Milkweed, or Asclepias, is the sole food plant for monarch caterpillars and due to its increasing scarcity, one of the biggest factors contributing to the decline of the monarch butterfly.

Milkweed is in one of the largest genera of plants with over 200 species. It may seem daunting on how to choose the right one but we are here to help!

Consider these 3 things when buying your milkweed.

1. Is the milkweed native to your region?

2. Has it been treated with pesticides?

3. Could I harvest the seeds myself?

If you live in North America, you can't go wrong with these widespread species of Milkweed plants. Most are commercially available. 

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Native Range: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV Description: This tall perennial has large balls of pink or purplish flowers that have an attractive odor. The flowers bloom from June to August. Growing Conditions: Shade intolerant, needs lots of sunlight, moist soil Plant Size: Usually 3-5 feet (90-150 cm), sometimes reaching 8 feet (240 cm) in ditches and gardens Buy from our store HERE!

Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Native Range: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV Description:  Sometimes called Orange Milkweed, this perennial has large, flat-topped clusters of yellow-orange or bright-orange flowers and blooms May to September. Growing Conditions: Needs sunlight, drought tolerant, dry or moist soil Plant Size:  1-2 ft (30-60 cm) Available in our Pollinator Garden Mix!

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

​Native Range: AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY Description: Also known as Pink Milkweed, this perennial has large blossoms composed of small, rose-purple flowers. The deep pink flowers are clustered at the top of a tall, branching stem and bloom June to October. Growing Conditions: Needs lots of water, shade tolerant, moist to wet soil Plant Size: 2-5 ft (60-152 cm)

Antelope Milkweed (Asclepias asperula)

Native Range: AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, NE, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT Description: Also known as Spider Milkweed, this perennial is clump-forming with stems that are densely covered with minute hairs. As the green seed pods grow, they curve to resemble antelope horns. It has pale, greenish-yellow flowers, tinged maroon that bloom March to October. Growing Conditions: Needs sunlight, dry or moist soil, medium water use Plant Size: 1-2 ft (30-60 cm) tall

Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)

Native Range: AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MI, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY Description: This perennial has large, oval, blue-green leaves and spherical clusters of rose-colored flowers. The flowers occur at the top of the stem and on stalks from leaf axils and bloom May to September. Growing Conditions: Shade intolerant, needs sunlight, medium water use, moist soil Plant Size: Generally 1 ½ – 3 ft (46 – 91 cm) but can reach 6 ft (183 cm) under favorable conditions

White Milkweed (Asclepias variegata)

Native Range: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV Description: This perennial has small white flowers with purplish centers crowded into round, terminal clusters that resemble snowballs and blooms May to September. Growing Conditions: Low water use, dry soil, moderately shade tolerant Plant Size:  1-3 ft (30- 91 cm)

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Native Range: AL, AR, AZ, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY Description: This single-stemmed perennial has narrow, linear leaves whorled along the stem. Small, greenish-white flowers occur in flat-topped clusters on the upper part of the stem and bloom May to September. Growing Conditions: Low water use, moderately shade tolerant, dry soil Plant Size: 1-3 ft (30- 91 cm)

Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)

Native Range: AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, NE, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, WV Description: Also known as Green Antelopehorn Milkweed, this perennial has white flowers – mostly one per plant and lacks the “horns” seen on Antelopehorn Milkwed. These milkweeds bloom from May to August. Growing Conditions: Needs sunlight, cold and heat tolerant, moist soil, low water use Plant Size: Matures to 4 ft (122 cm) in height

Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens)

Native Range: AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV Description: The milky juice from this perennial is known to remove warts. The flowers are deep magenta red and bloom May to July. Growing Conditions: Needs sunlight and dry soil Plant Size: 2-4 ft (61 to 122 cm)

Although we are in the depths of winter, it is a great time to start planning your butterfly garden!

Reasons to start now:
- Seeds may take weeks to arrive if ordering online or from a catalog. 
- Thinking about summer may just put you in a better mood.
- Native plants like Common Milkweed often need a cold stratification period of 30-60 days.
- Starting the seeds indoors will ensure they are ready when spring arrives.

Here are a list of common butterflies as well as their host plants, preferred nectar sources and native range.

Remember, pollinators have evolved with their host plants and they will only lay their eggs on these specific plants. They also need nectar-sources once they reach adulthood so having a combination of both will guarantee a successful butterfly garden!

Lastly, please source your seeds from certified organic companies and avoid the use of pesticides which are harmful to butterflies and other pollinators.

Purchase our Garden Pollinator Mix which includes 17 wildflowers here!

(Eastern) Black Swallowtail

Host Plants: Dill, parsley, fennel, carrot Preferred nectar sources: Golden alexanders (Zizia aptera and Z. aurea), Common Milkweed. Joe-Pye Weed, Late-flowering Boneset, Oregano, Privet, Purple Coneflower, Wild Bergamot, Zinnia Native range: ​Most of the eastern U.S., north into Quebec, west into S. Saskatchewan, Colorado and SE. California; south to South America.

Common Buckeye

Host plants: Plantains, gerardias, toadflax, snapdragons, false loosestrifes Preferred nectar sources: Mist Flower, White Clover, Sunflower Native range: Resident in the southern United States and north along the coasts to central California and North Carolina; south to Bermuda, Cuba, Isle of Pines, and southern Mexico. Adults from the south's first brood migrate north in late spring and summer to temporarily colonize most of the United States and parts of southern Canada.

Monarch

Host plants: Milkweed species Preferred nectar sources: Blue Cardinal Flower, Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Common Milkweed,Heath Aster, Heliotrope, Joe-Pye Weed, Lantana, Late-flowering Boneset, Marigold, Mist Flower, Mustard Greens, New England Aster, New York Ironweed, Showy Coneflower, Smooth Aster, Wingstem, Zinnia Range: ​Southern Canada south through all of the United States, Central America, and most of South America. Also present in Australia, Hawaii, and other Pacific Islands. Conservation status: Overwintering sites in California and Mexico should be protected and conserved.

Mourning Cloak

Host Plants: Willow, aspen, cottonwood, elm Preferred nectar sources: Oak tree sap Native range: ​All of North America south of the tundra to central Mexico; rarely in the Gulf States and peninsular Florida. Also native to temperate Eurasia. Note: Adults live 10-11 months and may be our longest lived butterfly!

Painted Lady

Host plants: Thistle, hollyhock, sunflower Preferred nectar sources: Native thistles; also aster, cosmos, blazing star, ironweed, and joe-pye weed, red clover, buttonbush, privet, and milkweeds. Native range: ​On all continents except Australia and Antarctica. From the deserts of northern Mexico, the Painted Lady migrates and temporarily colonizes the United States and Canada south of the Arctic. Occasionally, population explosions in Mexico will cause massive northward migrations. Note: The Painted Lady makes a 9,000 mile roundtrip migration (almost twice as far as the Monarch)

Red Spotted Purple

Host plants: Wild cherry, oak, poplar, hawthorn, willow Preferred nectar sources: Spiraea, privet, and viburnum Native range: Alaska and subarctic Canada southeast of the Rocky Mountains to central Texas; east to New England and central Florida. Isolated populations in Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas south into Mexico.  ​ Note: The Red-spotted Purple is a mimic of the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor).

Regal Fritillary

Host plants: Violets Preferred nectar sources: Milkweeds, thistles, red clover, and mountain mint. Native range: Tall-grass prairie remnants in Montana and North Dakota south to Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma; rare or absent from former range east of the Appalachians. Conservation status: Rapidly vanishing or declining in much of its range. A species of concern for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. All populations should be conserved.

Pearl Crescent

Host plants: Smooth-leaved true asters including Aster pilosus, A. texanus, and A. laevis. Preferred nectar sources: Black-Eyed Susan,  Common Dandelion, Daisy Fleabane,  Garlic Chives, Heath Aster, Late-flowering Boneset, Marigold, Mist Flower, New England Aster, Sedum (Autumn Joy), Showy Coneflower, Small White Aster, Stiff Goldenrod, Coreopsis ​ Native range: ​Northwest Territories south along the eastern edges of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains to central Mexico, east through all the eastern United States.

