Identify Milkweed: Friend or Foe? Grow Like Mike

You Ask – Mike Answers!

Ask our Head Grower, Mike Hicks, all of your burning planty questions.

The question below was asked of @littleprincetogo on Instagram last month:

Hey Mike,

Butterfly season is here and my Milkweeds are planted and getting ready to bloom. How do I tell the difference between butterfly larvae and harmful plant-munching worms?

Mike says:

Milkweed (Asclepias sp.) is an excellent choice for your butterfly garden, as it’s a great source of nectar and the only host plant for Monarch butterflies.

You probably won’t have to worry too much about other insects munching on your milkweed, because Asclepias produces an irritating sap that most insects find unpalatable. When scouting your plants for Monarch larvae – keep an eye out for plump, smooth caterpillars about 1 ½ – 1 ¾” long, with alternating yellow, black, and white stripes. You might find some other nifty caterpillars as there are a few tiger moth species that also use milkweed as a larval host.

For more information on providing habitat for Monarch butterflies, check out the Xerces Society: https://xerces.org/monarchs