milkweed

Did you know the flowers and vegetation you're growing might be invasive species? Native plants often get overlooked when people design their gardens and lawns, instead opting for popular plants from other regions. This is unfortunate, considering native plants are adapted to local environmental conditions which means they require far less water.

The wings of a certain butterfly begin with a milkweed. Now, scientists are looking to the often misunderstood plant to help prevent crop damage.

In the October-December 2016 issue of Weed Science, Cornell crop science professor Antonio DiTommaso says, "Managing crop pests without fully understanding the impacts of tactics -- related to resistance and non-target plants or insects -- costs producers money."