Tiger Swallowtail

Host plants: Willow, cottonwood, chokecherry Preferred nectar sources: Blue Cardinal Flower, Bloodflower, Garlic Chives, Butterfly Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Daisy Fleabane, Dames Rocket, Dogbane Native area: ​Eastern North America from Ontario south to Gulf coast, west to Colorado plains and central Texas.

Viceroy 

Host plants: Willow, poplar, apple, cottonwood Preferred nectar sources: Aster, goldenrod, joe-pye weed, shepherd's needle, and Canada thistle. Native range: ​Northwest Territories south along the eastern edges of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains to central Mexico, east through all the eastern United States. Conservation status: The Obsolete Viceroy has lost much of its habitat due to development and the exotic aggressive salt cedar. Restore riparian habitats in the Southwest (Moths and Butterflies of North America)

Zebra Swallowtail

Red Admiral

Host plants: Paw paw trees Preferred nectar sources:  Blueberry, blackberry, lilac, redbud, verbena, dogbane, and common milkweed. Native range: Central and South Eastern parts of the United States ​

Host plants: Nettle family including: stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), tall wild nettle (U. gracilis), wood nettle (Laportea canadensis), false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), pellitory (Parietoria pennsylvanica), mamaki (Pipturus albidus), and possibly hops (Humulus). Nectar sources: Dogbane, Lantana, Marigold, Mist Flower, Privet Native range: ​​Guatemala north through Mexico and the United States to northern Canada; Hawaii, some Caribbean Islands, New Zealand, Europe, Northern Africa, Asia.

Organic Seed Companies

References

Monarch butterflies are an iconic species known for their incredible mass migration across North America each winter — a journey of up to 3,000 miles. However, numbers of monarch butterflies have unfortunately fallen precipitously over the past two decades. Using cutting-edge technology to monitor monarch butterflies may be able to help us learn more about this wonderful species and, ultimately, help us better protect them. 

Camera drones

Electronic tags

Tracking apps 

​Technology is continually evolving to help us understand monarch butterflies better. Drones, electronic tags, and apps all play an essential role in helping us discover more about and, ultimately, conserve the species.

​The Save Our Monarchs Foundation is devoted to saving the monarch butterfly from extinction by promoting the planting of milkweed and native flowers across the US.

In five years, Save Our Monarchs has distributed over 100 MILLION milkweed seeds, which may have contributed to the recent increase in the monarch population.

Also, Save Our Monarchs has sponsored over 6,200 Monarch School Wildflower Gardens across the US and Canada, offering all the necessary seeds to create a 10’ x 10’ Wildflower garden in each schools at no-cost to the schools. In 2020, our goal is to create 20,000 Wildflower garden schools. ​

The beauty and grace of butterflies has been recognized for millenia. Recent studies have found that butterflies have been around for up to 200 million years. As such, there’s little surprise that the winged creatures have an abundance of cultural significance attached to them in cultures across the world.

Poli Taka (Butterly Man), Poli Sio Hemis (Zuni Hemis Butterfly Kachina) and Poli Mana (Butterfly Girl)

Native American Culture

This is a famous photo of Sitting Bull taken circa 1880-1890 wearing a hat with a Monarch butterfly on the hatband.

Sitting Bull Remembers, a book by Ann Turner and Wendell Minor. https://amzn.to/2OQr2ef

Symbolism in Christianity

Día de Muertos

Day of the Dead Butterfly Shrine- Mexican Folk Art- Tin Nicho - Picmia

Photograph: Michael Juliano

​The Monarch butterfly is not only a creature of wonderment in modern times.  It is an ancient creature that has been lauded by cultures across history. Protecting them is an absolute must to ensure that generations to come are able to enjoy their beauty as well.

​"Are our yards becoming a source or a sink for butterflies?"
      -Carolyn Summers, author of Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East

​Monarchs migrate to warmer climates in the winter but have you ever wondered what other species of butterflies do?

