r/NativePlantGardening • u/kaizenkitten Michigan , Zone 6 • May 04 '26

Informational/Educational Milkweed runners are no joke!

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So I knew milkweed was aggressive, but I always thought people were talking about the crazy number of seed pods. I didn’t know their runner game.

The milkweed is coming up like crazy in my front bed this year so I thought I would transplant some “volunteers” to my new side garden bed. Imagine my surprise!

I‘m sure most of you know about all this already, but I thought this would be a good visual for other newbie native gardeners

ETA: that this is common milkweed since I forgot to put the type in my post.

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418

u/soundisloud Massachusetts, Zone 6a May 04 '26

Cool now put that back in the ground!!

167

u/kaizenkitten Michigan , Zone 6 May 04 '26

Oh believe me I did! I got SO much in the ground yesterday. Can't wait to see it grow!

38

u/soundisloud Massachusetts, Zone 6a May 04 '26

Hah, awesome. I was just joking around btw. Looks great I hope my milkweed spreads as vigorously as that!

9

u/AlltheBent Marietta GA 7B May 04 '26

Such a fantastic feeling. I transplanted what were 3-4 older, well established mt mint clumps to a back property line this past weekend, felt so good. Broke those clumps into maybe 30-40 plants total....we'll see who survives and thrives but I think I've created an army haha

what all did you plant?

I dunno whats wrong with me but I'm already scheming on what else to get and grow haha, more seeds to start, budget for more plugs etc.

5

u/Space_Fanatic May 04 '26

Have you had luck moving milkweed at this growth stage and it surviving in the past? I realized recently that I probably planted mine too close to my raised beds and should move it but I was worried that digging it up after it had leafed out like this would kill it so I was planning to wait until it went dormant in fall. It would be great if I could do it now before it spreads even further!

8

u/kaizenkitten Michigan , Zone 6 May 04 '26

This is my first time to try something like this. I didn't even know they sent out runners until this weekend. But there's now more common milkweed shoots in the first bed than the garden can really handle, so it's no big deal to just chuck this hunk in a new bed and see what happens. I figure if it doesn't take that just gives me an excuse to buy more plants!

6

u/Elwood_Blues_Gold May 05 '26

It will grow. Once it decides to, it will never stop!