Many people appreciate milkweed now because it is where monarch butterflies lay their eggs. The caterpillars eat it when they hatch as well. This talks about how to get milkweed ready for winter. You can do this if you have planted any or if you just find a patch and want to keep it alive for the butterflies.
Key Takeaways:
- Any wild milkweed plants, often considered weeds, will grow happily wherever they sprout without any “help” from gardeners.
- In general, very little milkweed winter care is needed. Certain garden varieties of milkweed, such as butterfly weed, will benefit from extra mulching through winter in cold climates.
- Pruning can be done in fall but isn’t really a necessary part of winterizing milkweed plants.
“Another reason that I prefer to cut milkweed back in spring is so that any seed pods that formed late in the season have time to mature and disperse.”
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/milkweed/milkweed-plants-in-winter.htm