Photo by Pat Scrap/Pixabay

List of Butterflies that Overwinter in Fall Leaves

Listed by life cycle stage in which they overwinter As an egg Banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) Purplish Copper(Lycaena helloides) As a caterpillar Clouded sulphur (Colias philodice) Eastern tailed blue (Cupido comyntas) Great spangled fritillaries (Speyeria cybele) Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) As a caterpillar in a "hibernaculum" Viceroys (Limenitis archippus)   Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) As a pupa Black swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) American lady (Vanessa virginiensis) Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) Spring azure (Celastrina ladon) As an adult butterfly Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) Question mark (Polygonia interrogationis) Comma (Polygonia c-album) ​And many more!

Banded hairstreak (Photo: Wikimedia commons) Viceroy (Photo: Wikimedia commons) Mourning Cloak (Photo: Wikimedia commons)

You can have your lawn and insect habitat too!

A great example of a lawn working side-by-side with native forbs and grasses. Photo: Rebecca Chandler

Reduce your perennial pruning by a few inches

Build a bug sanctuary that supports wildlife

Photo by Pixaby

Check your firewood for chrysalides and cocoons before burning

Plant perennials that bloom in the spring and fall

Spread the word to your neighbors and fellow gardners!

Photo by Xerces Society/Wikimedia Commons

Sources and Additional Reading

Minneapolis, MN — October 15, 2019 — The Save Our Monarchs Foundation is devoted to saving the monarch butterfly from extinction by promoting the planting of milkweed across the US.

In five years, Save Our Monarchs has distributed over 100 MILLION milkweed seeds, which contributed significantly to the recent increase in the monarch population.

With 90% of American homeowners planning to remodel their house, it’s clear that home renovation is a popular approach to increasing space and property value. However, many of us don’t realize the repercussions that construction work can have on the surrounding environment and wildlife. It can sometimes result in damage to both animals and their habitats. If you’re planning a home renovation, there are ways you can help preserve the monarch butterfly and other wildlife while doing so.

Photo by Matthew Losee

Location Matters

Proper Disposal of Harmful Substances

Mind the Milkweed

​The monarch butterfly population has declined nearly 80 percent in the last two decades. At this rate, the chance is uncomfortably high that monarchs will be extinct by 2038. Thankfully, there are ongoing efforts to save the butterfly, some of which consist of promoting monarch migration destinations to increase public interest. This leads people to camp in monarch country for the purpose of viewing these increasingly rare and stunningly beautiful butterflies. While enthusiasm for monarchs, and camping in general, is not a bad thing, disturbing the butterflies is. When sharing your space with a sensitive species, it’s important to practice conscientious camping, which is easy if you consider the following points.

Monarchs roosting on Eucalyptus trees. Pismo Beach, CA. Photo by Sandy and Chuck Harris.

Choose a Proper Site

Bring Lightweight Gear

Observe and (If Necessary) Report

If you have any addition questions about seeing or camping with Monarchs, please submit your questions below. 

Common plant names can be confusing, especially when you have Pokeweed and Poke Milkweed which look and sound alike but are not in the same plant family and serve very different uses.
Most importantly, Pokeweed is NOT a food source for Monarchs but Poke Milkweed IS. 
To lessen the confusion, always go by the plant's scientific name. A scientific name is made up of two words. The first word indicates the plant genus and the second name indicates the plant species. For instance, let's take Asclepias tuberosa, or Butterfly Milkweed, and see what the name tells us. Asclepias is the genus that ALL milkweeds are in. Tuberosa indicates the species of milkweed within that genus.
Phytolacca americana, also known as American Pokeweed, is in the genus Phytolacca and the species is americana. 
Now that we are all on the same page, we will show you other ways to tell these plants apart. 

Flowers of Pokeweed

American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana). Fruits of Pokeweed As the fruits on Pokeweed ripen, the stem turns a bright reddish pink and the berries turn black. Flowers of Poke Milkweed Poke Milkweed has downward facing petals and the inflorescence (flower head) is more round rather than tubular. Milkweed Fruits or Pods Milkweeds do not have berries like Pokeweed but large pods that contain seeds.

American Pokeweed does not have petals that face downwards like many milkweeds do. CAUTION: The berries of Pokeweed are extremely toxic and some people develop skin irritation just from touching the berries. Always use gloves when handling. These berries also provide a food source for songbirds who have immunity to the toxin.  Close-up image of Poke Milkweed