05/23/2023
Planting native Louisiana milkweeds for monarch butterflies instead of the tropical milkweed is encouraged by LSU AgCenter horticulturist Heather Kirk-Ballard and horticulturist Dan Gill.
For years, Mexican milkweed, also known as tropical milkweed, has been a popular plant to attract monarch butterflies. But that plant may host a disease that is diminishing the monarch population.
There are multiple types of native milkweed for Louisiana! Contact your local garden centers to see if they grow them.
Tropical milkweed grows year-round and is suspected to be the host of a disease called OE. Planting native milkweed is preferable, but if you do plant the tropical milkweed cut it back hard in June and October which helps get rid of the leaves that may have the disease on it.
