Milkweed is a beautiful American wildflower, garden plant and a magnet for butterflies and pollinators. As the host plant for caterpillars of the monarch butterfly they playing a critical role in the monarch’s life cycle - and as an added benefit - are poisonous to that invasive spotted lanternfly. Spotted lanternflies are attracted to and will feed on milkweed, unaware that it's poisonous, and become sick or die as a result. Incredible Edible Merchantville encourages residents to plant some milkweed in your garden to protect our beautiful oak and maple trees from the damage, weakening, loss of leaves and susceptibility to illness that lanternflies can cause. Once it takes root, milkweed is a perennial that will thrive for years to come and spread quickly. Four species of native milkweed are found in most states: the Whorled Milkweed, Common Milkweed, and Swamp Milkweeds, and Butterfly Weed.