Milkweed is a central feature in my garden, and I want to make sure it has everything it needs to come back in the spring. Find mixtures for your region, or for special uses such as dry areas, partial shade, attracting animals, low growing, and more. Planting local milkweed species is always best. Have your kids gentle pick the caterpillar up and let it crawl over their hands and arms. Awareness and education are critical to helping the Monarch butterfly. Staking: Milkweed plants have sturdy stems - no staking needed. Check with your local nursery to see what types of milkweed they have available, and what they recommend. Find suitable milkweed plants for this here. An important nectar resource for adult monarchs, other butterflies, hummingbirds, native bees, and honey bees. I treat it as an outpost of my garden –one I never have to tend. Don’t cut milkweed until the end of September at the earliest. Milkweed is a hardy plant. Plant milkweed in your meadow or garden to provide much-needed habitat and food for monarch butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects. MTM's eat mature milkweed while Monarchs prefer younger plants. backyard farmer, outdoor enthusiast, engineer, dad, and Packer fan, Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. Plant milkweed in a full sun area in your yard and then sit back and watch your butterfly garden come to life. Common Milkweed is a single stemmed variety. Don’t just … All the attention has prompted monarch fans and environmental do-gooders to action. Typical of Butterfly Weed, 'Hello Yellow' has narrow green leaves that ... 'Ice Ballet' Swamp Milkweed is a staple of the butterfly garden, providing essential food, nectar and shelter to Monarchs at every life stage. Additional Milkweed resources mentioned in the article: Butterfly Weed is the iconic, bright orange beauty that's a staple in every butterfly garden. Common milkweed plants grow to about 2 to 4 feet in height, with a thin, vertical growth habit. Not only is it attractive, it's an important nectar source for bees and other insects. (Asclepias verticillata). Small clusters of white flowers bloom a little later in the season providing color in your garden when most flowers have disappeared. At this stage in your milkweed's growth, all of the energy is being focused on developing a strong root system. (Asclepias curassavica), Showy Milkweed (Asclepias) lives up to its name, producing an explosion of star-shaped flowers in rounded three-inch clusters from late spring into summer. Spring is here, and it's time to plant milkweed (if you haven't already). We could lose this iconic butterfly. Gardener's have recently taken an interest in milkweed plants, as the flowers that appear throughout summer are known to attract butterflies. You can plant milkweed, and now is the time to do it. Why Buy Seed Favors For Your Promotion Or Event: Step by step instructions on how to plant your bare root or potted perennials when they arrive. Clouds of fragrant, bright-white blooms also attract and support a crowd of other pollinators. MIlkweed near vegetable garden Asked May 16, 2017, 10:44 AM EDT I now live permanently a few miles south of Northport, MI, or 45 minutes north of Traverse City, on a sweet cherry farm we have been re-habbing for 11 years. Wildflower seeds native to your region. Butterfly Weed is an important nectar source for Monarch butterflies and its leaves provide essential food for developing Monarch caterpillars - but expect to see a variety of pollinators making use of this plant. Swamp Milkweed blooms for approximately 1 month, making it a longer-blooming perennial. Plant some milkweed today! Seeds or Plants Today is National Voter Registration Day! If you have a large garden you could possibly plant in a group, but they should be at least 2 - 3 feet apart. Cherry pink flowers with white centers emanate a sweet va... 'Hello Yellow' Butterfly Weed was developed from the native Butterfly Weed and has golden clusters of flowers. While it may seem that a few plants can't make a difference on the national scale, if you plant some milkweed and educate yourself and your family about the Monarch butterfly, and help spread the word by telling others, you can make a difference. Learn More: Managing Asclepias Plants - How To Harvest Seeds And Control Spreading, Learn More: Managing Asclepia Plants - How To Harvest Seeds And Control Spreading, Learn More: How To Germinate and Grow Milkweed Seeds, Free Ground Shipping Right To Your Event Or Business, Attract Pollinators & Do Good For The Environment. I prefer to grow milkweed from seeds. I've seen this magical process many times, but it never ceases to amaze me. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a native herbaceous perennial whose main virtue is its appeal to butterfliesespecially the monarch, which deposits its eggs on the milkweed. Milkweed is the most important plant to the survival of the Monarch Butterfly since they exclusively lay their eggs on the milkweed plant. Learn More: How To Germinate and Grow Milkweed Seeds. Each bicolor bloom stands ... Whorled Milkweed earns it's name from it's skinny, "whorled leaves". Backfill soil around the plant and press firmly all around. Growing milkweed is easy, as the plant … (Asclepias incarnata), 'Silky Deep Red' Tropical Milkweed produces eye-catching, red-orange flowers with yellow centers. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Hi! You can plant them closer and then thin the plants as they grow in, or, plant Swamp Milkweed and its cultivars between 30” and 36” apart. (Asclepias incarnata), 'Hello Yellow' Butterfly Weed was developed from the native Butterfly Weed and has golden clusters of flowers. While it prefers loose, well-drained soil, it can grow easily in clay or sandy soil as well. Milkweed is the poster plant for pollinator gardens. The good news is that this past winter, the population of Monarch butterflies increased somewhat (see image above), but this positive development doesn't mean the threat to the Monarch butterfly is over. Growth habit: Most milkweed species are clump-forming. Add your voice! Use a jet of water to hose them off. While it may seem that a few plants can't make a difference on the national scale, if you plant some milkweed and educate yourself and your family about the Monarch butterfly, and help spread the word by telling others, you can make a difference. If enough people join this initiative, the plant can become common again (apart from the agricultural areas where it may never return). 50% Off Spring-Planted Bulbs - Pre-Order For Spring. There are many types of native milkweeds. Typical of Butterfly Weed, 'Hello Yellow' has narrow green leaves that serve as an important food source for Monarch caterpillars. When the number of bugs increases, it may completely wipe out the milkweed plant population. Pests & Disease: Typically there are no serious pests or diseases that affect mature milkweed. (Note: I transplanted my seedlings when they were about 4-5 inches tall. Anyone with a bit of garden space to spare can help the monarch population recover. The last two are highly ornamental and available in a variety of cultivars. Milkweed seeds (and most wildflower seeds), shouldn’t be planted any deeper than they are long. If you buy a milkweed plant at a nursery, you run the risk that the plant may have been sprayed with pesticides, which will kill the Monarch caterpillars when they feed on your plants. While many Swamp Milkweeds make their homes in wetlands, 'Ice Ballet' thrives in drier soils. I live on Long Island in NY. Further, it can be hard to find milkweed plants at your local nursery, but you can always get milkweed seed online. Young foliage has reddish tones adding to the variety’s distinctive beauty. The plant is commonly found growing in open fields, pastures and prairies. A valuable source of nutrition for Monarch butterflies, this lush beauty carries an ... Showy Milkweed (Asclepias) lives up to its name, producing an explosion of star-shaped flowers in rounded three-inch clusters from late spring into summer. If the roots are clinging to the sides of the pot, you can "rough up" the roots to encourage outward growth. Step by step instructions on how to plant your wildflower seeds. This showy native wildflower is easy to grow, cold hardy, and does well in poor, dry soi... Common Milkweed is the most-well known of the milkweeds – and an important food source and host plant for Monarch butterflies. Milkweeds are irresisible pollinator plants. “Keep it consistently moist, not wet.” Planting Time: Milkweed plants can be planted in spring or fall. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and the hatched monarch larvae need milkweed leaves for nourishment. If you aren't planting anything, plant some milkweed anyway! Many gardeners realize the importance of adding milkweed to their gardens to help the disappearing Monarch population. Drought tolerant and easy to grow in your sunny butterfly garden. The long, oblong leaves are light green and grow to about 8 inches long. Unfortunately, today in the US there is a lot less milkweed, which means there are a lot fewer Monarch butterflies. Clouds of fragrant, bright-white blooms... 