Here in N. Georgia, folks constantly dig up orange Milkweed when it's in bloom. This most always kills the plant as the taproot is large & moving while flowering is the WORST time. I encourage propagation of native plants but do it right! Joining a Native Plant Society offers education & the chance to rescue plants that are in areas due to be developed. Thank you for showing folks how to identify plants & for your efforts to encourage use & enjoyment of our wonderful native plants!
You are very welcome Katie, and thank you for the work you do in the Native Plant Society. I generally avoid transplanting anything with a taproot, And most references will tell you that Common Milkweed is a taproot, which is true, but not true for new starts. But you are 100% right - transplanting anything that is blooming often results in it's death. Even for fibrous root plants. They will require daily watering, and still may not survive.
Totally agree with many others here in the comments... you've not only described this process perfectly, but I love that you began and further stressed, "Don't be a thief" when collecting native plantings for your own gardens. Thank you for the time you've put into this!
A few of you have left comments about not seeing any Monarch this year. I’m the same in Zone 7A, this morning I finally see one it was dancing on my milkweed plants. It was there for a long time. I saw one egg on one plants. But I’m certain it did laid more just I couldn’t see.
The way common milkweed establishes itself through roots underground is absolutely amazing. I have some common milkweed pop up from roots 10ft from where I planted it. 😍
@@fabiadeazamaria996 -- milkweed is the only plant that monarch butterflies lay their eggs on ... AND, if you're lucky enough to have eggs that hatch into caterpillars (many don't, because other bugs like aphids like to eat them), milkweed is the only plant they eat. I've watched a few videos about how to help the monarchs out and they're absolutely fascinating ... like finding the eggs (underneath the leaves), transferring the whole leaf to a protected area (like a little mesh tent), and then feeding the caterpillars fresh leaves once they emerge from their cocoons. Then providing an area where they can spin their chrysalis and change to monarchs. It's absolutely exhilarating! ❤❤❤
I am way ahead, I have thousands of the common milkweeds. They are spreading on their own. Noticed that with the drought conditions bumble bees and the smaller one are now quite active with the common milkweed, same as the ants, before it not as common. (I do have my own little 1/6 acre that is a wildlife habitat.) Later in the season, other types will show up. Monarchs are reproducing all over, more than usual.
@@growitbuildit Thank you. Hard work but I love it. This used to be 1/3 acre of all lawn, some people hate it but the city gave me permission in 2005. I'm right in the middle of town. (I also have vegetable and flower gardens.) Wasps don't sting me. lol.
I grow Monarchs now 2 years my milkweed came up in my pots from the seed blowing and now in most all pots. Just released 16 this year so far. I have the orange
I got permission from the local city Garden club to harvest a few common milkweed from one of their plots. None of them had that root. I dug deep but all i got was delicate white stock all the way down, a couple a foot long. The main root must have been super deep. I put rooting hormone on the approx 2-3” of the bottom and planted them all in their own one gallon pot with good potting soil. I hope they survive
Last summer just one common milkweed came up - self seeded. This summer....OMG. I have a small meadow, at least 20 - 40 small milkweed came up as much as 20 feet from the original plant. I must still have a big rhizome because it keeps sending up little baby milkweed. I have to pull it out so it doesn't take over. I do encourage Butterfly weed, even letting it grow in my mulch paths until after the caterpillars have had their way with it, then I transplant it into my meadow. We do have a dogbane patch as well for the BBBs (bugs-bees-butterflies)
Glad you showed this, I have had my eye on a really good sized orange flowered milk weed plant that gets cut down like twice a year under some COOP power lines that I have been thinking about saving. Any idea how far down you would have to dig to salvage the tap root and be able to transplant? It never gets a chance to serve its purpose and it just really bothers me.
It could go a couple feet or more down. I've heard 3'....which gets difficult to dig. I would wait until the plant is totally dormant, then use a digging bar and post-hole digger to work around. But, you will need to be getting in to use a trowel too, trying to make sure you don't sever roots unnecessarily. It will take some effort, but you still need to be a bit gentle. I haven't tried to move a butterfly weed yet. But even if you accidentally cut part of the root, the key thing will be preserving as much of the tuber, and making sure there are at least a couple of 'eyes' on it. Then, wrap in a moist paper towel and transplant it to it's final home right away. I would also mulch on top, as if the root can't establish itself in time, the frost might heave it up above ground.
I didn't realize they had a rhizome! I thought they just had that long taproot. I have common milkweed in my yard for a few years now. If it stays inside the border of my big flower garden, it stays. I've never had one blossom until this year, now there are two with flowers! I have probably 10 or 12 plants this year, and I have seen several Monarchs, one caterpillar so far. I try not to dig around in there too much, unless I need to prune something. Thanks for the video!
Before the introduction of chemical farming, milkweed and or dogbane were the 'bane' of farmers. 'light' tillage cut and redistributed the rhizomes facilitating the SPREAD of this plant. Very tenacious.
I can totally understand that. It probably made it hard for making hay too, as I believe most livestock will avoid both. Tough to keep it out of there.
@@growitbuildit I was wondering if I tied a piece of mesh over the flower head, would I be able to catch the seed pod? I have cheesecloth and thought I might tie that around the head while it's flowering then go back and collect it in the fall.
Joe, Have you ever propagated milkweeds from cuttings? If you’ve had success with this, please do a video. Your videos are always so informative. Thanks.
Hi - I have never tried growing milkweed from cuttings. I find it easier to just either start from seed or transplant, as cuttings often have disease issues for me (at least woody ones). But if I ever give it a shot I will make a video.
@@blaccnblu Because you put cuttings/seeds in pots thinking “Of course I will remember what’s in these pots” and you end up with pots of things you’ve forgotten what they are. Every... single... year...!!! 😄
It’s just like I had one milkweed that somehow landed by my mailbox in Eau Claire Wisconsin now I have like five or six stocks of it around my mailbox, so I’m concerned about moving it to the back of the yard Thank you
Yeah! Not a single thumbs down! I discovered a tall milkweed in our old cow pasture--about 4 acres. The weeds are about chest high so you can imagine what a mess I have. I want to collect seeds and start new plants. Since the weeds are so thick and tall around this 1 milkweed, I don't know yet what's really happening and if there is spreading.....tall, thick weeds and grasses are close around it. I'll google how to do this.
