![]() It is a tough one to get rid of, since it spreads by wind-blown seeds and has a large root crown and deep roots. If a Monarch lays her eggs on it, those caterpillars won’t grow large enough to turn into butterflies. It is an incredibly invasive twining weed in the milkweed family. If you see this growing, pull it out! (Photo from UNH Extension )Īnother no-grow is climbing milkweed (Cynachum nigrum), also called black swallow-wort. Learn more about Monarch butterfly migration.īlack Swallow wort. Since the plants don’t die back until late into winter, the Monarchs stay there until it is too late to make their yearly trip to Mexico. It is a beautiful plant with bright yellow/red/orange flowers, but it hosts a parasite that infects the caterpillars and weakens the butterflies when they emerge from their chrysalis. Gardeners in southern states should avoid planting tropical milkweed (A. There are some milkweeds that are not beneficial to Monarchs. See maps showing the native ranges of many types of milkweed. ![]() It needs full sun and is hardy in Zones 3-9. It is drought tolerant, making it a good plant for arid plains and prairie-lands, though it grows well in moist garden soils as well. It has pastel pink flowers on 2- to 4-foot tall plants. speciosa) is native from west of the Mississippi into California and north to Canada. It will grow in wet soil near lakesides or damp marshlands, but also grows well in average garden soil and is hardy in Zones 3-9. It grows 2 to 4 feet tall, has deep rose-pink flowers, and is shade tolerant. incarnata) is also more well-behaved than common milkweed, forming clumps rather than spreading out. Swamp milkweed has thinner leaves and more colorful flowers than common milkweed. It likes full sun and is hardy in Zones 3 to 9. It is commonly grown in gardens, adapts well to moist or dry soil, and its orange flowers are very showy. tuberosa) is less aggressive than its common cousin, growing only 1 to 2-1/2 feet tall. It has pale purple-pink flowers that are very fragrant and attract many pollinators in addition to Monarchs.īutterfly weed is a bright spot in the garden that attracts all kinds of pollinators. It has a wide-spreading root system and needs an area all its own, where it can really stretch out. Don’t plant this in your flowerbed or it will take over. It needs sun, reaches 2 to 6 feet tall with wide, gray-green, velvety leaves, and is an aggressive grower.
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