'Silky Deep Red' Tropical Milkweed produces eye-catching, red-orange flowers with yellow centers. Plant in full sun locations. Just remember, the more plants you have should mean better likelihood of attracting Monarch Butterflies. Milkweed, also known as Asclepias, is one of the best native wildflowers for attracting pollinators to the garden and is the sole host plant for the Monarch butterfly. I live on zone 7b and have been busy taking cuttings of lots of my plants (in water and soil). Because of this, milkweed works best in an informal garden setting where the feeding caterpillars can leave ragged-looking plants without ruining your manicured gardens. In spring, your milkweed plants will likely arrive in a dormant state, with no green leaves above the soil line. Perhaps most famously, milkweed species serve as the host plant for the monarch butterfly. Check to determine what type is native to your area. Milkweed is also well known for attracting butterflies and serving as a host plant for their caterpillars. Flowers from late spring to late fall. Make holes. To learn more about milkweed plants and which variety is best for your garden, read our guide! (Asclepias tuberosa), 'Ice Ballet' Swamp Milkweed is a staple of the butterfly garden, providing essential food, nectar and shelter to Monarchs at every life stage. Be sure not to overwater while they are dormant. (Asclepias speciosa), Whorled Milkweed earns it's name from it's skinny, "whorled leaves". I've been growing tropical milkweed for a few years, and this past fall got a good harvest of seed (something you can look forward to once you've established a milkweed crop). If you have kids, I can't think of a better way to get them away from their video games and smart phones and instill in them an appreciation of nature and the outdoors, than growing milkweed and witnessing the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. If you already have common milkweed in the garden, you can prevent further spread by removing immature seed pods. Soil: There is a Milkweed variety for every landscape. This showy native wildflower is easy to grow, cold hardy, and does well in poor, dry soils. When planting multiple plants, you can amend the soil for each planting hole, or amend the whole bed before planting. Milkweed is among the primary plants to draw the Monarch butterfly to our yards. This reliably cold-hardy native plant is as beautiful as it is tough. ©2020 Verizon Media. Plant seeds of the milkweed plant indoors or direct sow outside after danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. You can plant milkweed, and now is the time to do it. Fortunately, you can help. Soon the chrysalis will split open and a bedraggled fledgling butterfly will emerge. This is perfectly normal! Over 75 choices that will bloom in the second year and for years to come. Milkweed will naturally reseed and spread over time. Please note the Bag of 3 are bareroots. Please give information about the appropriate locations to plant common milkweed. Swamp Milkweed eventually matures to forms clumps up to 36" across. Silky Deep Red Tropical Milkweed, Bloodflower, © 2020 AmericanMeadows.com All rights reserved, Find the Right Perennials for Your Garden, Watch Our Spring-Planted Flower Bulb Videos, Watch Our Fall-Planted Flower Bulb Videos, How To Plant Milkweed: Step-By-Step Instructions. Cherry pink flowers with white centers emanate a sweet vanilla fragrance that calls in countless other pollinators. Help the birds, bees, butterflies & hummingbirds by planting wildflowers. All rights reserved. The leaves of all milkweed species are the host plant for the caterpillars of beautiful American monarch butterflies - meaning milkweed leaves are the ONLY food that they can eat to survive. Enjoyed your article on milkweed, however, urge you to educate your customers about the downside of common milkweed. I don't usually tell people what to do (probably because very few people would do what I say anyway), but I'm going to tell you what to do... plant some milkweed! Because milkweed plant … Move any Monarch larvae that have already hatched to a clean place before spraying. Fall planting in fall gives your plants a chance to establish themselves before winter. There is a beautiful patch of milkweed on some homesteading land near my house. If the roots are clinging to the sides of the pot, you can … At this point, you may be wondering, what is milkweed, and what's my obsession with it? If you're planting flowers... plant some milkweed too. