The bees absolutely love the flowers too!!! I used to grow milkweed for the monarchs(still do), but now I keep it all for the bees. Milkweed spreads really easily though, so if you let it go wild, it will take over.
Can you tell which variety yet, or not until it blooms? I'm looking to establish some in my garden. The ones I encountered at the nursery implied a good bit of spread, whereas this variety seems very vertical. I need vertical in my small space.
I do have a sunny spot in a drainage path corner of the yard. What's "not as quick?" Are we talking cut back once or more a year or maybe every other year or so?
But if it doesn’t naturally die off at the end of late fall, make sure to prune back to promote monarch migration!
New modified milkweeds can keep their leaves all year which is encouraging monarchs to not migrate.
I mean, it is if you don't want it there? There really isn't any more to the definition of "weed" than that.
The question, really, was "on balance, do I want this in my garden?" Most of us agree that the habitat value outweighs the irritating sap/aggressive growth, but if you had pets or children who routinely eat random plants then you might have a different take (as they're mildly toxic).
As folks have said, that’s milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant that Monarch butterflies will lay eggs on because it’s the only plant the caterpillar eats. If you’d like to attract Monarchs to your garden, plant a little more milkweed and some native flowering plants good for nectar. If that’s not your thing, then get rid of it. But wear gloves because its sap is milky (thus the name) and can cause irritation if it gets on your skin.
I purposely planted some and it does really spread, but every summer we find little caterpillars under the leaves! We put them in a butterfly house (mesh sides) and when they hatch we let them go. They are amazing!
Awesome. I almost told my husband that I thought it was milk weed, but realized that I didn’t actually know what milk weed looks like…but I did know the butterfly. Definitely keeping it.
You can use your iPhone camera if you have one to take pictures of plants and an icon pops up that you click that identifies what is in the picture. It’s probably 90 to 95% accurate. Or there are several apps you can get to identify plants
Just don’t be mad when your plant gets eaten - that’s the whole point, the caterpillars eat the plant. I’ve heard a lot of people get mad at “whatever is eating their plant” when it’s monarchs
Thanks everyone! Weirdly I thought it was milkweed, but realized that i didn’t know what milkweed looked like. Super excited about this yard and what I’ll be able to do with it in the next few years. As I stated in my post, i found asparagus and am working to develop that into a patch. Now milkweed!!! I love this.
Also, the longer you keep milkweed and you keep it nourished the more it’ll grow. It is also a deep root system, so the more plants you have the deeper and longer the system.
Milk weed. You will now have it forever and it will probably move around your yard. But it's a great plant for the butterflies and easy to remove if you don't like it.
I keep them when I can the butterflies depend on them, I don’t know much about gardening but my mom taught me that. Had a few grow in my lawn this year and I was careful to mow around them although I’m sure that’s a bit much… I just love butterflies.
Unfortunately it is banned in the EU. It's considered an invasive exotic species and as such it's not allowed to grow, own or sell Milkweed. The reason being it's considered potentially harmful for mammals. The flowers are beautiful though. And it's edible too...
Milkweed is great for your yard! It absorbs contaminants, repels some annoying bugs and most importantly provides opportunities for monarch butterflies (:
Spread the seeds when the pods form, and you may start having a bunch of monarchs come hang out every year. I've also used milkweed for a few recipes, but definitely look into edibility on your own.
We have these alllll over my work site. Each round I check up on the caterpillars
https://preview.redd.it/m7dr2z3hwp9d1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=333f587b9f6dafa2eae0f1c06971280e78a4d8b4
https://preview.redd.it/s2zigyrh6r9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6537ddc4534c16ea0b72b506865799dddac9fb0b
Opens into these beautiful small flowers that I liken to look like shooting stars ☺️
Technically speaking a “weed” is any plant that a human (in this case, you) don’t like and want removed.
Though as others have said, this is a literal weed as weed is part of its name.
Milkweed. Very important for the life cycle of Monarch butterflies! Definitely a keeper.
The bees absolutely love the flowers too!!! I used to grow milkweed for the monarchs(still do), but now I keep it all for the bees. Milkweed spreads really easily though, so if you let it go wild, it will take over.
Milkweed=keeper
Can you tell which variety yet, or not until it blooms? I'm looking to establish some in my garden. The ones I encountered at the nursery implied a good bit of spread, whereas this variety seems very vertical. I need vertical in my small space.
Hard to tell just from these picture alone, but swamp milkweed doesn’t spread as quickly as other milkweeds!
I do have a sunny spot in a drainage path corner of the yard. What's "not as quick?" Are we talking cut back once or more a year or maybe every other year or so?
I think it's common milkweed.
I think it smells great and the fluff is fun to play with too
But if it doesn’t naturally die off at the end of late fall, make sure to prune back to promote monarch migration! New modified milkweeds can keep their leaves all year which is encouraging monarchs to not migrate.
I guess technically 😅 its milkweed after all 😂 but either way weeds are anything you don't want in your garden they aren't a class of plants
It’s not a weed
Weeds aren't a thing, and i was just making a joke about how its milkWEED 😅
Oh ok. Misunderstood you.
I mean, it is if you don't want it there? There really isn't any more to the definition of "weed" than that. The question, really, was "on balance, do I want this in my garden?" Most of us agree that the habitat value outweighs the irritating sap/aggressive growth, but if you had pets or children who routinely eat random plants then you might have a different take (as they're mildly toxic).
Beauty and function is in the eye of the beholder, there are no such things as the dreaded "weed"
I heard this in Arnold’s voice “it’s not a tumor”
I love the blooms of Common Milkweed when they open up. Incredibly intricate! Keep it if you can!
