Common milkweed in bloom with light purple flower clusters.

Milkweed

Milkweed plants are an important part of a garden; they provide food and shelter for caterpillars, monarch butterflies, and other wildlife. They also help to provide pollen for bees and other pollinators who are attracted to the flowers. Read our guides below to learn more about how you can add milkweed plants to your own garden. Find tips on care, cultivar selection, planting tips, and more. Happy gardening!

How to Plant and Grow Milkweed

White and purple milkweed flowers, with an orange and black Monarch butterfly, and large green leaves.

Milkweed is a native perennial that’s easy to grow, and it attracts a seemingly unlimited list of wildlife to the garden. As the only host to monarch butterflies, growing it is a foolproof way to aid your local ecosystem, and to gain the admiration of your neighbors. Learn how to grow Asclepias now on Gardener’s Path!

Milkweed Not Blooming: 7 Common Causes and Solutions

A close up horizontal image of showy milkweed flowers and buds growing in the garden in light sunshine.

Milkweed flowers are a pollinator favorite and a nice option for wildflower gardens. Sometimes, the plants fail to produce the blossoms that make them so unique. It may be that the plants are just too young, but that’s not the only reason. Discover 7 of the most common reasons why your milkweed may fail to flower.

How to Care for Milkweed Plants in Winter

A close up horizontal image of a Asclepias plant that has finished flowering and gone to seed, covered in frost in the winter garden, pictured on a soft focus background.

Milkweed is wonderful for attracting monarch butterflies and other pollinators to the garden, and with minimal winter care, this attractive perennial herb will reemerge from its impressive root system year after year. Ready to learn how to winterize your milkweed plants for a bounty of blooms next season? Read more.