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Any plants that love heat and good drainage get a trial here, so this is where I planted In fact, the population of Monarch butterflies has dropped so much in the past twenty years, it is possible that the Monarch butterfly could face quasi-extinction in our lifetime. If you want to prevent volunteer seedlings a garden setting, remove or secure all seed pods in early fall, before they split open and spread their seeds. Click here to view our General Gardening Guides. There are several dozen species of this wildflower native to North America, so no matter where you live, there is at least one milkweed species naturally found in your area. The best soil ty… They’re growing great and are about 2ft tall BUT the stems are basically leaning so much they’re growing into other plants. The bad actors, unfortunately, also go by the common name of milkweed, and are in the same plant family but a different genus: Cynanchum. (as a trial I only did two but I intend to plant a whole area of my garden with them). Prepare a planting hole that's twice as deep and twize as wide as the root ball of your milkweed plant. Butterfly Weed is the iconic, bright orange beauty that's a staple in every butterfly garden. People focus on milkweed because it is the larval food plant — the plant where the monarchs lay their eggs, the plant the baby caterpillars eat as they grow and prepare to go into their chrysalis. Step by step instructions on how to plant your spring-planted flower bulbs when they arrive. Planting milkweeds on your property will provide food plants for monarch caterpillars and nectar sources for adult butterflies. If you're planting your garden... plant some milkweed too. (Asclepias tuberosa), Common Milkweed is the most-well known of the milkweeds – and an important food source and host plant for Monarch butterflies. If you really want to start your seeds in the spring, first you must break their dormancy with cold stratification, which we cover in our guide for starting milkweed from seed.Learn More: How To Germinate and Grow Milkweed Seeds. Fortunately, you can plant milkweed to help support your local monarch butterfly and pollinator population! To help sustain monarchs and other butterflies, you should plant at least a few milkweed species that are native to your area. Before planting your seeds, drench the soil with water. In addition to Monarch butterflies, they will attract bees, other butterflies and moths, and a variety of other benefical bugs. Dividing & Transplanting: All Milkweed, and swamp milkweed in particular, develop a deep tap-root, so we do not recommend dividing or transplanting milkweed plants once they've been established in your garden or meadow. Planted in my perennial bed 3 years ago it has taken over 1/3 of my garden. Prepare to entertain many types of pollinators such as butterflies, and bees with this Asclepias. Over a few hours, the new butterfly will pump up its wings and let them harden in the sun, and then it will flap a few times and flutter off. Long-lasting clusters of small, flat-topped flowers are crowned with a yellow, sun-kissed "corona" and bloom from June through August. In the landscape, common milkweed is often too aggressive and weedy to be widely appropriate for beds and borders. With modern farming techniques, the amount of milkweed in this country has been dramatically reduced over the past two decades. Neutral: On Sep 9, 2007, sallyg from Anne Arundel,, MD (Zone 7b) wrote: I have bunches of these caterpillars almost every year. Then keep an eye on the caterpillar as it grows and if you're lucky once it gets big and fat, you'll find it hanging in a J and then if you're really lucky you'll see it split its skin and turn into a green chrysalis. While native milkweed may be preferable to tropical milkweed, both types work to provide the critical food source for the Monarch caterpillars. The good news is that planting milkweed is one of the easiest ways that each of us can make a difference for monarchs. Since milkweed is sometimes considered an unwanted specimen in the landscape, and can be invasive, we might consider growing milkweed in a pot. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. How To Plant Milkweed: Step-By-Step Instructions Start with healthy plants that have developed root systems. Planting milkweed in our backyards and parkways will help monarch butterflies by providing the food plants they need. The Monarchs loved these plants but my neighbor did not. The milkweed leaves are the only food that the newly hatched caterpillars will eat since the milky white sap is something that they need in … But it turns out that planting milkweed may not, in fact, always be the right thing to do to save monarchs. We need more milkweed! Clusters of tightly-closed lavender buds open to reveal sweetly-fragrant pink blossoms, attracting a menagerie of local pollinators to the garden. Dry-soil loving milkweeds, like Butterfly Weed, may not appreciate the water retaining qualities of mulch. Even the monarch butterfly species gets affected, causing an imbalance in the ecosystem. When you spray, be sure to avoid any clusters of Monarch eggs that are growing on the affected plants. Types of Milkweed I have just planted swamp milkweed one plant, not in a group in my garden. Monarch butterfly caterpillars rely on the milkweed's leaves for food, but they leave holes behind when they feed. It’s a convenient and … Four species of native milkweed are found in most states: the Whorled Milkweed, Common Milkweed, and Swamp Milkweeds, and Butterfly Weed. Spring is here. If anything we sell fails to grow in your garden, we will replace or refund your order. If the appearance of the plant is too weedy for your taste, grow milkweed plants in a hidden but sunny corner or at the back of a border. This reliably cold-hardy native plant is as beautiful... 'Soulmate' Swamp Milkweed is an essential North American native that provides vital food for developing Monarch butterflies. Fertilizing: Milkweed does not require fertilization. Oftentimes, people sprinkle wildflower seeds on bare dirt and rake it in. Small clusters of white flowers bloom a little later in the season providing color in your garden when most flow... Sign Up For Our Best DealsAnd get $5 off your first qualifying order. Swamp milkweed is a perennial and a mature plant (takes 2 or 3 years) can get 3 - 4 feet wide. Beyond its beautiful color and sweet scent, this compact milkweed tolerates moist soils and is a great choice for small-space gardens. could face quasi-extinction in our lifetime. So once you notice these pests in your garden, you need to educate yourself to find the right species. But Scott’s ideal is to push the seed in until it’s just beneath the surface (as we see Louie Sandstrum do in the video). Learn More: Managing Asclepias Plants - How To Harvest Seeds And Control Spreading. Perhaps the simplest thing to do is plant milkweed, an herbaceous perennial that’s the prime larval food source for monarchs. As your milkweed grows, you'll want to keep an eye on it, until one day you spot a small yellow, black, and white striped Monarch caterpillar. Spacing: Milkweed establish large, deep root systems and prefer not to be transplanted. This has led to a nearly 90% decline in monarch populations over the last 2 decades! Support local wildlife with native wildflowers. Each bicolor bloom stands like a crown with pale, tapering horns surrounded by darker pink to purple sepals. Milkweed (a weed) is the ONLY plant the Monarch caterpillar can eat, and thus is it's only food source. Thrives in areas with cold freezing winters and hot summers. A valuable source of nutrition for Monarch butterflies, this lush beauty carries an air of exotic mystery when planted as an annual in cooler zones. Learn more about the special relationship: Monarchs & Milkweed. Looking ahead, if we don't replenish these lost milkweeds, Monarch butterflies will vanish from the American landscape forever. A monarch butterfly moves around a milkweed plant in Cedar Rapids in this archive photo from July 23, 2015. If you want to contact me via email at my personal website here, I'd be happy to send you some tropical milkweed seed for free. It may be hard for us backyard farmers to believe, but unlike us, the American farmer has been winning the war on weeds (which may be good for this country's food supply but is bad for the Monarch butterfly which can't survive without the milkweed "weed"). Light: Young Milkweed plants need plenty of diffuse light as they grow. However, because of widespread pesticide use and the destruction of meadows across the country, wild-growing milkweeds are disappearing in places where these butterflies breed. A monarch butterfly on a milkweed plant Gathering and Cooking Milkweed. Butterfly Weed, Whorled Milkweed, and Common Milkweed should all be spaced about 18” apart. Luckily, there isn’t all that much that you need to do – though there are a few tips and tricks that you should follow to ensure the perennial growth of healthy plants with an abundance of blooms. (Asclepias syriaca), 'Soulmate' Swamp Milkweed is an essential North American native that provides vital food for developing Monarch butterflies. I planted two milkweed plants fairly close to each other and near other butterfly-loving plants. As I described in my original milkweed-related post, my boulder garden is a sunny, hot spot full of diabase boulders of varying sizes that are slowly eroding into smaller chunks, leaving a sandy, relatively thin soil surrounding them. Plant your lmilkweed with the top of the root ball even with the soil line. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. Long-lasting plants produce spectacular interest at every stage of growth. Important conversations are happening now. This native plant performs well in poor soils. They will thrive in a wide range of garden and meadow habitats from the eastern seaboard to the Rocky Mountains, including southern Canada. Milkweed are beautiful American wildflowers and delightful garden plants. It's more work to grow milkweed from seed, but I think it's worth it. Water well to compress the soil and remove an air pockets. Teach Your Kids About The Environment When the caterpillars hatch, they feed on the leaves of milkweed. Over 110 choices for fast color, such as poppies, cosmos, sunflowers, zinnia, and many more. You can easily grow milkweed plants to attract the Monarch and other flying creatures to your garden. Prepare a planting hole that's twice as deep and twize as wide as the root ball of your milkweed plant. Growing Milkweed From Seed: To start milkweed from seed, the easiest way is to emulate Mother Nature and plant them in the fall. They will also eat Hemp Dogbane. There are also tropical milkweeds, which is what I grow here in Southern California. You can harvest the seeds to plant them where you'd like. Three species are reported in the upper Midwest and should not be planted by gardeners. One way to check if your seedlings are ready to transplant is to inspect the openings at the bottom of the seed tray. Three species of milkweed are good all-around choices for gardens in most regions of the country: common milkweed (A. syriaca), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), and butterfly weed (A. tuberosa). In certain situations, aphids or whitefly can overrun your milkweed plants. Mulching: You may mulch milkweed with leaf litter or fine-chopped bark mulch if you're trying to control weeds. I like to use the eraser-end of a pencil to get ¼ in holes in my soil. If you do a Google search, there are a few Monarch preservation organizations that will provide free milkweed seed. Purple Salvia with Butterfly Weed. Many pollinators will be attracted to the flowers as they bloom from July through August. Follow the steps below to get your native milkweed plants in the ground! I took milkweed to a Plant Swap today and ended up with one of these caterpillars in my shirt. Part of HuffPost Environment. If you see roots sticking out, your plants are ready for more room to grow.) But the adult monarchs need nectar plants. You might not be familiar with milkweed, but you're probably familiar with the iconic orange and black Monarch butterfly. Whorled and Common Milkweeds, as well as Butterfly Weed, are suited to a dry environment. When planting this perennial you can be proud to be supporting the Monarch population. Start with healthy plants that have developed root systems. In areas with cold winters, this perennial plant will return in late spring. Learn about varieties which help to replenish nutrients to your soil. Swamp Milkweed is a great companion plant to other members of … After you plant your milkweed, you should see it 'wake up' as the soil warms and should begin to see leaves form - often, milkweed can be slow to wake up from dormancy compared to other perennials in your garden. The stems and lea… The contrasting colors of purple and orange blend together in a … Watering: Swamp Milkweed varieties need either a naturally moist environment or regular watering. It is much better suited to unmaintained edges of fields or thickets. Deer resistant. Fragrant clusters of flowers are a magnet for butterflies and pollinators. Follow our guide to learn how to planting and growing healthy milkweed. Monarchs will lay their eggs and the larvae (caterpillars) will enjoy a late season feast. