NWF Says Beware of Non-Native Milkweed
According to a recent article posted on the National Wildlife Federation website, “native wildlife co-evolved over thousands of years with the plants that originated within their ecosystem. Native plants provide food, cover, and places to raise young. In turn, wildlife benefits plants through pollination and spreading seeds.”
With the best of intentions, however, we may be planting milkweed for monarchs, for example, that are not only the wrong type, but causing harm to them.
Tropical Milkweed: A NO GROW!
Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is a non-native, introduced species that remains active in winter when planted in temperate North American regions. Its lack of dormancy allows for the proliferation and spread of a parasitic organism, phryocystis elektroscirrha (OE for short) which causes deformed wings, disorientation, and, in severe cases, death in monarchs. Monarchs infested with OE easily pass the parasite to other monarchs.
Tropical milkweed (a no-no) has several other common names. NWF says to avoid “blood flower, scarlet milkweed, and Mexican butterfly weed” often found at your local nursery, and “always check the scientific name (Asclepias curassavica) to be certain.”
Choose instead carefully selected native milkweed that co-evolved with monarchs. Which ones are those? They include Cinderella Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ‘Cinderella’) and Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata).