Violets vs A. tuberosa

[skates4marty]

Hi Folks. Happy spring.

Violets have taken over my south-side A tuberosa patch. Last fall, I had been moving hunks of the violets to a non-milkweed site until I read that the fritillary overwinters on the roots, so I left them undisurbed. With our heavy-precip winter and spring (I'm guessing), the violets I left in the milkweed patch have gone crazy. The A. tuberosa is gamely sprouting underneath the violets. Will the violets wilt in the hot Maryland summer and leave the soil and nutrients to the A tuberosa, and thus I should leave them be?

[Mona Miller]

If the Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) is able to push through the violets, I'd leave them be.

Violets are used by the Great Spangled Fritillary that does winter through as a first instar caterpillar and by the Variegated Fritillary that comes into the north from the south. Also, the Meadow Fritillary.

[sbannister]

My violets lasted through last summer and it gets really hot here. They survived our colder than usual winter as well so they are pretty hardy, here anyway. I have yet to find a buttfly cat on them but some army worms anyway. I'm not sure I'm in the range for those frittelaries. I get the Gulf Frits that like passionflower.

My milkweed is coming up pretty well, now I just need some eggs!!!

[David Calhoun]

It's nice that you are concerned about the fritillaries, but in my case, my milkweed garden is tiny compared to the yard that I mow.My yard is about 90% covered with violets, so I don't feel bad about
removing all of the violets from my garden.David,Louisville Ky.

[sbannister]

Yes, I know they can be invasive.

[Wyvern]

I would just leave the violets be. They can get along with milkweed... I have one west facing bed that has both common milkweed and violets growing together. Last year I planted tuberosa seeds at the corner of that bed in the hopes that the violets would protect the delicate first year tuberosa seedlings.