Cape Fear's Going Green • September 2021 • Native Plant Festival Handout

Native Milkweed Choices to Support Pollinators In Your Garden

by Shelby Diehl

Mutualism—cooperative interaction between species—has long played a central role in life on earth, impacting countless generations and creating harmony among select species. Species that practice mutualism reciprocally affect each other’s evolution, a term known as co-evolution. This is seen regularly in the animal kingdom, but one example of mutualistic relationships we can witness on a day-to-day basis is pollinators (such as bats, bees, birds and butterflies) and flowering plants.

A prime example of this is bees and milkweed. The nectar of the milkweed provides bees food and in return the bees spread milkweed pollen. This is important because milkweed is a vital plant for one particular species: Monarch butterflies. Monarchs require milkweed to lay their eggs on since it is the sole source of nutrients for Monarch caterpillars. These butterflies migrate northbound through the Cape Fear region in the spring and southbound in the fall.

The following are a few milkweed species native to the Cape Fear Region that you can plant to support pollinators such as the Monarch butterfly.

Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata

Swamp Milkweed prefers damp to wet soils making it a great choice for home gardens with sun and not too dry of soil. The milkweed’s flowers are a deep pink, clustering at the top of a tall stem with a number of narrow, lanceolate leaves. These stems grow to be from 24" to 60" inches in height. Swamp Milkweed blooms from June to October.

Swamp Milkweed. Observation © aarongunnar, https://www.inaturalist. org/observations/14503760. No changes made.

Longleaf Milkweed, A. longifolia

Longleaf Milkweed needs wet soil, so for gardens with high water tables, these milkweeds will thrive. The milkweed sports flowers that are greenish-white with purple accents. The stems are slender, unbranched, and slightly pubescent, and grow only to about 8" to 28" inches in height. Longleaf Milkweed blooms from May to August.

Longleaf Milkweed. Observation © Lillie, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/12213775. No changes made.

Red Milkweed, A. rubra

Red Milkweed needs wet soil, so for gardens with high water tables, these milkweeds will thrive. The milkweed’s flowers are showy and vary in color with lavenders, pinks, and dull reds. The stems are narrow, growing to be anywhere from 16" to 40" inches in height. Red Milkweed blooms from May to August.

Red Milkweed. Observation © Laura Clark, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/3145444. No changes made.

Common Milkweed, A. syriaca

Common Milkweed likes moist soils and spreads by rhizomes making it a good choice for large naturalized gardens with room to spread. The milkweed’s flowers grow as large balls of pink to purplish flowers. The stems typically grow to be 36" to 60" inches but can reach 96" inches in ditches and gardens. Common Milkweed blooms from June to August.

Common Milkweed. Observation © naturetrust, https://www.inaturalist.org/ observations/25556490. No changes made.

Butterfly Weed, A. tuberosa

Butterfly Weed prefers dry to moist soils making it a great choice for home gardens. The weed’s flowers bloom in clusters with yellow-orange to bright orange petals. These stems grow to a low 12" to 24" inches in height. Despite having no milky sap, it is considered milkweed, and is occasionally referred to as Orange Milkweed. Butterfly Weed blooms from May to September.

Butterfly Weed. Observation © Andy Newman, https://www.inaturalist.org/ observations/5818566. No changes made.

Sources:

https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01864.x

https://www.growmilkweedplants.com/northcarolina.html https://www.wildflower.org/

About the Author

Shelby Diehl is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington studying Environmental Science with the Concentration in Conservation and Creative Wiriting with a Certificate in Publishing. She plans to pursue a career in environmental writing that will allow her to advocate for environmental causes worldwide.

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Why Seek Out Plants Native to Your Area?

There many varieties of milkweed that will grow in our area, even though they are not originally “from around here.” Why not plant those? When we grow plants native to other countries in our gardens, they may bloom at a different time than native milkweeds, giving Monarch butterflies miscues about the right time to start their migration.

If you're lucky enough to attract Monarch butterflies to your garden, this is what their caterpillars will look like as they eat your plants!