figure 1, pictured above). Leaves droop, shoot growth appears to stop, and existing flower buds may suffocate (Figure 2). Unfortunately, simply reverting to longer days will not return the plants to active growth. A nine-week or longer cold treatment is required to break this dormancy; in our testing, all dormant plants treated to 41° F for 15 weeks bloomed.
It is critical to provide long days to plants in order to keep them actively growing. We propose at least 16 hours of daylight or four hours of night disruption illumination. A minimum intensity of 2 molm2s1 should be delivered by photoperiodic illumination. Use incandescent lights or LED bulbs intended to control blooming that emit both red and far-red radiation. Maintain these extended photoperiods for plants until natural daylengths reach at least 14 hours.
Butterfly weed has a huge tap root, making transplanting or dividing established plants difficult. It’s critical to utilize a well-drained medium in container production, so consider adding more perlite to a standard peat+perlite mix. During production and cold treatments, be careful not to over-water. The taproot attracts fungus gnat larvae, so keep an eye on the roots if your plants aren’t doing well.
Butterfly weed can grow up to 3 feet tall in the wild, but in container production, our plants were only 12 to 18 inches tall when they first bloomed. Sprays of daminozide (e.g., B-Nine, Dazide), paclobutrazol (e.g., Piccolo, Bonzi), and uniconazole (e.g., Piccolo, Bonzi) are apparently helpful for height management (e.g., Sumagic, Concise). To help fill out containers, use many plugs per pot or squeeze seedlings soon after transplant.
Are butterfly flowers invasive?
Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush) is a shrub with a cluster of pink to purple flowers and narrow leaves that grows in the San Francisco Bay area and coastal ranges of California, and is invasive in the Pacific Northwest. It is a Chinese native. It prefers riparian and bottomland environments. It is extremely regenerative and can spread through garden waste deposited on the ground. Seeds are kept on the plant throughout the winter and released in the early spring or summer. Seed distribution can begin as early as late autumn or as late as early winter.
Does butterfly milkweed spread?
Milkweed is a favorite of Monarch Butterflies and will attract a swarm of them to your garden or meadow. It can be difficult to start, but once established, it will survive for years and spread rapidly.
Are milkweed and butterfly weed the same thing?
Butterfly weed grows primarily east of the Rocky Mountains, while common milkweed grows across much of the United States. Butterfly weed, the only type of milkweed with these hues, has orange or red blooms, while common milkweed has purplish flowers.
Like most varieties of milkweeds, common milkweed possesses a milky sap, which is what gives milkweeds their name. Butterfly weed sap, on the other hand, isn’t milky. The sap is clear, which distinguishes it from the other milkweed species. Butterfly weed grows between 1 and 3 feet tall, while common milkweed grows up to 5 feet tall.
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
The enormous, flat-topped clusters of bright-orange flowers on this bushy, 1 1/2-2 ft. perennial are appreciated. The leaves are primarily alternate, measuring 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 inches long, pointy, and smooth on the edges. The 2-5 inch wide yellow-orange to bright orange flower clusters are at the apex of the blooming stalk. The magnificent flower heads are set against a dark green backdrop of stiff, lance-shaped leaves.
In home gardens, this beautiful plant is usually cultivated from seed. Its vibrant blossoms are a magnet for butterflies. Pleurisy Root was given to Butterfly Weed because its tough root was chewed by the Indians as a remedy for pleurisy and other respiratory illnesses. Although it’s known as Orange Milkweed, this plant doesn’t have any milky sap.
Is Buddleja Buzz invasive?
Buddleja davidii ‘Buzz Magenta Improved’ (Butterfly Bush) is a beautifully arching deciduous shrub with lance-shaped gray-green leaves and sweetly scented, elongated panicles of vivid magenta flowers. The flower spikes are readily produced from mid-summer to early-fall, and sometimes until the first frost. A fantastic, easy-to-grow dwarf Butterfly Bush that attracts butterflies and blooms late in the summer and into the fall when few other shrubs are in bloom. Perfect for tiny gardens and containers, and excellent for cutting.
Buddlejas Buzz are the outcome of a lengthy and thorough breeding program. The goal was to develop a compact, free-flowering buddleja with good bloom color and sterility.
- This sun-loving plant thrives on average, medium-moisture, well-drained soils. Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, with the exception of damp ones. Drought resistant. In zone 5, this plant will die back, but the roots will regenerate vigorously.
- Shrub borders, foundation plants, butterfly gardens, and cottage gardens are all great options. Ideal for container gardens and small gardens.