I found a tall milkweed in our back pasture. Only 1 so far. The weeds out there are almost chest high so smaller milkweeds might have a tough time popping through?? Previously we had cows so you can imagine what I am dealing with a 4 acre pasture. I'd like to know when I should expect to be able to get seeds to start new plants. I'll google it, also. I have put lots of the smaller orange butterfly weed around the house and they are more protected than out in the 'wild' area! And put in lots of coneflowers. I've also gone nuts planting trees where ever I can and hope to minimize the ''bad' weeds and 'prairie-ize' it. I'm 68 and hope to live to see some of the fruits of my labor.
Hi Priscilla - I would go check plants about one month after blooming. You can put a rubber band or twist-tie on the pods to keep them closed. Otherwise, just check them daily. When they start to open up they are ready. And as far as seeing the fruits of your labor, if the plants are blooming and you have enough, the pollinators will come. You will see them!
Hi. I'm not sure if you know this, but pigweed is the best natural pesticide against cucumber beetles. It's an issue where I am in the south. The pigweed will literally take the fall for the cucumber plants. The difference could not be more stark. The pigweed (amaranth) will be filled with insect pests, while the cucumber plant will be unusually free of pest damage. It works way better than any human induced prevention or beetle trap or pesticide after detecting pest damage.
@@growitbuildit Check out the pigweed-cucumber phenomenon in this video. It's unreal that the cucumber is unscathed. There's another video but I can't find it. ua-cam.com/users/shortsouQ9rxV2x7U?si=wZsqMAOBXYKynSKc
Very nicely done video. I will try out your technique in the next few days -- I have maybe 100 new plants growing in a place that I need to mow (on my own property), and have found people who want them. With any luck these will survive transplanting. BTW, do you have any experience with Joe Pye Weed?
Hi John - good luck transplanting. Remember, a 6" section of root will almost certainly resprout. Regarding Joe Pye Weed, you should be able to transplant that too. I have not transplanted any of mine, but have germinated plenty of seed. I haven't made a video yet, but have a detailed plant profile on Joe Pye Weed here - growitbuildit.com/joe-pye-weed-eutrochium-eupatorium/
@@growitbuildit excellent. Thank you. I'll give them both a try. I think maybe the problem I had with germinating the Joe Pye Weed was that I covered them with maybe 1/4" of soil and did not leave on the surface of the ground. Will give this a try as well.
This is one plant I’ve never had success transplanting, will try again w the rhizomes-definitely no success w the tap root mother, but I find that to be true w many single tap root flowers/plants. They just aren’t capable of drinking up water unless very tiny.
Hi! Thanks so much for this valuable info. I do have a question. I'm working on a butterfly garden and yesterday I went a ways into the shady woods looking for little wild violets that I love and there -all by itself- was a beautiful bright pink bloomed plant with a butterfly on it. No others in the area that I could find and had no idea what it was. Found it in my Ozark native flowers - Common Milkweed. Stunned to find it and in a shady area no less. Well , of course, I wanted find transplant info and was pleased to find you. My plan is to wait and harvest some seed from it but then I thought it would be best just to leave it in place and see if next year I would find some more plants around it from the rhizomes. Is there a specific fertilizer or mulch that I could add around it to aid in it in survival and spread? I'm also going to watch your asclepsia tuberosa as I also have a beauty that I would like to help it spread. Thanks so much. Actually, I am already subscribed so I've found you before. Oh, my memory! :^D
Hi - the best way to encourage the spread would be to get as much sunlight on the area as possible. It should sprout new plants where the ground feels warm from the sun. Also, I would suggest you try to grow it from seed, as it should make plenty this year. Winter sowing the seed is quite simple, and you will probably have a high germination rate.
One more question, just by the off chance that you may be familiar with this odd leaf shape of a plant that is next to the Common Milkweed. Actually, I have recently seen it in a book or a youtube but cannot place it now. The tip of the leaf is approx 3"x5" and is shaped like a spade or shovel and then about an inch down behind the spade two smaller leaves which look like they are attached together at their bases make up the rest of the main leaf. (Hummmm, boy, that was clear as mud :^D ) Oh, well, that is as close as I can get to a description. Just thought I'd ask to see if it rang a bell with you as I've had no luck finding into. Thanks again! p
I'm afraid I can't name that one off hand. There are a few that could pass.....perhaps American Germander? growitbuildit.com/american-germander-teucrium-canadense/
Just the video I was looking for since I planted seeds in my raised beds and now they're growing in one huge clump. I noticed other plants have started to grow within the little space I have and was wondering, when trying to tell the difference between milkweed and similar looking plants, why not just tear off a leaf and see if it contains a milky sap?
Hi Bill - you need to make a closer inspection than just tearing the leaf and looking for sap. The problem is Dogbane will produce a similar sap. I don't believe Pokeweed will make sap, but am not 100% sure. I would take a good look at the visual guides in my article to make sure you ID it 100% - growitbuildit.com/transplanting-milkweed-plants/
Dogbane is useful for its fibers if you're into certain types of crafting. So there may be a minority that would want to transplant and grow some of those too.
That could be interesting. I had read that they could be used to make rope/cordage. Dogbane also hosts a few insects, so they definitely serve a purpose. Question - do you need to collect the fibers when the plant is alive? Or could you also collect it when dead/dry in Winter?
Hello I’m looking for some guidance since you have a lot of experience with natives. All of my milkweed plants came up this year looking healthy but a week or so after starting to grow, the new growth leaves started to look stunted and deformed, and upon close inspection there are small green bugs on the undersides of leaves. How do I go about treating this? It’s only affecting my milkweed and a few of my penstemon. Thanks
Hi - I can't say that I am familiar with green bugs on milkweed. I often have aphids, which are most often orange or red. For those I just squish them. Maybe try taking a very clear picture and asking one of the bug identification groups on Facebook?
Thanks for making these great vids! Question: is this Common Milkweed the only kind that Monarchs lay on? I have just put a bunch of the orange Butterfly Milkweed in, thinking it would serve the same purpose but with a different aesthetic. More recently the information I'm getting suggests Common Milkweed would be better.
Common is not all they lay on - they are exclusive to milkweed but typically there is more activity when you have a milkweed native to your area. Butterfly mw is fine but also better if it is native to your area. Whatever MW grows the best and healthiest for you will be fine. Some people prefer Butterfly (Milk)weed because it doesn’t spread by underground rhizomes. It will, however, reseed readily unless you capture the seeds before they fly off in the wind (I use organza bags over the seed pod to capture seeds to plant where I want more).