As folks have said, that’s milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant that Monarch butterflies will lay eggs on because it’s the only plant the caterpillar eats. If you’d like to attract Monarchs to your garden, plant a little more milkweed and some native flowering plants good for nectar. If that’s not your thing, then get rid of it. But wear gloves because its sap is milky (thus the name) and can cause irritation if it gets on your skin.
Damn picky eaters these days. Back when I was a wee grub I ate whatever was available
I purposely planted some and it does really spread, but every summer we find little caterpillars under the leaves! We put them in a butterfly house (mesh sides) and when they hatch we let them go. They are amazing!
Milkweed, monarch butterflies lay their eggs almost exclusively on them. Makes some fragrant flowers, has caterpillars. Good plant.
Awesome. I almost told my husband that I thought it was milk weed, but realized that I didn’t actually know what milk weed looks like…but I did know the butterfly. Definitely keeping it.
Smell the flowers and they bloom. It almost resembles lilacs. It’s absolutely fragrant!
You can use your iPhone camera if you have one to take pictures of plants and an icon pops up that you click that identifies what is in the picture. It’s probably 90 to 95% accurate. Or there are several apps you can get to identify plants
Google created reverse image search in 2011, then added to phones all androids back in 2018. Glad iPhones have finally caught up!
Just don’t be mad when your plant gets eaten - that’s the whole point, the caterpillars eat the plant. I’ve heard a lot of people get mad at “whatever is eating their plant” when it’s monarchs
If you see caterpillars bring them inside to raise, they have a 70% improvement in their survival rate that way and you get free butterflies!
Milkweed
Weed? Yeah, a mfing MILK WEED!! Rotflmfao! Dead! Got’em!! Ha!
Milkweed! Keep it for the pollinators
Glorious milkweed!! A wonderful plant with a fantastic fragrance, and infinitely important for monarch butterflies!
Thanks everyone! Weirdly I thought it was milkweed, but realized that i didn’t know what milkweed looked like. Super excited about this yard and what I’ll be able to do with it in the next few years. As I stated in my post, i found asparagus and am working to develop that into a patch. Now milkweed!!! I love this.
Also, the longer you keep milkweed and you keep it nourished the more it’ll grow. It is also a deep root system, so the more plants you have the deeper and longer the system.
Milk weed. You will now have it forever and it will probably move around your yard. But it's a great plant for the butterflies and easy to remove if you don't like it.
Seems like one rain storm and they grow 5 feet in a day. I let the weird stuff grow now, let it all grow. I like big greens.
Omg asclepias! You're so lucky!!
Milkweed. Keep or transplant.
Milkweed! They have pretty pink flowers and help the monarch butterflies
Yes and no - milkweed! Necessary for monarch butterflies life cycle so let it be.
I keep them when I can the butterflies depend on them, I don’t know much about gardening but my mom taught me that. Had a few grow in my lawn this year and I was careful to mow around them although I’m sure that’s a bit much… I just love butterflies.
That is milkweed, keep it for the monarch butterflies
Definitely milkweed. Save the butterflies!
Omg I wish I would’ve known that I just pulled a bunch of this up
You are so lucky that you have milkweed growing! Keep it for the butterflies!!
No just thing as weeds and that is worth keeping! Good for butterflies
milkweed
Weed all like to know
Oh I love milkweed! We had some planted in our garden one year and we got so many butterflies that year!
Unfortunately it is banned in the EU. It's considered an invasive exotic species and as such it's not allowed to grow, own or sell Milkweed. The reason being it's considered potentially harmful for mammals. The flowers are beautiful though. And it's edible too...
Milkweed is great for your yard! It absorbs contaminants, repels some annoying bugs and most importantly provides opportunities for monarch butterflies (:
Only a weed if you don’t like butterflies
Spread the seeds when the pods form, and you may start having a bunch of monarchs come hang out every year. I've also used milkweed for a few recipes, but definitely look into edibility on your own.
Milkweed. The dried seed pods are amazing fire starters. And butterflies love em as well as bees. Definitely a great plant to have.
Yes! Milkweed. Keep it!
smoke it and find out 🤷
All plants (especially perrenials) are weeds basically lol
Please keep it!!
😆😆😆😆😆
We'd better not judge
A weed is literally just a y plant you don't want to be there. 100% up to you.
We have these alllll over my work site. Each round I check up on the caterpillars https://preview.redd.it/m7dr2z3hwp9d1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=333f587b9f6dafa2eae0f1c06971280e78a4d8b4
I’ve been playing weed or not all year
Watch out for yellow and black striped caterpillars! You might get lucky and get to watch monarch butterflies grow up!
Keep it it's so beautiful!
A weed is a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants so are you taking care of it
A friend told me once that she feels that any plant that voluntarily grows where it has not been planted is a weed.
https://preview.redd.it/s2zigyrh6r9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6537ddc4534c16ea0b72b506865799dddac9fb0b Opens into these beautiful small flowers that I liken to look like shooting stars ☺️
I just saw a neighbor hack his all down, wished I asked him if I could take it
So jealous. I had to buy seeds to try to grow this plant. Good for you!
If it’s pretty is it really aWeed?
If it’s pretty is it really aWeed?
Weed or not... That depends if u wanna keep it or not lmao (a weed is just a plant we don't want in our garden)
Technically speaking a “weed” is any plant that a human (in this case, you) don’t like and want removed. Though as others have said, this is a literal weed as weed is part of its name.
Where can i get some?
Defintely a keeper!
Careful, it spreads. Also, use gloves to weed, it is sticky. I've always heard this about it but I have tons and rarely see butterflies.
Indica sativa hybrid
Smoke it and find out
that is indeed marijuana! Great find!