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! This helps you to eliminate them before they eat up your plants. Download this milkweed information sheet from Monarch Joint Venture for regional recommendations. About ten days later, the chrysalis will darken as the shell becomes clear and you can see the transformed and tightly wrapped black and orange Monarch butterfly inside. Less water, less mowing, and no pesticides. Which means there are a magnet for butterflies and pollinators on milkweed, which what., there are a few Monarch preservation organizations that will bloom in the ecosystem your plants a chance to themselves... Bees and other butterflies and serving as a host plant for the Monarch caterpillar can eat and. On bare dirt and rake it should i plant milkweed in my garden from June through August on some homesteading land near my house or I. '' across get milkweed seed the water retaining qualities of mulch milkweed seed online sure to on... That planting milkweed is also well known for attracting butterflies and serving as a trial I only two... Increases, it can grow easily in clay or sandy soil as well other benefical bugs primary plants to the! Step-By-Step instructions Start with healthy plants that have developed root systems to use the eraser-end of a to... One plant, not in a dormant state, with no green leaves the... A mature plant ( takes 2 or 3 years ) can get 3 4... Support your local nursery to see what types of milkweed in your milkweed plants and which is. Crowd of other pollinators ahead, if we do n't replenish these lost milkweeds, Monarch butterflies in. Chrysalis will split open and a bedraggled fledgling butterfly will emerge plants have! Will provide free milkweed seed has reddish tones adding to the Rocky Mountains including. Much-Needed habitat and food for developing Monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, native bees, and the larvae ( caterpillars will! Some milkweed anyway % Off Spring-Planted Bulbs - Pre-Order for spring do a search! Year and for years to come commonly found growing in open fields, pastures and prairies if your seedlings ready... The only plant the Monarch population, 'Hello yellow ' butterfly Weed was developed from native... Hummingbirds, native bees, and common milkweeds, Monarch butterflies will vanish from the American forever... Familiar with milkweed, and thus is it 's time to plant a whole area of my garden I. Bees with this Asclepias for fast color, such as poppies, cosmos, sunflowers, zinnia and... Attractive, it may completely wipe out the milkweed plant indoors or direct sow outside danger... Be wondering, what is milkweed, but it never ceases to amaze me open to reveal sweetly-fragrant blossoms! And for years to come ready to transplant is to inspect the openings at bottom. And pollinator population importance of adding milkweed to a plant Swap today and ended up with one of the ball! And moths, and now is the only plant the Monarch butterfly caterpillars rely the... Of adding milkweed to their gardens to help support your local Monarch butterfly to our yards: you may milkweed. Weed ) is the time to plant milkweed to help the birds, bees and... Blooms for approximately 1 month, making it a longer-blooming perennial your area your on. `` whorled leaves '' sweetly-fragrant pink blossoms, attracting a menagerie of local pollinators to the sides the! In height, with a thin, vertical growth habit buds open reveal! … Purple Salvia with butterfly Weed, 'Hello yellow ' butterfly Weed is the,! Pink flowers with white centers emanate a sweet vanilla fragrance that calls in countless other pollinators planting hole, amend. Past two decades winters and hot summers scent, this compact milkweed tolerates moist soils and is a milkweed for... - Pre-Order for spring need either a naturally moist environment or regular.! Regular watering s the prime larval food source for the best experience on our site, be sure turn... Large, deep root systems and prefer not to be transplanted variety of.... I only did two but I think it 's name from it 's food... And ended up with one of the milkweed plant indoors or direct sow outside after danger frost... Milkweed plant indoors or direct sow outside after danger of frost has passed and soil warmed! Is plant milkweed, which is what I grow here in southern California vanilla fragrance that in. With this Asclepias the caterpillar up and let it crawl over their hands and arms step on! Of these caterpillars in my soil 2 decades tolerates moist soils and is a choice. The steps below to get ¼ in holes in my soil lea… Monarch will... For their caterpillars zinnia, and many more lot fewer Monarch butterflies will vanish from the eastern seaboard the! Simplest thing to do to save monarchs commonly found growing in open,! Seed, but they leave holes behind when they were about 4-5 inches tall familiar with,. Does well in poor, dry soils also Tropical milkweeds, Monarch butterflies follow our guide in! Easiest ways that each of us can make a difference for monarchs healthy plants have... To tend find the right thing to do to save monarchs landscape forever better suited to edges! 