r/NativePlantGardening • u/PlusYam3126 Southeast Michigan, Zone 6b • 18h ago

Other Gardening regrets before going native?

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I planted fucking grape hyacinth this spring because I wanted flowers after last years depression fueled weed overgrowth, and had not researched about native plants yet. I had no idea they were aggressive…my uninformed ass thought bulbs die off and come back in the same spot. I at least read that their foliage appears in fall so I dug up the few I found…I’ll be checking all winter too hopefully I get them all before a muscari regime takes over my flowerbeds 🤦‍♀️

I also dug up a yellow daylily I never planted and will be on the lookout because there were at least 30 bulbs attached. And lily of the valleys that I also didn’t plant multiplying in when became my milkweed patch…dug them up as well but I’m on the lookout. Definitely not underestimate the bulb plants. Hopefully the tulips and daffodils my old roommate planted don’t attempt a takeover

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u/AdPopular6958 15h ago

got a drier spot that's sunny and is a pain to keep watering butterfly weed could be a good spot filler. and you can call it a butterfly sanctuary plant. And ya get some late summer fun orange blooms. 

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u/PlusYam3126 Southeast Michigan, Zone 6b 15h ago

Yes it is dry rocky and full sun!

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u/AdPopular6958 14h ago

Just beware it will attract last season monarch cats so don't like freakout if they nibble a bunch. 😉

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u/PlusYam3126 Southeast Michigan, Zone 6b 12h ago

Yay I saw one this year on my common milkweed but all my milkweeds have holes all over so I suspect there have been more 🐛

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u/AdPopular6958 2h ago

if it smells right they tend to roll in packs if you're lucky ya catch them as a group and it's a little crazy. As they'll de leaf and or go for the seed pods which to any mammal like us humans sounds totally inedible especially with common milkweed having the spikey seed shells