We have honey-vine milkweed growing in our flowerbed. Last year I was cutting it back, but none of the butterfly milkweed I planted took. Should I leave it to grow and cut it back to keep it controlled this year? Or should I continue pulling it and smothering it like I did last year and hope it dies eventually?
Monarchs occasionally use this as a caterpillar host and the flowers attract lots of little pollinators. I enjoy the ones I have in my yard, but admittedly, none of mine are in formal flower beds.
Personally, I love Honeyvine Milkweed. Monarchs prefer other milkweeds when available (and Butterfly Milkweed isn’t their first choice either), but when they do use them, studies have shown no statistical difference in caterpillar survivorship and growth compared to Common Milkweed. Antidotally, Milkweed Tussock Moths seem to like it a lot as a host plant.
I think there is some value in cultivating native plants that aren’t one of the “top 10 most popular”, both biologically and as a personal preference. However, both are fantastic native plants and your yard should be something that benefits both you and native insects. So use the native plant that brings you the most joy, whether that’s ascetics, maintenance effort, or just general vibes.
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