Margaret is correct - any Milkweed will do for Monarchs. The first time I saw a Monarch caterpillar was actually on some Butterfly Weed. The key thing is to plant enough! Single specimens often don't result in too much pollinator action / caterpillar. My general rule is to plant at least 3 of anything. It will bring in bees and butterflies in much greater numbers that way.
I'm zone 5 near Chicago and have been growing swamp milkweed for monarchs for years. Leaves are much more narrow, but a 2+ year old plant grows many branches and resembles a small bush. If you see new canes growing from the bottom those are often new plants than can be separated to grow more swamp milkweed.
Just wondering what is the purpose of the intermediate step of putting the plants into a pot for several weeks? Why not just plant them directly into their ultimate destination location?
You can do that as long as you keep it well watered, and put a chair over it for shading. Normally when you can see milkweed poking through the soil, the weather is quite warm. But when new shoots come up, or if the area gets too hot it could be a problem. When the root is disturbed/detached as much as I did in the video, it can't transport water/etc for at least a few days. Putting it in the pot in the shade allows it to reestablish itself.
You said to plant once new growth starts and the example you had appeared to be 2’or 3 inches tall except when you planted, then it was a foot tall and the roots went all the way to the bottom of the pot. So can you summarize how to know when you re-potted transplant is ready To go from pot to soil? Also if you get a plant from a roadside ditch doesn’t technically either the county, state or the federal government have right away for so many feet on both sides of the roadway so it actually wouldn’t be owned by a private person and the government is just going to mow it down anyway?
Hi Franco, you can plant once it is just 2 or 3" tall. That means your transplant is growing and you gathered enough root. Waiting longer doesn't hurt, but is not necessary. As far as who owns the ditch, I cannot answer that and it likely varies state to state. I was more referring to along fence lines on farmers fields, etc. I think the main thing is getting permission from the landowner.
Wait so to be clear, you can indeed just dig up new growth as-is and plant it immediately? Or is the potting necessary? This is all within my own milkweed garden.
Hi Bryson - yes, right now you could do exactly that. Make sure you take at least 6" of root, and it should have enough energy to resprout. I do the potting to verify that my root is still viable. But it is not required. Also , since you are making a milkweed garden for spreading types, you may want to look into Whorled Milkweed sometime. It is a shorter milkweet, but blooms at different times, and does great for brining in Monarchs and hosting caterpillars. Very aggressive, but can fill in gaps between Common Milkweed. - see here: growitbuildit.com/whorled-milkweed-101-asclepias-verticillata/
If you’re just moving some young plants from one part of a backyard to another, how important is the step of planting in a pot? Can you just plop it in a new hole?
The big issue is the transplant shock. But these thick rhizomes might have enough energy that you could get away with just moving them and watering the new hole. I moved mine when it was pretty hot out, so potted them up. When we disturb the roots of a plant, it loses the ability to take up water and nutrients until the roots can grab ahold of the soil again. So, it isn't putting it in a pot so much as putting it in the shade. What I do, when I want to transplant something but it is hot and sunny out is to place a lawn chair over it to shade it for several days. That way, if the above ground foliage survives it won't have as much water demand.
Hi Nicholas - your best bet is to do what I did in this video - ua-cam.com/video/rHKbyGMZQR8/v-deo.html It has worked well for Monarda and Obedient Plant. I'm going to do it to Common Milkweed too. Your other option is to grow non-spreading Milkweeds like Butterfly Weed or Swamp Milkweed.
Hello! This video is unbelievably helpful, thank you. I have a question: I am planting a milkweed “patch” and have a bunch of seeds that were donated to me BUT there are some growing wild in other areas. With the help of your video I’ll be able to transplant them. My question is…I’m in zone 7a and will have to bring the transplant into my house for the winter, will it last in a pot until April (last frost)? Looking forward to you answer! Thanks again😊
Hi Jennifer - what I would suggest is to transplant the roots right now and plant them in the ground. They will survive the winter. You probably have a solid 4-6 weeks to do this yet. With perennials, if you can work the ground, you can plant. I would not try to overwinter the plant in my home. If nothing else, if you pot it up, keep it in an unheated garage or shed during the coldest parts of winter.
I ordered seeds one year and carefully planted them. Then reading up on it found out it was the wrong plant. Then the seeds never came up. So I have better things to do with my time but I'd love to help out the monarchs.
You are way better off looking around places like parks, for milkweed that has gone to seed, that way you know they are fresh. They should require no work once the first one is established.
Carmen is absolutely right - these plants need no help once established. And the seed is free! I buy lots of seed, and every so often - maybe 1 out of 50 purchases will result in duds, or near-duds.
I have a huge clump of milkweed by my mailbox which is extremely large now I wanted to transplanted to the back of my yard can I take the whole thing and dig it up and move it to the back or will that kill it?
In general, you never want to transplant anything that is blooming or producing seed. But if the Milkweed has a long taproot, that could make transplanting difficult/risky. But if it is runner/rhizomes like I show in the video, it should be perfectly fine. I would probably wait until Fall and wait until the plant is dormant, then carefully dig it up to determine if it has a taproot, or if I could get one of the runners.
Hi Douglas, you should try to make sure the milkweed you are planting is native to California. The one I'm showing in this video is not. But there are many others that are such as Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), Asclepias eriocarpa, or Asclepias fascicularis. The reason you should try to use the specific milkweed species native to you is that it will be adapted to your climate and should be able to survive most or all plant diseases endemic to california.
@@growitbuildit interesting thanks . I thought I might have Found two différent variety of milkweed but it might actually be that .. except the other plant was easier to pull and the roots were orange but the milkweed's were white .
In my experience, yes they can. These shallow rhizomes seem to survive in containers just fine. In fact one of the plants in this video is still living in a pot after two Winters in Pennsylvania.
@@growitbuildit I thot I had milkweed, but it's an "imposter"!!! I will look for these you mention. Thank you. I hope the Monarchs can detect them from far away, because we have seen none. 🤔
Know that there are lots of milkweed species. You could just have a different variety. See here for the types native to your area - bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Asclepias
Can you not pull it up from one spot then plant it directly in another rather than pot it for several weeks? Thanks for this video as I have a small field and while I can leave the outskirts unmowed the ticks and mosquitoes are so bad things need to be kept short which means the milkweed get cut. I'm going to move them to a large section beside the field where others grow and make that area a huge butterfly garden.
