If you ever want to see some really fascinating creatures in your garden, grow native milkweed! When I first planted milkweed in my garden, I knew it had a super power – feeding monarch butterfly caterpillars. I only knew it as the plant monarch butterflies needed to survive. Following my mantra—if you plant it, they will come—I added a native butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), and soon enough the monarchs arrived.
But as I expanded and added more types, I began to see milkweed’s real super power: more than monarchs rely on this plant. Over time I discovered that milkweed provides nectar, shelter, and a host plant not just for monarchs but also for other butterflies, moths, beetles, and bugs that are part of a thriving ecosystem.
As the seasons passed, I started keeping track of the visitors drawn to milkweed in my little backyard garden. Beyond monarchs, I’ve observed and photographed an incredible variety of caterpillars, beetles, and butterflies that depend on this plant in surprising ways.
Here are a few of those visitors and more on what I’ve learned about milkweed over the years.
Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
The monarch is usually the first insect people think of when it comes to milkweed. Monarch caterpillars can only eat milkweed, so the females will search until they find the right plant to lay their eggs. When I planted my first butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), I remember how exciting it was to spot those tiny striped caterpillars for the first time. They chewed through leaf after leaf, and eventually I had a few chrysalises tucked nearby. That was the moment I understood why planting milkweed matters.
The sharp decline of monarch populations in recent years brought milkweed (once a loathed noxious weed) back into focus. Conservationists and gardeners began planting milkweed again to help the butterflies, and something interesting happened along the way. As patches of milkweed returned, people realized monarchs weren’t the only ones benefiting. A milkweed patch is alive with activity.
One scientific survey of common milkweed found 147 different species of animals and insects living at least part of their life cycle on the plant. Another study counted more than 450 insect species visiting milkweed, some feeding on the leaves, some sipping nectar, and others hunting the plant’s herbivores. In other words, milkweed is a hub for biodiversity.
Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus)
Not long after the monarchs, I started noticing another butterfly that looked very similar but darker in color. These were queen butterflies, and their caterpillars also rely on milkweed as a host plant. Queens visit the flowers for nectar too, so if you grow milkweed, you may see both adults and caterpillars in your garden. They are not as widely known as monarchs, but when their wings are closed they look very similar. Once you’ve seen the butterflies side by side you start to appreciate the differences.
Queen caterpillars also look very similar to Monarchs except that they have three sets of filaments that look like antennae, two longer pairs toward the front and a shorter pair near the rear.
Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle)
This one is a newer discovery. Turns out, milkweed’s super power is also feeding moth caterpillars! Just this summer my husband and I were in the garden and he called me over to the milkweed plants. I walked over and was surprised to see dozens of fuzzy caterpillars packed onto a single stalk.
They were milkweed tussock moth caterpillars, covered in tufts of black, orange, and white hairs. Unlike monarchs that feed alone, these caterpillars feed in groups and can strip a plant bare of leaves. At first that felt alarming, but the plants bounced back and kept on growing. Later in the season the plain gray moths will appear, but are so drab I would never connect them to the bold caterpillars. It showed me that milkweed supports insects at every stage of life, even the ones that are less flashy as adults.
Unexpected or Collared Cycnia Moth (Cycnia collaris)
Every so often milkweed turns up a surprise, and for me one summer it was the unexpected cycnia moth. The caterpillars are covered in tufts of orange and brown hairs, with longer bristles sticking out at the tips. I found them feeding quietly along the edges of milkweed leaves, less noticeable than tussock moths but just as dependent on this plant.
When they mature, the cycnia moths are a soft grayish-white with a bright orange band around the head. They may not be as flashy as a monarch or queen, but they’re part of the same circle of insects that have adapted to milkweed’s defenses and made it their home. Finding them was another reminder that the more time I spend with milkweed, the more hidden visitors it reveals.
Milkweed Leaf Beetle (Labidomera clivicollis)
Milkweed’s super power is also feeding beetles. Another visitor I’ve photographed at least once is the milkweed leaf beetle. These beetles are easy to recognize with their orange-red bodies covered in black spots. Both the adults and the larvae feed on the leaves, and sometimes I find several clustered on the same plant. They stand out brightly against the green foliage and are just as much a part of the milkweed community as the caterpillars and bugs.
Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus and Lygaeus kalmii)
By late summer when the seed pods are forming, I usually find clusters of orange and black bugs gathered there. These are the large and small milkweed bugs. They aren’t beetles but true bugs, and they feed by piercing the seeds and drawing out nutrients. The large milkweed bug has a striking black-and-orange X pattern on its back, while the smaller species has more black across its wings.
