If you’ve been planting milkweed to help monarch butterflies, you’re not alone—and your heart is in the right place. But in Florida, especially North Florida, not all milkweed is helpful. In fact, one popular type may actually be doing more harm than good.

Tropical Milkweed: Pretty But Problematic

Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is the kind most commonly found in big-box stores. It’s colorful, easy to grow, and butterflies love it. The problem? In Florida’s warm climate, it doesn’t die back in winter like native milkweed does. That creates two big issues:

• It encourages monarchs to stick around instead of migrating.
• It builds up harmful parasites (OE) that can make butterflies sick.

So What’s the Right Thing to Do?

If you already have tropical milkweed in your garden, you can manage it by cutting it down to the ground from October to February to mimic its natural dormancy. Better yet, consider replacing it altogether with native milkweed species, such as:

• Aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis)
• Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
• Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

These native varieties support monarchs without disrupting their natural migration patterns—and they’re beautiful, too.

A More Natural Approach

At Shinto Landscaping, we believe in working with nature, not against it. Choosing the right plants means healthier landscapes and healthier pollinators. If you’re planning a butterfly-friendly garden, we recommend using native milkweed and avoiding pesticide-treated plants.