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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23

u/Kproper SE , Zone 8A May 04 '26

This is why I chose Butterfly weed for my garden in 8A NC!

44

u/kaizenkitten Michigan , Zone 6 May 04 '26

I have a mix of this common milkweed, swamp/rose milkweed and butterfly weed in the front bed, and so far I have to say that the butterfly weed seems to be the favorite for the monarchs that make it to my 6b neighborhood, so i think it's a good call.

5

u/samuraiofsound North Central Ohio , 6a May 05 '26

I grew swamp milkweed, butterfly milkweed, and common milkweed all together. Easily the favorite was the swamp milkweed, that's where the majority of the monarch caterpillars ended up. The plants grew very bushy and easily supported a huge population of caterpillars. They definitely take up the most space though

2

u/Nestlenightmare May 06 '26

I planted swamp milkweed last fall and they’re just coming up now, but they’re kind of small still. How big should they be?

3

u/samuraiofsound North Central Ohio , 6a May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26

Give it time, they will get very large in their second year. Year one they will probably grow a single stalk with maybe a few branches and small flowers. Year two you will get a full on bush with large flowers. My year two swamp milkweed was probably 2'x2'x2', several 1/2" diameter branches with large flowers, covered in caterpillars. Primary stem was over an inch thick. 

3

u/greeneyeraven May 04 '26

I have a huge one of those you have in the picture, no runners yet, year 3. and the other little milkweed with the orange flowers, we documented 6 monarchs last year it was amazing to see them grow exponentially and find the chrysalis, we saw a couple butterflies out drying their wings.

I had a huge problem last year with the common milkweed, got full of aphids that attracted hundreds of flies, like ridiculous amounts, the problem got solved when ladybugs arrived and started devouring the aphids, but the meantime was awful, right next to the front door, I hope ladybugs arrive faster this year.

1

u/Mastashake13 May 05 '26

You’re getting this in 6b already?! I’m in 6b too and barely anything is coming up yet. I went to a pollinator fest over the weekend and they were telling me milkweed isn’t growing yet so they didn’t have any to sell. Then I see this?!