Did you know that milkweeds are the only type of plant that monarch butterfly caterpillars can eat? And as the amount of milkweed available to migrating monarch butterflies has declined, so have the butterflies themselves. In fact, the monarch population plummeted by 80% between 2006 and 2016.
Many organizations across North America are working to improve available monarch habitat, and you can help! Whether your location is urban or rural, chances are that if you plant it, the monarchs will come.
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In this newsletter we'll go over the most common types of milkweed you'll find for purchase and how each one can be used in a butterfly garden. We'll also touch on nectar plants for the adults!
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Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)
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Native to Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, tropical milkweed is an annual in Illinois. It won't come up from seed on its own, and it doesn't spread by rhizomes. It can be integrated into existing flower beds, and is particularly effective when planted in blocks. Plus, its compact size makes it a great choice for container gardening!
Tropical milkweed can help attract and sustain both monarchs and hummingbirds early in the season before our native varieties begin blooming. While there are potential issues with growing tropical milkweed in coastal and southern regions of the United states, it's a valuable option for those of us who live in colder climate zones.
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Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
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Perhaps the best option for integrating into a more formal landscape, butterfly milkweed blooms later in the season, which is when monarchs are drawn to it. The flowers may be orange or yellow, depending on the cultivar.
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Common & Prairie Milkweed
(Asclepias syriaca, Asclepias sullivantii)
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Common and Prairie Milkweed are very similar native species, although as the name suggests, Common Milkweed is much more widespread.
Common milkweed is a great option for the casual gardener who favors a natural look in their garden. The plant will spread over time by underground roots to form colonies. Plant it in large flower beds and prairie areas. Although it can travel a long way, it doesn't typically crowd out other nearby plants, and you can spot it integrated into most of the Hoerr Nursery garden beds.
The summer flower clusters have an intoxicating vanilla scent, but the plant is attractive to monarchs even when it isn't flowering. It's an invaluable source of caterpillar food for people who are raising monarchs by hand. (More on that next week!)
Prairie Milkweed is the shorter and less aggressive cousin of Common Milkweed. Unlike Common Milkweed, it favors wet areas over dry ones. If you like the look of common milkweed but you would prefer a plant that doesn't form colonies, try Prairie Milkweed.
Note: We've got both of these plants in production right now. They should be ready for sale in late August.
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Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
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Swamp milkweed has a high tolerance for saturated locations, and is great for pond margins, rain gardens and soggy spots, but it also adapts well to ordinary garden conditions. Bears dainty flowers on tall stems. Most bloom pink, but a few cultivars bloom white.
The plant is tall but slender, and not an aggressive spreader. Good for the back of garden beds. Combine with taller nectar plants.
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Remember, to make a complete butterfly garden, you need plants for both the caterpillars and the butterflies! Here are some good nectar plants to include alongside your milkweed. If you're interested in attracting other butterflies besides monarchs, check out our butterfly garden chart.
Annuals:
African Daisies, Alyssum, Calendula, Cleome, Cosmos, Cuphea, Dill, Gazanias, Lantana, Marguerite Daisies, Mexican Sunflower, Pentas, Petunias, Salvia, Sunflower, Verbena, Zinnia
Perennials:
Allium, Anise Hyssop, Aster, Bergamot, Blue Star, Butterfly Bush, Catmint, Catnip, Coneflower, Coreopsis, Daylily, Dianthus, False Indigo, Fennel, Gaillardia, Goldenrod, Hardy Hibiscus, Heliopsis, Hollyhock, Ironweed, Joe Pye Weed, Liatris, Mallow, Phlox, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Scabiosa, Sedum, Viola, Yarrow
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Looking for inspiration, or simply an afternoon of butterfly watching? Hoerr Nursery has been a registered Monarch Waystation since 2007, and every year we nurture scores of butterflies on site! Take a peek inside our butterfly house to see their transformation in action, talk pollinator plants with our horticulturists, and watch butterflies flit back and forth across the flowers in our yard.
You can also find other local registered monarch habitats at the Peoria Zoo, Forest Park Nature Center, Luthy Botanical Garden, Springdale Cemetery, Illinois Central College, Donovan Park, the Peoria Heights Public Library and the Riverfront Museum, in addition to the many gardens planted at private homes, schools, businesses and houses of worship.
If you want to get up close and personal with monarchs while helping them to thrive, check in next week for the first of a two part series about how to raise them from egg to butterfly!
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It's Hardy Bucks season at Hoerr Nursery! Now through August 15th, bring in your Hardy Bucks and spend them just like cash for up the 50% of the value of any in-stock merchandise, in the garden center or at Stone Market!
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Mark your calendars for our Grass Seed Special, August 24th-September 19th. Everything you need to start a new lawn or overseed your existing one, delivered to your door!
Packages range from $99-$199,* and cover 250-750 square feet. More details to follow, but if you've got land to clear ahead of grass seed planting, now is the time to get started!
*Pricing is for local delivery. Additional fuel surcharges apply to extended delivery areas.
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Join Ethan Wise and Dan Diorio of the Greg and Dan Show for a weekly discussion about all things gardening! Tune in Saturdays at 7am on 1470 WMBD.
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