Monarch Host Plants

The Common Asclepias, also known as Butterfly Weed or Common Milkweed, is the only plant that Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on! This variety provides an abundant food source for Monarchs, but have been declining in the recent years due in part to suburban development and the increased efficiency of herbicides. The Common Asclepias spreads readily by seed and underground rhizomes and its taproot can withstand drought. This Butterfly Weed is one of the easiest and fastest to establish of the Milkweeds. Enjoy watching beautiful Monarchs visit on a daily basis!

Asclepias incarnata ‘Ice Ballet’, often called White Swamp Milkweed, is a selected form of the native Swamp Milkweed long found along wetlands, marsh edges, and moist prairies across North America, where it has served for generations as an essential host plant for monarch caterpillars. This cultivar stands out for its showy clusters of pure white, vanilla-scented flowers that bloom in midsummer, contrasting beautifully with its upright stems and narrow, deep-green leaves.

The Showy Asclepias is just like its name, a beautiful showy plant that is an excellent nectar sources for butterflies and hummingbirds! This Butterfly Weed variety is similar to Common Milkweed, but its pinkish-purple flowers have longer petals that taper more and are covered with fine hairs. The Showy Asclepias will attract butterflies and hummingbirds, especially Queen and Monarch butterflies. This plant is aggressive and should be thinned every year.

The Whorled Asclepias is a beautiful brilliant white flower that will grow anywhere and bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love it! This Butterfly Weed variety is native to the Midwest but can grow almost anywhere is the USA and provides nectar to many pollinators. This easy to grow, attractive perennial blooms mid to late summer and will spread easily without thinning.

Swan Plant Milkweed (Gomphocarpus fruticosus) produces creamy white flowers followed by large, inflated ornamental seed pods. Upright plants bring distinctive texture to sunny beds and cutting gardens while also serving as a host plant for monarch caterpillars where the species is grown. This tender perennial performs best in full sun with evenly moist, well-drained soil. In colder regions, grow it as an annual or overwinter protected plants indoors.

Narrowleaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) is a western North American perennial with narrow leaves and rounded clusters of pale pink flowers. It thrives in full sun and dry, well-drained soil and is well suited to native meadows and pollinator plantings. The foliage serves as a monarch caterpillar host, while the flowers provide nectar for bees and butterflies. Mature plants typically reach about 3 to 4 feet tall.

Prairie Milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii), also known as Sullivant’s Milkweed, is a native Midwestern perennial with broad blue-green foliage, rosy pink flower clusters, and exceptional value for monarch habitat. Upright plants bring a polished look to prairie gardens, pollinator borders, and naturalized plantings while supplying nectar to bees and butterflies.

Hirtella Asclepias, more commonly known as Hirtella Milkweed or sometimes grouped under Asclepias hirtella and Tall Green Milkweed, is a native prairie species historically found across the central United States in moist to moderately dry meadows, savannas, and open grasslands. It is recognized for its tall, slender stems topped with rounded clusters of pale green to yellow-green flowers that attract a wide variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and monarch caterpillars.

Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) produces scarlet-red and orange flower clusters that attract butterflies and other pollinators. The upright plants grow vigorously in warm conditions and often bloom in their first year from seed. It performs best in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil and can be grown as a warm-season annual where winters freeze. Its colorful blooms make it a strong choice for containers and pollinator gardens.

Western Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria), also known as Sandhill Milkweed or Dwarf Milkweed, is a hardy, drought-tolerant species native to the sandy plains and prairies of the central and southwestern United States, where it has long supported pollinators and played a role in Indigenous plant knowledge. This milkweed forms upright stems with soft, velvety, blue-green leaves and produces clusters of pale greenish-white flowers that are highly attractive to monarchs, bees, and other beneficial insects.

Asclepias physocarpa, commonly known as Swan Plant Milkweed, Balloon Plant, or Hairy Balls Milkweed, is a distinctive African species that has become popular in warm-climate gardens and butterfly habitats for over a century due to its unusual, inflated seed pods and its value as a host plant for monarch caterpillars. The plant features upright, branching stems lined with narrow, lance-shaped leaves and topped with clusters of small, white to pale pink flowers that attract a range of pollinators.

Asclepias viridis, commonly known as Spider Milkweed or Green Milkweed, is a native North American species with a long ecological history tied to grasslands and prairies of the central and southern United States. Its distinctive greenish-white flowers arranged in rounded clusters give it a spider-like appearance, attracting a wide array of pollinators, especially butterflies, and serving as an essential host plant for monarch caterpillars.

The Butterfly Asclepias is sun-loving, easy to grow and blooms brilliant, vibrant orange colored blooms that will attract may pollinators to the garden. This stunning variety and can reach 2' feet tall. Sow in early January for first year blooms.