Hi Jo - you can do that. Just make sure you can water it frequently for about 2 weeks. And make sure you get enough root when you dig it up. It can be trickier to do as putting it directly in full sun during summer is stressful. But if it has enough water it should be ok. Don't give up on it, as it will likely die back to ground.
You mention to move plant to a shady area...which I did, but none survived. All the others in my yard are doing fine - full sun. What did I do wrong ? I have photo but dont know how to upload it.
Hi Charlie - when I say a shady area, I'm talking about plants that are placed in containers that are experiencing transplant shock. If you are taking a clump, and moving that directly, you can go full sun (as that is the preferred growing condition). But - make sure there is no taproot present, and be prepared to water it daily. Even still, it may die back to ground. But don't give up on it. As long as there is enough of the horizontal root it will likely be ok. It can take a few weeks to resprout in my experience.
The best time is probably late Spring. But it really doesn't seem to matter. As long as the plant has time to establish itself for a few weeks before frost, you would probably be ok. For reference, I believe I shot most of this footage in late June. The key is to get at least six inches of rhizome, as that way it should have enough energy to regenerate itself.
I’m familiar with milkweed, but didn’t realize poke weed, and dog weed looked so similar. If someone has poke weed and dog weed in their yard should they remove it?
Hi Kathryn - it really comes down to....do you want them? Both Dogbane and Pokeweed can be aggressive, and both are toxic. But, both are native and help their environment in their own way. Personally, I keep both out of my yard as there are plenty specimens of both plants not far from my house. So, I would prefer to grow showier, but less common flowers/shrubs/trees. But Dogbane spreads via rhizomes, just like Common Milkweed and gets about the same size. And it blooms the same time. Pokeweed grows 6-8' tall by 3-4' wide depending on conditions. It makes these clusters of dark purple berries that can stain skin/clothes. The birds really like to eat the berries. So, it just depends what you want.
It would actually be better to relocate all of those because Monarchs WILL lay eggs on them; those eggs and/or caterpillars will just get mowed down and killed. 😥
Those never get that tall, as they get mowed every week. But I understand what you're saying. But even if I did, it would be a matter of time before more rhizomes went right back to that area.
Excuse me, but in your opening you are clearly showing echinacea, not milkweed. Geesh. Sure says much about your credibility or expertise. Oh, we can do without the lectures. That being said, some elocution and spelling lessons would be helpful.
Here in N. Georgia, folks constantly dig up orange Milkweed when it's in bloom. This most always kills the plant as the taproot is large & moving while flowering is the WORST time. I encourage propagation of native plants but do it right! Joining a Native Plant Society offers education & the chance to rescue plants that are in areas due to be developed. Thank you for showing folks how to identify plants & for your efforts to encourage use & enjoyment of our wonderful native plants!
You are very welcome Katie, and thank you for the work you do in the Native Plant Society. I generally avoid transplanting anything with a taproot, And most references will tell you that Common Milkweed is a taproot, which is true, but not true for new starts.
But you are 100% right - transplanting anything that is blooming often results in it's death. Even for fibrous root plants. They will require daily watering, and still may not survive.
Totally agree with many others here in the comments... you've not only described this process perfectly, but I love that you began and further stressed, "Don't be a thief" when collecting native plantings for your own gardens. Thank you for the time you've put into this!
Thank you for the kind words Scarlett. I'm very happy you found it helpful!
The use of a moist paper towel is a good idea.
A few of you have left comments about not seeing any Monarch this year. I’m the same in Zone 7A, this morning I finally see one it was dancing on my milkweed plants. It was there for a long time. I saw one egg on one plants. But I’m certain it did laid more just I couldn’t see.
If your backyard is a "swamp:, plant swamp milkweed. I am not joking.
If it is dry, and well draining, plant butterflyweed.
Both prefer full sun.
You are exactly correct. There is a milkweed for any situation.
Yes, depending on what’s native to your area. There are lots of other species of milkweed, too.
The way common milkweed establishes itself through roots underground is absolutely amazing. I have some common milkweed pop up from roots 10ft from where I planted it. 😍
It is quite prolific. And tenacious. Gets mowed down but keeps coming back.
Cuál es el beneficio de esta planta la descubrí por una aplicación llegó a mi casa en otras flores k compré en viveros
@@fabiadeazamaria996 -- milkweed is the only plant that monarch butterflies lay their eggs on ... AND, if you're lucky enough to have eggs that hatch into caterpillars (many don't, because other bugs like aphids like to eat them), milkweed is the only plant they eat. I've watched a few videos about how to help the monarchs out and they're absolutely fascinating ... like finding the eggs (underneath the leaves), transferring the whole leaf to a protected area (like a little mesh tent), and then feeding the caterpillars fresh leaves once they emerge from their cocoons. Then providing an area where they can spin their chrysalis and change to monarchs. It's absolutely exhilarating! ❤❤❤
Thank you so much! I have a whole bunch of Milkweed in my yard that keeps spreading and I wanted to dig some up to bring to a native plant exchange 💚
Excellent - I'm glad I could help you out. Good luck!
I am way ahead, I have thousands of the common milkweeds. They are spreading on their own. Noticed that with the drought conditions bumble bees and the smaller one are now quite active with the common milkweed, same as the ants, before it not as common. (I do have my own little 1/6 acre that is a wildlife habitat.) Later in the season, other types will show up. Monarchs are reproducing all over, more than usual.
Outstanding. Excellent work Carmen!
@@growitbuildit Thank you. Hard work but I love it. This used to be 1/3 acre of all lawn, some people hate it but the city gave me permission in 2005. I'm right in the middle of town. (I also have vegetable and flower gardens.) Wasps don't sting me. lol.
Thanks so much! I have been having trouble transplanting these without a lot of effort, I don’t think I was digging deep enough.
You are very welcome. Just remember - smaller is better and the more of the rhizome you capture, the better.
Thank you SO much for this informative video Joe, and THANK YOU FOR CARING ABOUT OUR BELOVED MONARCHS! I'm learning from you & enjoying your videos.
You are very welcome Marsha! Glad you liked the video.
