If You Want to Support Your Local Wildlife, Plant This

When plant enthusiasts think of milkweed, they probably also imagine monarch butterflies. According to the New York Times, monarch butterflies and milkweed have a strong partnership. The butterflies feed and lay eggs on the milkweed while also spreading its seeds.

However, milkweed attracts and benefits far more creatures than just monarch butterflies. Let’s take a look at how this hearty plant supports native wildlife, why it’s so excellent for our larger ecosystems, and which varieties are best for home gardens.

What Wildlife Does Milkweed Attract?

According to the U.S. Forestry Service, “Common milkweed is Nature’s mega food market for insects.” More than 450 types of insects eat some portion of the milkweed plant, including flies, beetles, ants, bees, wasps, aphids, moths and, of course, butterflies.

Many invertebrates and rodents also love eating milkweed, including snails, slugs, spider mites, rabbits and squirrels. One notable exception? Deer. The Times says these mammals dislike the milkweed’s chemical secretions.

How Does Milkweed Support Larger Ecosystems?

Milkweed provides a reliable food source for endangered species like butterflies, bees and wasps, substantially improving their survival rate. Scientists have observed the opposite effect, too. As native milkweed disappears, species stocks decrease.

The impact of feeding insects is felt far beyond the insect class. As Eric Lee-Mäder, an ecologist at the Xerces Society, tells the Times, insects are at the bottom of the food chain for many animals.

When aphids can feed on milkweed, he says “beneficial insects” like lady beetles and lacewings can feed on the aphids. Then, in turn, birds eat the beetles and lacewings. Suddenly, that humble milkweed directly or indirectly feeds an entire ecosystem. Pollinators spread the milkweed seeds, bringing this feast to new locations and ecosystems.

What Milkweed Variety Should I Plant?

Lee-Mäder tells the Times milkweeds are “among the most elaborate in the plant kingdom” with “a complexity comparable to that of rare orchids.”

Dozens of species of milkweed evolved to survive harsh weather conditions and predators worldwide. Seventy-three species are native to North America alone, according to the nonprofit educational outreach program Monarch Watch.

When considering which milkweed species to plant in your garden, search for native varieties. Monarch Watch provides a convenient map on its website showing which varieties are native to specific U.S. regions.

To keep it simple, the National Wildlife Federation notes common milkweed, swamp milkweed and butterflyweed “have particularly wide ranges and are good choices in most regions.” Swamp milkweed and butterflyweed are typically available at local nurseries, but you can always collect your own seeds as well.