THE ONE WEED EVERY GARDEN MUST GROW

A weed is often described as a plant that is growing in the wrong place, but in this case the weed is in the name since Milkweed is one of the best perennial plants for any garden. Apart from its fragrant flowers it attracts butterflies and bees as well as being a host plant for Monarchs. To learn more about this amazing perennial plant read the article by Benjamin Vogt which I found over on the Houzz website.

Quit cringing. This not-weed plant is a sight to behold in the garden, has a delicious vanilla scent and is a magnet for butterflies

One of the very best perennials to have in your garden is milkweed. I know that when most people hear the name, they cringe, grimace or turn up their nose, saying, “But isn’t that a weed?” No, not really. And if it helps, we can call it wilkmeed. A magnet for insects, particularly butterflies and nonstinging bees, it is also a host plant for the monarch butterfly ? a summer standby whose numbers are quickly dwindling as more farms and new housing developments are built, and more chemicals are being sprayed. Not only is milkweed a neat landscape plant from a design perspective, but it’s also a hub for wildlife. A win-win!

Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Botanical name: Asclepias spp
Common names: Swamp milkweed, showy milkweed, Sullivant’s milkweed
USDA zones: 3 to 9, depending on species (find your zone)
Light requirement: Full sun to some shade
Mature size: 2 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet tall
Benefits and tolerances: Spicy vanilla scent; attracts many butterflies; all varieties are somewhat adaptable to soil moisture
Seasonal interest: Plenty of midsummer blooms followed by autumn puffs of seeds
When to plant: Spring to midfallCultivars of swamp milkweed include this white-blooming ‘Ice Ballet’. The scent is irresistible to monarch butterflies and many other winged insects, like beetles, moths and flies.

Go to the next page to discover more about other Milkweed varieties.
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