I grow Monarchs now 2 years my milkweed came up in my pots from the seed blowing and now in most all pots. Just released 16 this year so far. I have the orange
Nice!
Due to your video, I found out that I have pokeweed and dogbane on my property, which is helpful.
Pokeweed gets absolutely massive. Birds like it, but man is it large (6'-8').
@@growitbuildit It really is. If this was my first year looking at it, I would say that it is a young shub/bushlike plant, due to its size.
5:20
This is especially important when differentiating from Poke Milkweed, Asclepias exaltata.
I haven't seen much of any Monarch's this year, so far.
The more the milkweed reproduces, they more will come. I live in Minnesota and there are quite a few in my yard, this year.
It's been a quiet year around here too, but I did spy one the other day now that Butterfly Weed is blooming.
Quiet here in Katy, Texas
Quiet in N. Georgia too. Very few butterflies at all 😔
I've been consistently checking all the milkweed patches in my town in MA and no cats! :(
It just started to grow out of the blue in my moms garden!! I was going to weed it out but I’ll save them!
You are doing a good deed Jose!
I got permission from the local city Garden club to harvest a few common milkweed from one of their plots. None of them had that root. I dug deep but all i got was delicate white stock all the way down, a couple a foot long. The main root must have been super deep. I put rooting hormone on the approx 2-3” of the bottom and planted them all in their own one gallon pot with good potting soil. I hope they survive
That is surprising - I guess it could have been second year plants that hadn't begun spreading yet. Good luck rooting them!
A year later, I wonder- did it work?
You just answered ALL my questions. Thank you!
You are very welcome Jocelyn!
Excellent instructional video! Thank you!
You are very welcome Kimberly
Thanks so much! I've been noticing a few on the roadside when I'm driving so you've just given me helpful tips on bringing some to my garden!
I'm very happy I could help you out. Good luck!
Last summer just one common milkweed came up - self seeded. This summer....OMG. I have a small meadow, at least 20 - 40 small milkweed came up as much as 20 feet from the original plant. I must still have a big rhizome because it keeps sending up little baby milkweed. I have to pull it out so it doesn't take over. I do encourage Butterfly weed, even letting it grow in my mulch paths until after the caterpillars have had their way with it, then I transplant it into my meadow. We do have a dogbane patch as well for the BBBs (bugs-bees-butterflies)
They are Prolific!
Excellent informative video. Thank you.
Thank you very much!
Glad you showed this, I have had my eye on a really good sized orange flowered milk weed plant that gets cut down like twice a year under some COOP power lines that I have been thinking about saving. Any idea how far down you would have to dig to salvage the tap root and be able to transplant? It never gets a chance to serve its purpose and it just really bothers me.
It could go a couple feet or more down. I've heard 3'....which gets difficult to dig. I would wait until the plant is totally dormant, then use a digging bar and post-hole digger to work around. But, you will need to be getting in to use a trowel too, trying to make sure you don't sever roots unnecessarily. It will take some effort, but you still need to be a bit gentle.
I haven't tried to move a butterfly weed yet. But even if you accidentally cut part of the root, the key thing will be preserving as much of the tuber, and making sure there are at least a couple of 'eyes' on it. Then, wrap in a moist paper towel and transplant it to it's final home right away. I would also mulch on top, as if the root can't establish itself in time, the frost might heave it up above ground.
This was so helpful, thank you!
You are very welcome Heather!
I didn't realize they had a rhizome! I thought they just had that long taproot. I have common milkweed in my yard for a few years now. If it stays inside the border of my big flower garden, it stays. I've never had one blossom until this year, now there are two with flowers! I have probably 10 or 12 plants this year, and I have seen several Monarchs, one caterpillar so far. I try not to dig around in there too much, unless I need to prune something. Thanks for the video!
You're welcome Stacy. You are probably starting to see lots of pollinator action on the flowers. And I hope you get to see some caterpillars too!
Before the introduction of chemical farming, milkweed and or dogbane were the 'bane' of farmers. 'light' tillage cut and redistributed the rhizomes facilitating the SPREAD of this plant. Very tenacious.
I can totally understand that. It probably made it hard for making hay too, as I believe most livestock will avoid both. Tough to keep it out of there.
Awesome, thanks. I started milkweed from seed this spring and it will be my first time growing it. I hope it does well.
Excellent - good luck Tracie!
Thank you for this!
This is the best step-by-step video that explains the process throughly.
👍🏻
You're very welcome Andy. Good luck!
It sure is!
@@growitbuildit I was wondering if I tied a piece of mesh over the flower head, would I be able to catch the seed pod? I have cheesecloth and thought I might tie that around the head while it's flowering then go back and collect it in the fall.
@mitzigarner that would work. Little twist-ties from bread bags or rubber bands work well too.
Very interesting and informative..thanks for sharing
You are welcome- I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Very informative and interesting! 👍
Thank you - glad you enjoyed it!
Joe,
Have you ever propagated milkweeds from cuttings? If you’ve had success with this, please do a video. Your videos are always so informative.
Thanks.
Hi - I have never tried growing milkweed from cuttings. I find it easier to just either start from seed or transplant, as cuttings often have disease issues for me (at least woody ones). But if I ever give it a shot I will make a video.
Reminder: Label your pots (ask me why I mention).😄
Why?
@@blaccnblu Because you put cuttings/seeds in pots thinking “Of course I will remember what’s in these pots” and you end up with pots of things you’ve forgotten what they are. Every... single... year...!!! 😄
But it's a great way to practice your botanical ID skills!
Great info!
Thank you!
It’s just like I had one milkweed that somehow landed by my mailbox in Eau Claire Wisconsin
now I have like five or six stocks of it around my mailbox, so I’m concerned about moving it to the back of the yard
Thank you
Extremely well crafted video. Subscribed.
Thank you William. Glad you enjoyed it!
Well done. Shared
Thank you!
Yeah! Not a single thumbs down! I discovered a tall milkweed in our old cow pasture--about 4 acres. The weeds are about chest high so you can imagine what a mess I have. I want to collect seeds and start new plants. Since the weeds are so thick and tall around this 1 milkweed, I don't know yet what's really happening and if there is spreading.....tall, thick weeds and grasses are close around it. I'll google how to do this.
This video is so informative thank you!
You are quite welcome Wendy! I'm glad you found it helpful.