When I first saw so many of them at once, I wondered if they were harming the plants. There were so many of them! What I’ve learned is that they are simply doing what they’ve always done, feeding on seeds while playing their part in the balance of the garden.
They don’t stop the milkweed from coming back year after year, and they add another layer to the fascinating world that gathers around this plant.
The Aphid Eaters
Another of milkweed’s super powers? It collects aphids – lots and lots of aphids. In fact, milkweed starts getting aphids in my garden almost as soon as it sprouts out of the ground in spring. Why would I want that, you might ask?
Because aphids are loved by beneficial insects. Once they show up, I just wait a minute or two and then Mother Nature sends in the cavalry. Ladybugs and lacewings in both larval and adult form show up and take care of the problem. I’ve seen other types of larva show up to dine on aphids like the hover fly larva below. All of these mentioned are beneficial insects you want to have in your garden.
Other Pollinators at Milkweed Blooms
While the caterpillars, bugs, and beetles are busy on the leaves and seed pods, milkweed reveals another super power in the form of flowers. The blooms are alive with activity. Bees of all kinds visit for nectar, including honeybees and many native bees. Wasps and flies are there too, along with butterflies that don’t depend on milkweed as a host plant but still find its nectar irresistible. I’ve even seen hummingbirds pause at milkweed blooms on their way through the garden. Standing near a patch in full bloom feels like standing in the middle of a pollinator meet-and-greet.
Viceroy Butterfly: A Lookalike, But Not a Milkweed Feeder
Every so often I see a butterfly that looks very much like a monarch, but when I look closely I can spot the thin black line across its hind wings. That’s the viceroy. They mimic monarchs in appearance to help protect themselves from predators. If you’ve seen them too you might think, like I did, that they must also feed on milkweed since they look so much like monarchs, but their caterpillars feed on willow, poplar, and cottonwood, not milkweed. I sometimes see them stop for nectar, but they don’t depend on the plant in the same way monarchs and queens do.
Native Milkweeds Worth Growing
There are more than 70 species of milkweed native to North America, and not all of them grow well everywhere. Choosing species that are native to your region is the best way to support local wildlife and have success in your garden.
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca): Tall, fragrant clusters of pink blooms in summer. This one spreads easily underground and is a powerhouse for attracting monarchs and other insects. Be aware that once it’s planted, it will spread quickly and come back every year including places you may not have wanted it to go.
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa): Bright orange blooms and a more compact habit. It doesn’t spread as readily by rhizomes like common milkweed, so it stays tidier in a garden setting. The seed pods will burst open in fall and spread with the wind. Be sure to collect the pods if you don’t want that to happen.
Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens): Similar in look to common milkweed but with deeper purple flowers. Mine has never flowered so I can’t be sure I have the correct ID on this. I was gifted the seeds years ago. It’s possible that it has never flowered because I spread the seeds in an area that is now shaded by a large tree.
These three are some of my favorites because they thrive in my garden and draw in such a variety of visitors.
If you’d like to explore more options, here’s a helpful resource with a full list of native milkweeds across the United States: Xerces Society – Native Milkweed Guide.
Wrapping It Up
When I first planted milkweed, I thought only of monarchs. Over the years, I’ve come to see its hidden power. This plant has a long history with people, from practical uses in the past to being written off as a weed, and now it’s back in our gardens for good reason. By planting milkweed for monarchs, we also create space for a whole community of insects and pollinators. It’s a reminder that one plant can anchor an entire ecosystem. Milkweed truly is more than a monarch plant. It’s a lifeline for biodiversity.
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Sources and Further Reading
Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. “Common Milkweed: A Plant of Many Virtues.” (2015). Historical uses of milkweed, including pillow stuffing, life vest filling during WWII, cordage, and medicinal traditions.
https://loudounwildlife.org/2015/07/common-milkweed-a-plant-of-many-virtues/Monarch Joint Venture. “More Than Monarchs: Insect Biodiversity.” (2020). Notes on surveys of 147 species living part of their life cycle on milkweed and over 450 insect visitors.
https://monarchjointventure.org/blog/more-than-monarchs-insect-biodiversityU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Spreading Milkweed, Not Myths.” (2021). Background on milkweed’s ecological importance and its role in supporting monarchs and other wildlife.
https://www.fws.gov/story/spreading-milkweed-not-myths
