Butterfly Garden Ironweeds - Definitive Guide!

[@scentswithjess]

We have some in our yard!

[@BackyardEcology]

Nice! It is a great plant to have - the butterflies think so too!

[@jeffburke170]

only possible to give one thumbs up--- thanks for the clear points of difference Anthony!

[@BackyardEcology]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@beryldiamond]

Awesome video! Thank you!

[@BackyardEcology]

Glad you liked it!

[@jerryclark5725]

I have a large eight foot ironweed, plus many others around my back lot.

[@BackyardEcology]

Nice!

[@LostInThisGardenofLife]

Awesome video. I’m so happy to add the giant ironweed to my garden. I placed it at the end of the property in a new garden bed that gets blasted with full sun. I hope it thrives and the pollinators love it!

[@BackyardEcology]

Thank you! Ironweed loves full sun so it should be happy there!

[@BackyardEcology]

Have any interesting experiences with ironweed? Please let us know! Also, be sure to check out our online classes: shannontrimboli.com/events/category/classes/

[@JoseMartinez-df2db]

Can you make a moth garden video?

[@BackyardEcology]

@@JoseMartinez-df2db Great idea! I will add it to the list!

[@Amshatelia88]

The foliage looks really similar to joepye weed! I found a New York ironweed in the wild and thought it was joepye until it bloomed. I took some seed to try to grow in my yard

[@BackyardEcology]

The leaves can look similar. Ironweed generally is generally fairly easy to grow from seed, but I have had some that was tougher to get to germinate.

[@sarahdiaz4904]

I love the videos-so helpful!

[@BackyardEcology]

Glad you like them!

[@5ree6url]

"What are you?!? Why won't you tell me what you aaaare?!?" Me with Fritillary Butterfly species.

[@BackyardEcology]

Yes! They can be tricky - and they tend to not sit still long enough to get a look at them.

[@5ree6url]

@@BackyardEcology Dude, I get great photos and I still keep going back and forth between guides and photos going out of my mind. With the help of some experts in a FB insect identification group, I've been ever so slowly getting there.

[@BackyardEcology]

@@5ree6url Once you get the differences down though it will be like second nature to ID them.

[@PlantNative]

I’m always curious if the narrowleaved plants like Whorled Milkweed and the Ironweed mentioned here is still a good host plant option. Less leaf to much?

[@BackyardEcology]

Yes, they are still excellent host plants!

[@tracyguillemette6255]

I couldn't find the tshirt link?!

[@BackyardEcology]

They quit making the shirt shortly after this video came out. If I can ever find them again I will put the link back in.

[@badreality2]

I'm sorry, but if they "readily hybridize", they do not sound like they are from separate species; separate sub-species, maybe.

[@BackyardEcology]

While the concept of species being incapable of hybridizing is often taught, things are quite a bit different in nature. It does hold true for most (but not all) animals but things are quite different in the world of plants. Plants within the same genus often readily hybridize. In nature this usually doesn't occur due to habit or geological barriers, but in the confines of a garden or lab it is fairly easy to achieve. When hybridization between closely related plant species does occur in nature it can result in the rise of new species. The advances in the field of genetics are showing that the old concept of different species having breeding incompatibility is far from the way nature works.

[@deborahrosenthal5838]

I just found Ironweed at my wood's edge today!

[@BackyardEcology]

As time goes by it will start popping up in more areas. The seed are carried by the wind so it will spread from that.

[@LJ-he9qn]

om nom nom…. nah-im-good

[@joshuawaynehensley]

Ozzy voice: I AM IRONWEED

[@BackyardEcology]

YES!

[@austintrousdale2397]

🤘

[@trishferrer8209]

LOL!!😂

[@JoseMartinez-df2db]

What about making a video on moth gardens?

[@Jane-West]

This is a beautiful plant! I thought it was Bees Balm in the thumbnail, one of my favorites! Sounds like it will be right at home on my Tennessee farm!

[@BackyardEcology]

We have several species of ironweed native to the southeast. Tall ironweed grows all across our KY farm.

[@christiridley1009]

Thank you! I love the information you are sharing!

[@BackyardEcology]

You are so welcome!

[@sarahgracesings]

👍🏻👍🏻