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Butterfly Garden

Milkweed that will tolerate some shade

13 years ago

For the ten years I have been butterfly gardening, the only type of milkweed I have grown is Tropical. In recent years, it hasn't been doing as well for me because of the increasing shade from my trees. Can anyone suggest some types of milkweed that will tolerate some shade?

I found references to Asclepias Exaltata (Poke Milkweed) that say it grows in considerable shade. Has anyone grown it? I live near Dallas, TX zone 7b, and I am wondering if might do well here.

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Comments (5)

bob_71
13 years ago
flutterby64, if you google Prairie Moon Nursery, click on PLANTS, scroll down to ASCLEPIAS you will find an extensive list of the milkweed (asclepias) plants. Under the photo is an option for DETAILS...click on it and you will get the sun requirements for each plant...it lists descriptive words such as PRAIRIE and SAVANNAH...the explanation of each of these terms is obtained by hovering over the SUN REQUIREMENTS...for example Prairie translates into 100%sun to 20% shade while Savannah translates to 20%-70% shade.

They provide all the information you need.

Bob
terrene
13 years ago
Hi flutterby, many of the perennial species will tolerate some shade, however, the flowering would be reduced. I've got a bit of Asclepias syriaca, common milkweed, growing in mostly shade. It has never flowered, but it was still useful because there are usually a few Monarch eggs on the smaller plants, and I used many of the leaves as food for the cats.

I don't know about the species that are native to your region of the country. Here in the northeast US, A. syriaca, A. incarnata, A. purpurascens, and A. exaltata, are a few species that grow successfully in a savannah habitat.
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I agree that the dog and son will create more than just light traffic. Some parts of the yard will get little or no traffic, but other areas will be trampled bare. The best plant for a situation like yours is grass. Why not plan for grass with some compatible native plants in the grass? Lots of smaller wildflowers will grow well with grass, and you can add some non-natives as well to create a nice woodland meadow sort of effect. Natives that grow well with grass include violets of several species (violets also serve as larval food plants for several types of butterflies), spring beauties, perhaps trout lilies if you have a moist area, and many others. I am sure that the members of the list could add many plants to this list. I an thinking mainly of plants that are low enough that a mower won't damage them too much. For ideas you need only look in the grass at places like state parks, larger city or county parks, church camps, and similar places where there is grass under trees that is mowed but never treated with chemicals. You could also also add smaller bulbs like crocus, snowdrops, grape hyacinth, etc., as well as english daisies. These aren't native but won't spread outside your yard. With the spring bulbs and wildflowers you should delay cutting in the spring, or cut with a mower set as high as possible, to give the plants time to grow and store food for next year before they are cut down.
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docmom_gw
13 years ago
My Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) grows well in significant shade. It flowers later than my plants that are growing in the sun, but it flowers. And the females find it and lay plenty of eggs on it, too. I think it is not quite as drought tolerant as some of the other milkweeds, though. Good luck.

Martha
sassechic
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Thanks for putting your zone Martha. I am in MI too. I am about to plant swamp milkweed in the shade and under the canopy of a walnut tree. Hopefully it'll take. I'm removing lots of invasives at my new house and don't have planting space elsewhere yet.
JamesY40
7 years ago
I second swamp milkweed. Not many flowers but great foliage.

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