Monarch Butterflies on Butterfly Weed
This year we finally planted butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and it has become a magnet for monarchs. In the past we purchased plants from a local garden center that were labeled as butterfly weed, but they turned out to be goldenrod instead. The goldenrod spread aggressively and I’m still digging out clumps.
The real butterfly weed is doing its job: monarchs visit regularly and the plants look healthy. The main challenge has been telling the two species apart, since some of the leaves look similar at a glance. That similarity might explain the earlier mix-up at the garden center—although you’d expect a nursery to know the difference. (That shop has since gone out of business, so perhaps they had a habit of mislabeling other plants too.)
When I compare the leaves side by side the differences become clear. Butterfly weed leaves typically show distinct veining and smooth margins, while the goldenrod leaves often have small notches and a different vein pattern. Those details are helpful now, but come spring, when new growth is emerging, it’s easy to forget which look belongs to which plant.
To avoid confusion next season I plan to photograph both types of leaves together, with arrows to highlight the distinguishing features. That reference will make it much easier to identify plants as they come up and keep the garden free of undesired spreaders.
Have you tried growing butterfly weed in your garden? It’s worth considering if you want to support monarchs—just be careful to buy from a reliable source and inspect the plants before planting.