Tips To Get Rid Of And Control Butterfly Weed That Has Taken Over Your Garden

Even though butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is native to the U.S. and attracts pollinators, it does come with some concerns. This pretty plant can freely self-seed around your garden and may end up taking over your yard if you're not careful. So, if your butterfly weed has gone rampant, you might want to find out how to get rid of it or, at the very least, how to keep it in check. Some useful tips to get rid of butterfly weed are just to pull out small seedlings by hand, use a weed whacker or mower to cut them at the base, or use sheet mulching to clear an entire section if need be. For larger plants, cutting them down and using herbicide might be your best option.

To elaborate on these tips, Tiffany Selvey, House Digest's Garden Editor and In-house Master Gardener, spoke exclusively to House Digest about her experience. She's come up with some useful hints to save your sanity and get your yard back under control. When we asked why it's important to control and get rid of butterfly weed, she responded with, "Butterfly weed may be beneficial for the ecosystem and a native throughout much of the United States, but anything that takes over can also be considered a nuisance."

To explore various ways to get rid of butterfly weed, House Digest spoke exclusively to Tiffany Selvey for her insight. Here's what she had to say: "If you just have a few small plants, they're pretty easy to pull up by hand, but you'll want to wear gloves because they can irritate the skin. When a bunch of seedlings have taken over an area, you can mow or use a weed whacker on them, and that should take care of the problem." She also recommends using sheet mulching if you want to clear a garden space entirely. This is a particularly effective way to smother weeds for a beautiful flower garden.

To explain, Selvey goes on to say: "When the seed pods of butterfly weeds burst open, they release many seeds, so it's possible a large number of seedlings will germinate at once. When this happens, place a thick layer of cardboard, newspaper, or paper bags over the whole area and cover with mulch, leaves, or straw — anything to keep the paper in place long enough to suffocate the seedlings." However, if you have larger plants, they'll need a little more effort to remove them entirely because butterfly weed has a deep taproot and a thick stem. Ideally, you want to cut them close to the ground with loppers and then paint the cuts with some weed killer to eliminate the root system.

In House Digest's exclusive interview with Tiffany Selvey, she explains what to do if butterfly weed has taken over your garden. She first notes that you should "Never spray herbicide on live plants. Butterfly weed is one type of milkweed that acts as a host for monarch butterflies. Herbicide will kill the eggs, larval caterpillars, and any butterflies that stop to feed on open blooms."

But if your butterfly weed has gone rampant in the yard, Selvey says: "Prevention is always much easier than dealing with an aggressive plant that's taken over your outdoor space. To have your butterfly weed and control it, too, simply cut off the seed heads before they dry out and burst open. If you harvest the seed heads when they are dry, you can save them to share with friends or plant them in another controlled space." Remember that this plant won't be transplanted easily due to its deep taproot. Therefore, if you do want to plant a small section to attract Monarch butterflies, sowing the gathered seeds is your best option. Plus, removing the seed heads before they've split open is one way to enjoy a beautiful butterfly weed garden without it taking over the rest of your yard.