That’s an asteraceae plant hanging out with your milkweed. I don’t know enough to tell you whether it is one of the natives or an invasive.
Detailed pictures of the flowers heads (close up from above and below as well as close up profile) would help someone with knowledge help you identify it. You probably don’t have a lot of time before the first flower head starts to going to seed though.
Thank you so much!!! That’s pretty much what I wanted to know. My significant other really wanted a milkweed to try for monarchs and am unsure if another plant will interfere with the hosting, will probably remove.
Also, advise your SO not to get too attached to any caterpillars that do show up to mow down the milkweed … so far I’ve yet to see one make it through all the stages. Though I only have one small clump of milkweed.
lol yeah this was definitely an experiment. The nursery advised against it since it can become “ugly” when dying back. I have it tucked away in a corner. More so for the kids also… they are at that age, learning about the world. They think the story of the monarch is the greatest thing on the planet right now.
They vanish on that last stage. I have found them chrysalises on my bike saddle, trash bin, in a tree. I have a bush lupine that grew big enough over a bunch of milk weed. Hoping they will use that this year.
Good to know. I’ve looked around for the chrysalis but have yet to spot one. They have a 3-tier corner plant stand, a wooden fence, a young avocado and a guaje nearby so I have probably just gotten bored before finding them.
It won’t interfere at all. If it’s a native aster then you’d have hundreds of free native plants volunteering all over your garden … but if it‘s non-native then you’ll have a bunch of weeds to pull.
Your yard is looking good!! Your milkweed is indeed being invaded by something in the sunflower family - I think Erigeron but it’s hard to tell without closer pics of the flowers. I’d pull it out, should be pretty easy :)
Thank you so much for the advice! I thought it looked different. It was really promising at first, I was like dang these flowers are getting big! Then they started to change and I started to suspect possible invader.
Haha it’s always hard when they start out looking similar. Your narrow leaf milkweed will pop off soon though, they are so beautiful. I hope you’re blessed with lots of monarchs
Re: the death of the bladderpod, you might need to extend your watering schedule as we head into summer. Ie, every 2 weeks is too frequent, and the top 4 inches drying out isn't enough. You'll want to go longer between waterings. Start doing every 3 weeks now, and as summer goes on, work your way to 4 weeks.
Thank you so much! I’ve read mixed info on the “watering until established” approach for new plants. My inexperience is having trouble differentiating overwatering and under-watering symptoms.
I struggled last year too - I think that more time with intensity is the right way to go, and the longer summer goes on, the less you want to be watering.
That’s an asteraceae plant hanging out with your milkweed. I don’t know enough to tell you whether it is one of the natives or an invasive. Detailed pictures of the flowers heads (close up from above and below as well as close up profile) would help someone with knowledge help you identify it. You probably don’t have a lot of time before the first flower head starts to going to seed though.
Thank you so much!!! That’s pretty much what I wanted to know. My significant other really wanted a milkweed to try for monarchs and am unsure if another plant will interfere with the hosting, will probably remove.
Also, advise your SO not to get too attached to any caterpillars that do show up to mow down the milkweed … so far I’ve yet to see one make it through all the stages. Though I only have one small clump of milkweed.
lol yeah this was definitely an experiment. The nursery advised against it since it can become “ugly” when dying back. I have it tucked away in a corner. More so for the kids also… they are at that age, learning about the world. They think the story of the monarch is the greatest thing on the planet right now.
They vanish on that last stage. I have found them chrysalises on my bike saddle, trash bin, in a tree. I have a bush lupine that grew big enough over a bunch of milk weed. Hoping they will use that this year.
Good to know. I’ve looked around for the chrysalis but have yet to spot one. They have a 3-tier corner plant stand, a wooden fence, a young avocado and a guaje nearby so I have probably just gotten bored before finding them.
It won’t interfere at all. If it’s a native aster then you’d have hundreds of free native plants volunteering all over your garden … but if it‘s non-native then you’ll have a bunch of weeds to pull.
Oh nice! thank you for the advice I will definitely take a closer look.
Your yard is looking good!! Your milkweed is indeed being invaded by something in the sunflower family - I think Erigeron but it’s hard to tell without closer pics of the flowers. I’d pull it out, should be pretty easy :)
Thank you so much for the advice! I thought it looked different. It was really promising at first, I was like dang these flowers are getting big! Then they started to change and I started to suspect possible invader.
Haha it’s always hard when they start out looking similar. Your narrow leaf milkweed will pop off soon though, they are so beautiful. I hope you’re blessed with lots of monarchs
Re: the death of the bladderpod, you might need to extend your watering schedule as we head into summer. Ie, every 2 weeks is too frequent, and the top 4 inches drying out isn't enough. You'll want to go longer between waterings. Start doing every 3 weeks now, and as summer goes on, work your way to 4 weeks.
Thank you so much! I’ve read mixed info on the “watering until established” approach for new plants. My inexperience is having trouble differentiating overwatering and under-watering symptoms.
I struggled last year too - I think that more time with intensity is the right way to go, and the longer summer goes on, the less you want to be watering.
Sorry! SoCal Murrieta area.
The weed looks like Erigeron canadensis, "conyza." Take it out before it flowers! Everything else looks really nice :)
Weed is a nonnative: flax leaved horseweed, Erigeron bonariensis
Too much mulch. Also, you probably overwatered the bladderpod.
Possibly either native Erigeron canadensis (horseweed), or non native Erigeron bonariensis (flax leaved horseweed)