Thanks so much for a informative video. I’ll try moving a volunteer milkweed to a better spot. It’s pretty big so hopefully it makes it
You are very welcome Brooke - I'm glad you enjoyed it! Good luck transplanting your volunteer.
Good info! Thank You!
You are very welcome Dutch!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
I found a tall milkweed in our back pasture. Only 1 so far. The weeds out there are almost chest high so smaller milkweeds might have a tough time popping through?? Previously we had cows so you can imagine what I am dealing with a 4 acre pasture. I'd like to know when I should expect to be able to get seeds to start new plants. I'll google it, also. I have put lots of the smaller orange butterfly weed around the house and they are more protected than out in the 'wild' area! And put in lots of coneflowers. I've also gone nuts planting trees where ever I can and hope to minimize the ''bad' weeds and 'prairie-ize' it. I'm 68 and hope to live to see some of the fruits of my labor.
Hi Priscilla - I would go check plants about one month after blooming. You can put a rubber band or twist-tie on the pods to keep them closed. Otherwise, just check them daily. When they start to open up they are ready.
And as far as seeing the fruits of your labor, if the plants are blooming and you have enough, the pollinators will come. You will see them!
Hi. I'm not sure if you know this, but pigweed is the best natural pesticide against cucumber beetles. It's an issue where I am in the south. The pigweed will literally take the fall for the cucumber plants. The difference could not be more stark. The pigweed (amaranth) will be filled with insect pests, while the cucumber plant will be unusually free of pest damage. It works way better than any human induced prevention or beetle trap or pesticide after detecting pest damage.
I was not aware of pigweed being beneficial in that way. I may have to look into that....thank you
@@growitbuildit Check out the pigweed-cucumber phenomenon in this video. It's unreal that the cucumber is unscathed. There's another video but I can't find it. ua-cam.com/users/shortsouQ9rxV2x7U?si=wZsqMAOBXYKynSKc
Very informative. Excellent video. Thank you.
You are very welcome Tin. I'm glad you found it helpful.
Very informative. Thanks for this.
You are very welcome Pallias! I'm glad you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for your videos!
You are very welcome sir!
Very nicely done video. I will try out your technique in the next few days -- I have maybe 100 new plants growing in a place that I need to mow (on my own property), and have found people who want them. With any luck these will survive transplanting. BTW, do you have any experience with Joe Pye Weed?
Hi John - good luck transplanting. Remember, a 6" section of root will almost certainly resprout. Regarding Joe Pye Weed, you should be able to transplant that too. I have not transplanted any of mine, but have germinated plenty of seed. I haven't made a video yet, but have a detailed plant profile on Joe Pye Weed here - growitbuildit.com/joe-pye-weed-eutrochium-eupatorium/
@@growitbuildit excellent. Thank you. I'll give them both a try. I think maybe the problem I had with germinating the Joe Pye Weed was that I covered them with maybe 1/4" of soil and did not leave on the surface of the ground. Will give this a try as well.
Great information … thank you.
You are quite welcome Vo
It wish I could find a Swamp Milkweed to get some seeds. My fav.
I just keep my head on a swivel whenever I go anywhere. If something is blooming, I slow down and have a look and make mental notes.
I just found a patch and the neighbor gave me the green light!
Happy hunting!
if the reason you are watching this is because you want to know how to TRANSPLANT MILKWEED then skip to 6:30ish
Thank you so much!
You are very welcome!
This is one plant I’ve never had success transplanting, will try again w the rhizomes-definitely no success w the tap root mother, but I find that to be true w many single tap root flowers/plants. They just aren’t capable of drinking up water unless very tiny.
I have found most taproot plants to be sensitive too. Rhizomes works great on this one
13:00 johnson grass in the backround
Hi! Thanks so much for this valuable info. I do have a question. I'm working on a butterfly garden and yesterday I went a ways into the shady woods looking for little wild violets that I love and there -all by itself- was a beautiful bright pink bloomed plant with a butterfly on it. No others in the area that I could find and had no idea what it was. Found it in my
Ozark native flowers - Common Milkweed. Stunned to find it and in a shady area no less. Well , of course, I wanted find
transplant info and was pleased to find you. My plan is to wait and harvest some seed from it but then I thought it would
be best just to leave it in place and see if next year I would find some more plants around it from the rhizomes. Is there a
specific fertilizer or mulch that I could add around it to aid in it in survival and spread? I'm also going to watch your
asclepsia tuberosa as I also have a beauty that I would like to help it spread. Thanks so much. Actually, I am already
subscribed so I've found you before. Oh, my memory! :^D
Hi - the best way to encourage the spread would be to get as much sunlight on the area as possible. It should sprout new plants where the ground feels warm from the sun.
Also, I would suggest you try to grow it from seed, as it should make plenty this year. Winter sowing the seed is quite simple, and you will probably have a high germination rate.
One more question, just by the off chance that you may be familiar with this odd leaf shape of a plant that is next to the
Common Milkweed. Actually, I have recently seen it in a book or a youtube but cannot place it now. The tip of the leaf is
approx 3"x5" and is shaped like a spade or shovel and then about an inch down behind the spade two smaller leaves which look like they are attached together at their bases make up the rest of the main leaf. (Hummmm, boy, that was clear as
mud :^D ) Oh, well, that is as close as I can get to a description. Just thought I'd ask to see if it rang a bell with you as I've had no luck finding into. Thanks again! p
I'm afraid I can't name that one off hand. There are a few that could pass.....perhaps American Germander? growitbuildit.com/american-germander-teucrium-canadense/
Just the video I was looking for since I planted seeds in my raised beds and now they're growing in one huge clump. I noticed other plants have started to grow within the little space I have and was wondering, when trying to tell the difference between milkweed and similar looking plants, why not just tear off a leaf and see if it contains a milky sap?
Hi Bill - you need to make a closer inspection than just tearing the leaf and looking for sap. The problem is Dogbane will produce a similar sap. I don't believe Pokeweed will make sap, but am not 100% sure. I would take a good look at the visual guides in my article to make sure you ID it 100% - growitbuildit.com/transplanting-milkweed-plants/
Starts at 6:30
Dogbane is useful for its fibers if you're into certain types of crafting. So there may be a minority that would want to transplant and grow some of those too.
That could be interesting. I had read that they could be used to make rope/cordage. Dogbane also hosts a few insects, so they definitely serve a purpose.