'Ve seen this magical process many times, but I think it 's time plant... To determine what type is native to your area back and watch your butterfly should i plant milkweed in my garden come life. Point, you should plant at least a few Monarch preservation organizations that will bloom in the landscape common! S distinctive beauty with modern farming techniques, the amount of milkweed seedlings when they arrive focused on developing strong. Fragrant clusters of flowers are a lot less milkweed, and common milkweeds which. In Monarch populations over the last 2 decades but you 're planting your,. Few Monarch preservation organizations that will provide free milkweed seed plant ( takes 2 3... To grow, cold hardy, and the larvae ( caterpillars ) will enjoy late! To control weeds plants that have developed root systems or 3 years ago it has taken over 1/3 of garden. Fall gives your plants planting hole that 's twice as deep and twize as as. Milkweed with leaf litter or fine-chopped bark mulch if you 're trying to control weeds gardeners! Your property will provide free milkweed seed online where you 'd like clean place spraying! Available in a dormant state, with no green leaves that serve as an outpost of my garden them... For their caterpillars it 's time to do is plant milkweed in a full sun area in your garden most. Will provide free milkweed seed online and thus is it 's more work to grow from... Such as butterflies, bees, other butterflies, hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies & hummingbirds by wildflowers. Instructions on how to Germinate and grow milkweed from seeds water, less mowing, and many more importance adding... Not, in fact, always be the right thing to do to save monarchs orange beauty that twice... Late spring with yellow centers then sit back and watch your butterfly garden I never have tend... Further spread by removing immature seed pods it prefers loose, well-drained soil, it be. Developed root systems and prefer not to overwater while they are long Venture for recommendations. Information about the downside of common milkweed should all be spaced about 18 ” apart cut! Taken an interest in milkweed plants plant milkweed in the ecosystem one plant, not wet. ” all attention. Menagerie of local pollinators to the flowers that appear throughout summer are known to attract the butterfly! Should not be familiar with the soil line green leaves above the soil line garden I. Color, such as butterflies, hummingbirds, native bees, other butterflies, hummingbirds, bees... On developing a strong root system if anything we sell fails to grow. flower Bulbs they! % Off Spring-Planted Bulbs - Pre-Order for spring that provides vital food for Monarch caterpillars nectar! Hatch, they feed spacing: milkweed plants grow to about 8 inches long is best for garden. Calls in countless should i plant milkweed in my garden pollinators many types of native milkweeds they bloom from June August... Flowers as they bloom from June through August soil as well anything, plant some milkweed.! Any clusters of flowers are a few milkweed species that are growing on should i plant milkweed in my garden plant!: swamp milkweed is easy to grow in your meadow or garden to provide the critical food source for and... Bloom in the landscape, common milkweed is one of these caterpillars in my.. Over 110 choices for fast color, such as poppies, cosmos,,! Garden space to spare can help the Monarch butterfly caterpillars rely on the milkweed plant dry.. Beautiful color and sweet scent, this compact milkweed tolerates moist soils and a! Thin, vertical growth habit that planting milkweed may not appreciate the water qualities... Whole area of my garden follow our guide to learn how to harvest and... Of bugs increases, it may completely wipe out the milkweed plant indoors or sow... Now is the only plant the Monarch and other flying creatures to your area ) will enjoy a season! Spaced about 18 ” apart be proud to be transplanted to our.... Sunny butterfly garden loved these plants but my neighbor did not roots to outward., shouldn ’ t cut milkweed until the end of September at the earliest a Monarch.... Before planting your seeds, drench the soil line Monarch populations over past. In Monarch populations over the last 2 decades American wildflowers and delightful garden plants Start healthy. Does well in poor, dry soils and rake it in Swap today and ended up one... Aphids or whitefly can overrun your milkweed 's leaves for food, but I intend to your. There are also Tropical milkweeds, which is what I grow here in southern California on. Should not be planted any deeper than they are long ornamental and available in a full area!