- Removing spent flower spikes as soon as possible will usually increase blooms till winter.
- Pruning should be done in the early to mid-spring to allow new growth to mature and flower in the same year. Pruning in the winter can result in frost damage to young sprouts.
Is milkweed an invasive plant?
If you want to construct a butterfly garden, milkweed is a popular choice. This abundant plant provides food for butterflies and pollinators, particularly monarch butterflies, whose larvae eat only milkweed. The wrong type of milkweed plant, on the other hand, can be invasive and soon take over your garden.
You’ll be enjoying butterflies in your new pollinator garden in no time if you learn a few essential basics about which milkweed plants work best.
Monarch butterflies have a one-of-a-kind relationship with milkweed plants, feeding on their nectar and then laying their eggs on them so that the larvae can feed on the plant as well.
Common milkweed can be found in fields and abandoned areas along the roadside all over the state. That, on the other hand, is not the milkweed you want to grow!
The common milkweed is a very aggressive and invasive plant that will quickly take over your butterfly garden.
Fortunately, there are a number of non-invasive options that benefit butterflies and pollinators. The idea is to match the milkweed plant to the circumstances in your garden. There are varieties that thrive in the shade, the sun, the dry, and the wetter environments. Butterfly weed, purple milkweed, swamp milkweed, and white-flowered milkweed are other milkweed plants to try.
Purple milkweed is a good choice for a butterfly garden in a sunny, dry location. The swamp milkweed, on the other hand, prefers the opposite: a moist, shady environment.
Butterfly weed, also known as asclepias tuberosa, can be found in your local garden center or nursery for added color. This plant produces orange or yellow flowers and makes a lovely perennial for your butterfly garden. The whorled milkweed, on the other hand, is a white-flowered milkweed that prefers to dry in the shade.
Grow the milkweed plants in clusters if you have the space. Monarchs and pollinators will be able to feed and lay their eggs there as a result of this. The larvae will then hatch, grow into caterpillars, and convert into additional butterflies, which you will be able to enjoy throughout the summer!
Will milkweed take over my garden?
Asclepias syriaca, or common milkweed, is a perennial plant that can be found in a variety of settings, including roadsides, fields, and gardens. It is a North American native that reproduces mostly via seed. It can spread from its rhizomatous root system after it has established itself. The stems of common milkweed are covered in opposing, oval-shaped leaves. The pink, clustered flowers have a strong scent that attracts a variety of insects, including bees and butterflies. The blossoms eventually give place to rough seed pods, which split open and release silky-haired windborne seeds.
White, latexy sap rich with deadly cardiac glycosides can be found in all parts of the plant. The poisonous chemicals in milkweed prevent most predators from eating it. The monarch butterfly is one of the few exceptions, having evolved the ability to ingest and accumulate the poison in its body as a protective strategy. Monarch butterflies are so dependent on milkweed for survival that they cannot complete their life cycles without it.
Common milkweed is sometimes too aggressive and weedy in the landscape to be commonly used in beds and borders. It thrives in field edges or thickets that aren’t well-kept. If you currently have common milkweed in your garden, remove immature seed pods to prevent further spread. Because milkweed is a perennial, it will reappear in the same location the following season, but its expansion will be limited.
Individual plants can also be hand-pulled or treated with herbicide on a regular basis, but don’t be too hasty this season. Female monarchs have most likely placed their eggs on the undersides of the leaves or are in the midst of doing so. Only one egg is placed per plant on average, and it can be difficult to see. The Monarch caterpillars, which are already active in many areas, are more visible. Feeding marks on the leaves, as well as evidence of frass, are clear indicators of their existence. Their yellow, white, and black banded bodies, as well as black tentacles on the front and back ends, make them highly identifiable. Wait until the butterflies have emerged from their crysalids, or until late spring, before the butterflies arrive, to remove milkweed plants.
If you decide to remove all of the common milkweed from your garden, try replacing it with other native milkweed species that are less invasive. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), and whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), all of which grow in bunches and are suitable candidates for perennial beds, will also attract monarch butterflies. Leave some common milkweed on the margins for the ultimate butterfly habitat.
Which milkweed is not invasive?
Identifying the “best” necessitates a mix of geography, butterfly preferences, and plant performance. Different milkweed plants will thrive in different parts of the country, while butterflies will thrive in other areas “Favorite” is a term that varies by region (and even in the same garden from year to year).
In North America, there are approximately 100 species of milkweed, although not all of them are used by monarch butterflies. I’ll concentrate on well-known plants that have seed, are known to attract Monarch butterflies, and are easy to grow in the garden (with a few exceptions that I will point out in the descriptions below).