Question - do you need to collect the fibers when the plant is alive? Or could you also collect it when dead/dry in Winter?
Dogbane is a native plant that serves an important ecological role regardless of whether it's useful to humans.
Hello I’m looking for some guidance since you have a lot of experience with natives. All of my milkweed plants came up this year looking healthy but a week or so after starting to grow, the new growth leaves started to look stunted and deformed, and upon close inspection there are small green bugs on the undersides of leaves. How do I go about treating this? It’s only affecting my milkweed and a few of my penstemon. Thanks
Hi - I can't say that I am familiar with green bugs on milkweed. I often have aphids, which are most often orange or red. For those I just squish them. Maybe try taking a very clear picture and asking one of the bug identification groups on Facebook?
Thanks for making these great vids! Question: is this Common Milkweed the only kind that Monarchs lay on? I have just put a bunch of the orange Butterfly Milkweed in, thinking it would serve the same purpose but with a different aesthetic. More recently the information I'm getting suggests Common Milkweed would be better.
Common is not all they lay on - they are exclusive to milkweed but typically there is more activity when you have a milkweed native to your area. Butterfly mw is fine but also better if it is native to your area. Whatever MW grows the best and healthiest for you will be fine. Some people prefer Butterfly (Milk)weed because it doesn’t spread by underground rhizomes. It will, however, reseed readily unless you capture the seeds before they fly off in the wind (I use organza bags over the seed pod to capture seeds to plant where I want more).
Margaret is correct - any Milkweed will do for Monarchs. The first time I saw a Monarch caterpillar was actually on some Butterfly Weed. The key thing is to plant enough! Single specimens often don't result in too much pollinator action / caterpillar. My general rule is to plant at least 3 of anything. It will bring in bees and butterflies in much greater numbers that way.
I'm zone 5 near Chicago and have been growing swamp milkweed for monarchs for years. Leaves are much more narrow, but a 2+ year old plant grows many branches and resembles a small bush. If you see new canes growing from the bottom those are often new plants than can be separated to grow more swamp milkweed.
Just wondering what is the purpose of the intermediate step of putting the plants into a pot for several weeks? Why not just plant them directly into their ultimate destination location?
You can do that as long as you keep it well watered, and put a chair over it for shading. Normally when you can see milkweed poking through the soil, the weather is quite warm. But when new shoots come up, or if the area gets too hot it could be a problem. When the root is disturbed/detached as much as I did in the video, it can't transport water/etc for at least a few days. Putting it in the pot in the shade allows it to reestablish itself.
You said to plant once new growth starts and the example you had appeared to be 2’or 3 inches tall except when you planted, then it was a foot tall and the roots went all the way to the bottom of the pot. So can you summarize how to know when you re-potted transplant is ready
To go from pot to soil?
Also if you get a plant from a roadside ditch doesn’t technically either the county, state or the federal government have right away for so many feet on both sides of the roadway so it actually wouldn’t be owned by a private person and the government is just going to mow it down anyway?
Hi Franco, you can plant once it is just 2 or 3" tall. That means your transplant is growing and you gathered enough root. Waiting longer doesn't hurt, but is not necessary.
As far as who owns the ditch, I cannot answer that and it likely varies state to state. I was more referring to along fence lines on farmers fields, etc. I think the main thing is getting permission from the landowner.
Wait so to be clear, you can indeed just dig up new growth as-is and plant it immediately? Or is the potting necessary? This is all within my own milkweed garden.
Hi Bryson - yes, right now you could do exactly that. Make sure you take at least 6" of root, and it should have enough energy to resprout.
I do the potting to verify that my root is still viable. But it is not required.
Also , since you are making a milkweed garden for spreading types, you may want to look into Whorled Milkweed sometime. It is a shorter milkweet, but blooms at different times, and does great for brining in Monarchs and hosting caterpillars. Very aggressive, but can fill in gaps between Common Milkweed. - see here: growitbuildit.com/whorled-milkweed-101-asclepias-verticillata/
If you’re just moving some young plants from one part of a backyard to another, how important is the step of planting in a pot? Can you just plop it in a new hole?
The big issue is the transplant shock. But these thick rhizomes might have enough energy that you could get away with just moving them and watering the new hole. I moved mine when it was pretty hot out, so potted them up.
When we disturb the roots of a plant, it loses the ability to take up water and nutrients until the roots can grab ahold of the soil again. So, it isn't putting it in a pot so much as putting it in the shade. What I do, when I want to transplant something but it is hot and sunny out is to place a lawn chair over it to shade it for several days. That way, if the above ground foliage survives it won't have as much water demand.
I am going to plant common milkweed this year in my garden. Can I keep it from spreading to where I don't want with thining or pruning?
Hi Nicholas - your best bet is to do what I did in this video - ua-cam.com/video/rHKbyGMZQR8/v-deo.html
It has worked well for Monarda and Obedient Plant. I'm going to do it to Common Milkweed too. Your other option is to grow non-spreading Milkweeds like Butterfly Weed or Swamp Milkweed.
Hello! This video is unbelievably helpful, thank you. I have a question:
I am planting a milkweed “patch” and have a bunch of seeds that were donated to me BUT there are some growing wild in other areas. With the help of your video I’ll be able to transplant them. My question is…I’m in zone 7a and will have to bring the transplant into my house for the winter, will it last in a pot until April (last frost)?
Looking forward to you answer! Thanks again😊
Hi Jennifer - what I would suggest is to transplant the roots right now and plant them in the ground. They will survive the winter. You probably have a solid 4-6 weeks to do this yet. With perennials, if you can work the ground, you can plant. I would not try to overwinter the plant in my home. If nothing else, if you pot it up, keep it in an unheated garage or shed during the coldest parts of winter.
@@growitbuildit Thank you so much for the information! I’m now one step closer to saving the monarch!
I ordered seeds one year and carefully planted them. Then reading up on it found out it was the wrong plant. Then the seeds never came up. So I have better things to do with my time but I'd love to help out the monarchs.
You are way better off looking around places like parks, for milkweed that has gone to seed, that way you know they are fresh. They should require no work once the first one is established.
Carmen is absolutely right - these plants need no help once established. And the seed is free!
I buy lots of seed, and every so often - maybe 1 out of 50 purchases will result in duds, or near-duds.
I have a huge clump of milkweed by my mailbox which is extremely large now
I wanted to transplanted to the back of my yard
can I take the whole thing and dig it up and move it to the back or will that kill it?
