Ep. 215 Get to Know Asclepias (Milkweed) 2025 plant of the year | #GoodGrowing

In this episode of the Good Growing Podcast, horticulture educators Chris Enroth and Ken Johnson dive deep into the fascinating world of milkweed—also known by its genus name, Asclepias. Whether you're a native plant enthusiast, pollinator advocate, or just curious about why this "weed" is the National Garden Bureau’s Plant of the Year, this episode is packed with insights.

Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Qw24JnUOitQ 

Skip to what you want to know:
00:46 Hey Ken! How do you say Asclepias?
01:28 What's in a name? A scientific name!
03:08 What is Asclepias (milkweed), and how many species of Asclepias are out in the world?
04:11 History of Asclepias.
07:37 Uses of milkweed outside of the garden
09:30 The negative image of milkweed in the agricultural community
12:02 Milkweeds for the garden. Listing the species of Asclepias native to Illinois. https://dnr.illinois.gov/education/wildaboutpages/wildaboutplants/wildaboutplantsmilkweeds.html
13:28 The most common milkweeds we often see in a home landscape
15:17 Our favorite milkweeds that we grow
21:32 Key identifying characteristics of Asclepias
23:05 Milkweed and pollination: who is the best pollinator for the job?
24:41 Milkweed pollination biology https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/nvpmctn12764.pdf
27:39 Milkweed toxicity and monarch butterflies
28:34 All the other insects using milkweed besides the monarch butterfly
30:16 What is the best milkweed for monarch butterflies?
30:44 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2018.00169/full Monarch Butterflies Show Differential Utilization of Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species
37:35 Talking about honeyvine milkweed
42:19 How do you harvest and grow milkweed seeds?
45:56 Transplanting milkweed
47:09 milkweed maintenance
48:45 Mowing for monarchs https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2018-08-28-mowing-monarchs
52:08 Who decreed 2025 the year of Asclepias?
53:34 Thank you and see you next week!

Photos:
Ken Johnson, University of Illinois Extension
Chris Enroth, University of Illinois Extension
Chris Evans, University of Illinois Extension
5347031 - William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International, Bugwood.org

Contact us! 
Chris Enroth: [email protected]
Ken Johnson: [email protected] 

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