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 garden09:30 The negative image of milkweed in the agricultural community12:02 Milkweeds for the garden. Listing the species of Asclepias native to Illinois. https://dnr.illinois.gov/education/wildaboutpages/wildaboutplants/wildaboutplantsmilkweeds.html13:28 The most common milkweeds we often see in a home landscape15:17 Our favorite milkweeds that we grow21:32 Key identifying characteristics of Asclepias23:05 Milkweed and pollination: who is the best pollinator for the job?24:41 Milkweed pollination biology https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/nvpmctn12764.pdf27:39 Milkweed toxicity and monarch butterflies28:34 All the other insects using milkweed besides the monarch butterfly30:16 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 Species37:35 Talking about honeyvine milkweed42:19 How do you harvest and grow milkweed seeds?45:56 Transplanting milkweed47:09 milkweed maintenance48:45 Mowing for monarchs https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2018-08-28-mowing-monarchs52:08 Who decreed 2025 the year of Asclepias?53:34 Thank you and see you next week!Photos:Ken Johnson, University of Illinois ExtensionChris Enroth, University of Illinois ExtensionChris Evans, University of Illinois Extension5347031 - William M. Ciesla, Forest Health Management International, Bugwood.orgContact us! Chris Enroth: [email protected] Johnson: [email protected] Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingSubscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribeAny products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk --You can find us on most podcast platforms.  iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR    Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/    Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/    Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902    Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us