In general, you never want to transplant anything that is blooming or producing seed. But if the Milkweed has a long taproot, that could make transplanting difficult/risky. But if it is runner/rhizomes like I show in the video, it should be perfectly fine. I would probably wait until Fall and wait until the plant is dormant, then carefully dig it up to determine if it has a taproot, or if I could get one of the runners.
To identify milkweed break a leaf, it will bleed "milk".
can you plant milkweed in California from seed brought from another stste?
Hi Douglas, you should try to make sure the milkweed you are planting is native to California. The one I'm showing in this video is not. But there are many others that are such as Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), Asclepias eriocarpa, or Asclepias fascicularis. The reason you should try to use the specific milkweed species native to you is that it will be adapted to your climate and should be able to survive most or all plant diseases endemic to california.
Does dogbane also has sap which could make identification even harder ?
Yes, dogbane also has sap. But the leaves will be much smaller, and frequently branches, where milkweed only does near the top
@@growitbuildit interesting thanks . I thought I might have Found two différent variety of milkweed but it might actually be that .. except the other plant was easier to pull and the roots were orange but the milkweed's were white .
If I was sent just the root... do i plant it horizontal fully under the dirt?
Or vertically with the remnants of the leaves sticking up?
If the root is only vertical, in that it isn't horizontal at all, then I would plant it as you describe, with the remnants of the leaves sticking up.
Can milkweed be grown in containers since there so prolific ?
In my experience, yes they can. These shallow rhizomes seem to survive in containers just fine. In fact one of the plants in this video is still living in a pot after two Winters in Pennsylvania.
I'm in Colorado... No caterpillars here, no butterflies. Just a few moths. Curious if this is all across the country.
I've had a decent number of caterpillars and butterflies this year. Mainly on Whorled Milkweed and Butterfly Weed.
@@growitbuildit I thot I had milkweed, but it's an "imposter"!!! I will look for these you mention. Thank you. I hope the Monarchs can detect them from far away, because we have seen none. 🤔
Know that there are lots of milkweed species. You could just have a different variety.
See here for the types native to your area -
bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Asclepias
Can you not pull it up from one spot then plant it directly in another rather than pot it for several weeks? Thanks for this video as I have a small field and while I can leave the outskirts unmowed the ticks and mosquitoes are so bad things need to be kept short which means the milkweed get cut. I'm going to move them to a large section beside the field where others grow and make that area a huge butterfly garden.
Hi Jo - you can do that. Just make sure you can water it frequently for about 2 weeks. And make sure you get enough root when you dig it up.
It can be trickier to do as putting it directly in full sun during summer is stressful. But if it has enough water it should be ok. Don't give up on it, as it will likely die back to ground.
@@growitbuildit Thank you :)
You mention to move plant to a shady area...which I did, but none survived. All the others in my yard are doing fine - full sun.
What did I do wrong ? I have photo but dont know how to upload it.
Hi Charlie - when I say a shady area, I'm talking about plants that are placed in containers that are experiencing transplant shock. If you are taking a clump, and moving that directly, you can go full sun (as that is the preferred growing condition). But - make sure there is no taproot present, and be prepared to water it daily. Even still, it may die back to ground. But don't give up on it. As long as there is enough of the horizontal root it will likely be ok. It can take a few weeks to resprout in my experience.
When taking cuttings of milkweed is it okay to take cuttings of the tops of mature stalks or cuttings from saplings?
Hi - I'm sorry but I've never taken cuttings from milkweed. Perhaps somebody else can respond to help you out.
Whats the best time of year to do this?
The best time is probably late Spring. But it really doesn't seem to matter. As long as the plant has time to establish itself for a few weeks before frost, you would probably be ok.
For reference, I believe I shot most of this footage in late June. The key is to get at least six inches of rhizome, as that way it should have enough energy to regenerate itself.
I’m familiar with milkweed, but didn’t realize poke weed, and dog weed looked so similar. If someone has poke weed and dog weed in their yard should they remove it?
Hi Kathryn - it really comes down to....do you want them? Both Dogbane and Pokeweed can be aggressive, and both are toxic. But, both are native and help their environment in their own way. Personally, I keep both out of my yard as there are plenty specimens of both plants not far from my house. So, I would prefer to grow showier, but less common flowers/shrubs/trees.
But Dogbane spreads via rhizomes, just like Common Milkweed and gets about the same size. And it blooms the same time.
Pokeweed grows 6-8' tall by 3-4' wide depending on conditions. It makes these clusters of dark purple berries that can stain skin/clothes. The birds really like to eat the berries.
So, it just depends what you want.
👍👍
Thank you Bonnie!
I can't find any wild milkweed, I'm located in Canton Ohio, any suggestions?
Have u looked at all the mom and pop nurseries there? I’m originally from Westlake.
@@Kristen10-22 small world! I was born in Avon Lake & have a sister in Bay Village. Been in N. Georgia almost 40 years now.
Railroad right of ways, power cuts
Like Katie said - cruise backroads. Look to abandoned areas, ditches, railroads, powerline cuts.
Knitting a turba n hat
Why not just buy them from a garden center ..... !!!
I just received a butterfly milkweed rhizome from a plant company. It looks sort of dry. Is that normal?
Hi Laina - if you order dormant root plants, then yes, they usually arrive in a bag with some dry potting soil/moss/medium of some kind.
@@growitbuildit The actual root is wrinkled and dry. Should it look like that? I'm an avid gardener but this plant is new to me.
Hi, I would either ask the company that sold it or just plant and hope for the best. I have not bought dormant roots of asclepias
@@growitbuildit Me either. I'm going to chat with someone from the company today. Thanks and I love your channel!
It would actually be better to relocate all of those because Monarchs WILL lay eggs on them; those eggs and/or caterpillars will just get mowed down and killed. 😥
Those never get that tall, as they get mowed every week. But I understand what you're saying. But even if I did, it would be a matter of time before more rhizomes went right back to that area.
I have tons of milkweed trying to get rid of it
U tube Turbans
Excuse me, but in your opening you are clearly showing echinacea, not milkweed. Geesh. Sure says much about your credibility or expertise. Oh, we can do without the lectures. That being said, some elocution and spelling lessons would be helpful.
Thank you! I appreciate the input. Have a good day!
Kick rocks, troll