Native Plants - Blog Posts

Some of you may have heard about Monarch butterflies being added to the Threatened species list in the US and be planning to immediately rush out in spring and buy all the milkweed you can manage to do your part and help the species.

And that's fantastic!! Starting a pollinator garden and/or encouraging people and businesses around you to do the same is an excellent way to help not just Monarchs but many other threatened and at-risk pollinator species!

However.

Please please PLEASE do not obtain Tropical Milkweed for this purpose!

Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)--also commonly known as bloodflower, Mexican butterflyweed, and scarlet milkweed--will likely be the first species of milkweed you find for sale at most nurseries. It'll be fairly cheap, too, and it grows and propagates so easily you'll just want to grab it! But do not do that!

Tropical milkweed can cause a host of issues that can ultimately harm the butterflies you're trying to help, such as--

Harboring a protozoan parasite called OE (which has been linked to lower migration success, reductions in body mass, lifespan, mating success, and flight ability) for long periods of time

Remaining alive for longer periods, encouraging breeding during migration time/overwintering time as well as keeping monarchs in an area until a hard freeze wherein which they die

Actually becoming toxic to monarch caterpillars when exposed to warmer temperatures associated with climate change

However--do not be discouraged!! There are over 100 species of milkweed native to the United States, and plenty of resources on which are native to your state specifically! From there, you can find the nurseries dedicated to selling native milkweeds, or buy/trade for/collect seeds to grow them yourself!!

The world of native milkweeds is vast and enchanting, and I'm sure you'll soon find a favorite species native to your area that suits your growing space! There's tons of amazing options--whether you choose the beautiful pink vanilla-smelling swamp milkweed, the sophisticated redring milkweed, the elusive purple milkweed, the alluring green antelopehorn milkweed, or the charming heartleaf milkweed, or even something I didn't list!

And there's tons of resources and lots of people willing to help you on your native milkweed journey! Like me! Feel free to shoot me an ask if you have any questions!

Just. PLEASE. Leave the tropical milkweed alone. Stay away.

TLDR: Start a pollinator garden to help the monarchs! Just don't plant tropical milkweed. There's hundreds of other milkweeds to grow instead!

Gravel Landscape

Ideas for a sizable, rural, partially shaded, gravel pond on a hillside in the spring.

Eclectic Landscape New York Inspiration for a medium-sized eclectic stone garden path that can withstand drought and receives full sun.

Cincinnati Front Yard Concrete Pavers

Photo of a mid-sized traditional full sun front yard concrete paver landscaping.

Vancouver Backyard Concrete Pavers Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary full sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in summer.

Natural Stone Pavers - Front Yard Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary drought-tolerant and full sun front yard stone landscaping.

Front Yard Decking Design ideas for a small contemporary drought-tolerant and partial sun front yard landscaping with decking in summer.

Concrete Pavers Landscape

Photo of a large transitional drought-tolerant and full sun side yard concrete paver landscaping in summer.

Phoenix Southwestern Landscape

Photo of a mid-sized southwestern drought-tolerant and full sun backyard water fountain landscape in spring.

Contemporary Landscape - Concrete Pavers

Photo of a large farmhouse drought-tolerant courtyard garden path.

Backyard Natural Stone Pavers (New York)

Decking Landscape Austin

This is an illustration of a medium-sized, contemporary backyard with decking and partial sun.

Sydney Landscape Decking Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary partial sun backyard landscaping with decking in summer.

Desert Look - Southwestern Landscape

A large, drought-resistant, desert, and full sun stone landscaping is shown in the picture.

Landscape in Seattle

Design ideas for a small contemporary drought-tolerant and shade side yard concrete paver walkway in fall.

Dallas Rustic Landscape This is an illustration of a sizable front yard stone garden path that can withstand drought and receives full sun.

Front Yard Gravel in Sacramento

Austin Front Yard Mulch

Sacramento Rustic Landscape

Inspiration for a sizable, rural gravel pond on a hillside that receives some sunlight in the spring.

Bucket List Food Society

Wild Foraged Foods

Garden

Community Gardens

Farm Markets

All predominantly Native Plant Species

Deck Backyard San Francisco Deck - medium-sized modern backyard deck design

Landscape in San Francisco An example of a mid-sized full sun and drought-tolerant backyard stone water fountain landscape in spring.

Making some seiðr/hedgeriding glycerite today. I love bearberry so much.

Seidr / Hedgeriding Tincture:

Bearberry - 90%

And:

Cedar

Wild rose petals & hips

Saskatoons

Burdock root

Elder flowers & berries

Horsetail

Rowan

Steep for a day or two in the fridge after tea is cooled.

Glycerin 60%

Tea 40%

Front Yard Decking Design ideas for a small contemporary drought-tolerant and partial sun front yard landscaping with decking in summer.

Brick Pavers Front Yard (Austin)

Burlington Front Yard

Photo of a mid-sized craftsman drought-tolerant and partial sun front yard gravel garden path in summer.

Landscape - Craftsman Landscape During the summer, a large craftsman shade backyard stone landscaping looks like this.

San Diego Southwestern Landscape An example of a mid-sized southwestern drought-tolerant and full sun front yard mulch landscaping.

Traditional Landscape - Natural Stone Pavers