This list is not exhaustive, and I recommend that you experiment with a few different varieties in your garden to see what grows well and to provide your Monarchs with a variety of options as well as backups. Every year, many butterfly garden enthusiasts have three or more distinct species of milkweed.
Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)
In most gardens, tropical milkweed is most likely the Monarchs’ favored milkweed. It is not native to the United States, but it has established itself as a perennial in zones 9-11 (perhaps 8b as well). However, because this plant grows quickly and easily from seed and flowers continuously throughout the summer, it is widely used as an annual in the United States and Canada.
It does not need to be cold stratified like many other milkweed seeds, and it produces a large number of collectable seeds each year. To gain a head start on the butterfly season, the seeds can be spread during the winter or started inside early in the spring.
In a sheltered place, this milkweed plant may reseed itself in your garden or even return in the spring. Many butterfly gardeners recommend it, and it’s also a fantastic nectar plant for a variety of other butterflies.
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Swamp milkweed, as well as the following few plants listed below, are known to be favorites of monarch butterflies. It’s impossible to choose one over another as an overall Monarch “favorite” because of native ranges, geographies, and individual garden differences.
Asclepias incarnata is a perennial that may be grown in zones 3 through 8. (some reports include zone 9). Although it is a swamp plant, once established, it will thrive in moderately moist circumstances.
If cold stratified before beginning indoors or sown in the Fall/Winter, it grows quickly from seed. With the exception of the west coast, this milkweed is native throughout the majority of the United States and eastern Canada. It is a lovely addition to a butterfly garden and serves as a nectar plant for a variety of butterflies.
Swamp milkweed isn’t as invasive as other milkweeds, and it stays out of your way in the garden. Swamp Milkweed has photographs, more extensive information, and seeds/plants for sale.
Swan or Balloon Plant (Asclepias physocarpa)
Swan plant, Balloon plant, Oscar, Family Jewels, Hairy Balls, and Giant Swan Milkweed are some of the common names for Asclepias physocarpa (also known as Gomphocarpus physocarpus).
Monarch butterflies love it, and the seed pods are round balls, making it a unique milkweed. The flowers are pleasant but unremarkable; however, the seed pods make this milkweed plant a conversation starter! The pods work well in dried arrangements as well.
Milkweed from the Family Jewels family is native to South Africa. In zones 9-10, it is a fragile perennial that can grow weedy and invasive in tropical environments. In cooler climates, it is planted as an annual. In the fall, seeds can be harvested and transplanted in the spring.
This milkweed is a big, tree-like plant that grows to be 5-6 feet tall. Visit Asclepias physocarpa to see more photographs, receive more information, or buy plants/seeds.
Purple Milkweed Plants
Asclepias purpurascens and Asclepias cordifolia are two separate species of milkweed with the common name “Purple Milkweed.” Heart-leaf milkweed is another name for Asclepias cordifolia. Heart-leaf milkweed is native to California, Nevada, and Oregon, whereas Asclepias purpurascens is native to the United States’ central and eastern regions, as well as Eastern Canada.
Both of these plants are sometimes preferred by butterfly gardeners due to their distinct colour, with darker violet or purple flower hues than most other milkweeds. They are very easy to control and are well mannered in the garden. Asclepias purpurascens resembles common milkweed (described below), but its blooms are much darker and it behaves much better in the garden.
Heart-leaf milkweed is hardy in zones 7-10, while Asclepias purpurascens is hardy in zones 3-8.
Heart-leaf milkweed has more information, photographs, and seeds/plants available here and here.
Will monarchs eat butterfly weed?
While many butterflies require certain host plants to grow their young (a list of other butterfly host plants may be found here), no butterfly is more important to our collective psyche than the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterfly numbers have plummeted in recent decades, and an increasing number of home gardeners want to help by planting a monarch butterfly host plant in their yard.
Monarch butterflies evolved with milkweeds, and as a result, their caterpillars developed a unique adaption that allows them to feed on a plant that few other insects can. Cardenolides are poisonous chemicals found in the latex-based sap produced by milkweed plants. With the exception of a few species, most other insects are unable to metabolize these toxins, which either kills them or causes them to avoid them altogether owing to their unpleasant taste. However, monarch caterpillars absorb these toxins while feeding on milkweed leaves, making the caterpillars themselves poisonous to predators. The poisons contained in the monarch butterfly host plant actually aid to protect the caterpillars and adult butterflies against predators such as birds and other insects.
Here’s a video of Jessica Walliser finding little monarch caterpillars on milkweed in her own backyard.