I understand there are certain species of milkweed plants that disrupt the monarch’s ability to migrate in the fall because the milkweed plants do not die back in the fall and also these plants harbor a parasite for the monarch.
What milkweed species, if any, would you recommend for a gardener to plant in their flowerbeds to attract monarchs?
Hi Tom,
You may have heard that tropical milkweed doesn’t die back in temperate area like SC and can interrupt Monarch migration and spread parasites. (See Xerces Society info here https://xerces.org/blog/tropical-milkweed-a-no-grow). SCNPS urges gardeners to avoid this species.
SCNPS recommends planting milkweeds native to your region, but some are easier to grow in home gardens. In SC, gardeners can reliably plant these species:
Asclepias tuberosa (orange flower, low-growing), suited to average to dry soil sun full sun
Asclepias incarnata (pink flower, to 5’+ tall), suited to medium to wet soils in full to part sun
Asclepias perennis (white flower, low-growing), suited to consistently wet soils in sun to part shade
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed, tall, large pink flower), suited to average to dry soils in full sun
SCWF has an excellent fact sheet on regional milkweeds. https://www.scwf.org/milkweed-types
Thank you for getting in touch,
Lynn
SCNPS Midlands Chapter
I understand there are certain species of milkweed plants that disrupt the monarch’s ability to migrate in the fall because the milkweed plants do not die back in the fall and also these plants harbor a parasite for the monarch.
What milkweed species, if any, would you recommend for a gardener to plant in their flowerbeds to attract monarchs?
Thanks for your helps.
Tom
Hi Tom,
You may have heard that tropical milkweed doesn’t die back in temperate area like SC and can interrupt Monarch migration and spread parasites. (See Xerces Society info here https://xerces.org/blog/tropical-milkweed-a-no-grow). SCNPS urges gardeners to avoid this species.
SCNPS recommends planting milkweeds native to your region, but some are easier to grow in home gardens. In SC, gardeners can reliably plant these species:
Asclepias tuberosa (orange flower, low-growing), suited to average to dry soil sun full sun
Asclepias incarnata (pink flower, to 5’+ tall), suited to medium to wet soils in full to part sun
Asclepias perennis (white flower, low-growing), suited to consistently wet soils in sun to part shade
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed, tall, large pink flower), suited to average to dry soils in full sun
SCWF has an excellent fact sheet on regional milkweeds. https://www.scwf.org/milkweed-types
Thank you for getting in touch,
Lynn
SCNPS Midlands Chapter