Are your milkweeds up?

[Anonymous]

Curious if milkweed has emerged for everyone yet. My butterfly weed plants have ll emerged, but I had planted some common and swamp milkweed seedlings last year and I only see one at the moment in the area where I planted them last year (and I'm not sure which it is, lol). Should I assume the rest won't come back or do I still have time?

[Anonymous]

Mine just came roaring back this week. I only have common now; my butterfly weed died a few years ago. I have to say, I’m so over my milkweed. It absolutely takes over and isn’t appropriate for a small yard. I need to plant butterfly weed again—it’s much better behaved.

[Anonymous]

I planted 6 butterfly weed last year. Just 2 plants emerged thus far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine just came roaring back this week. I only have common now; my butterfly weed died a few years ago. I have to say, I’m so over my milkweed. It absolutely takes over and isn’t appropriate for a small yard. I need to plant butterfly weed again—it’s much better behaved.

Eek ok now you're scaring me lol. I've been trying to plant some more aggressive natives in part because otherwise the invasive weeds just take over. I also planted Packera for a similar reason.

[Anonymous]

Yep, my milkweed is up! I just transferred it into a bed from a pot though, so I'm hoping it survives.

I ditched my butterfly bush in favor of natives.

[Anonymous]

Some are up, some are not. Depends on how much sun they've been getting.

[Anonymous]

Mine are coming up. Honestly I’m weeding it out. Should have pulled the roots last year. Previous owner planted it. And while I love it, it overtakes everything. Plus the oleander aphids ick me out. I let a few stems grow and cull the rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine just came roaring back this week. I only have common now; my butterfly weed died a few years ago. I have to say, I’m so over my milkweed. It absolutely takes over and isn’t appropriate for a small yard. I need to plant butterfly weed again—it’s much better behaved.

Eek ok now you're scaring me lol. I've been trying to plant some more aggressive natives in part because otherwise the invasive weeds just take over. I also planted Packera for a similar reason.

I get it! I have almost all natives in my yard. The better spreaders are monarda (bee balm), echinacea, black-eyed Susan, and agastache. I think common milkweed is cool looking—just too aggressive.

[Anonymous]

Last year, throughout the season, not even one monarch. Then suddenly, at the tail end, one lonely butterfly came and laid eggs on all the plants. I counted 12 plump ones.

As much as I have started to not like them very much, when the butterflies visit them, I appreciate them a lot.

[Anonymous]

My swamp milkweed just came up this week.

[Anonymous]

All mine are coming up now. The common milkweed and swamp milkweed are the biggest.

[Anonymous]

It depends. Common milkweed is going gangbusters, but swamp milkweed, purple milkweed, and butterflyweed haven't come up yet.

Pro tip -- common milkweed does great with a Chelsea chop - cutting back hard on or around Memorial Day and July 4. I also stake mine as necessary. I know they can be overwhelming plants, but I'm not one to care about the manicured look, and they smell heavenly in flower and attract butterflies, so they have a place in my yard.

https://backyardbounty.net/summer-loving-for-your-garden/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends. Common milkweed is going gangbusters, but swamp milkweed, purple milkweed, and butterflyweed haven't come up yet.

Pro tip -- common milkweed does great with a Chelsea chop - cutting back hard on or around Memorial Day and July 4. I also stake mine as necessary. I know they can be overwhelming plants, but I'm not one to care about the manicured look, and they smell heavenly in flower and attract butterflies, so they have a place in my yard.

https://backyardbounty.net/summer-loving-for-your-garden/

OP here- thanks for the tip! I give my asters a chop too so good to know I can with common milkweed as well!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious if milkweed has emerged for everyone yet. My butterfly weed plants have ll emerged, but I had planted some common and swamp milkweed seedlings last year and I only see one at the moment in the area where I planted them last year (and I'm not sure which it is, lol). Should I assume the rest won't come back or do I still have time?

Common and swamp, yes. Butterfly weed, not really yet. Just starting to poke through. I find this to be a late starter every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends. Common milkweed is going gangbusters, but swamp milkweed, purple milkweed, and butterflyweed haven't come up yet.

Pro tip -- common milkweed does great with a Chelsea chop - cutting back hard on or around Memorial Day and July 4. I also stake mine as necessary. I know they can be overwhelming plants, but I'm not one to care about the manicured look, and they smell heavenly in flower and attract butterflies, so they have a place in my yard.

https://backyardbounty.net/summer-loving-for-your-garden/

What does this mean? If I cull them back they won't not flower?