Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) elicits a lot of reactions from people.
On one hand, it is an essential host plant for monarch butterflies, a valuable nectar source for bees and other pollinators, and an abundant bloomer in June and July. It is also remarkably easy to grow.
On the other hand, common milkweed can spread aggressively into fields and pathways and can be difficult to remove. By late summer, it often becomes sooty, insect-covered, and floppy.