PINK MILKWEED Asclepias syriaca
Milkweed is an essential perennial plant for the butterfly garden, and it is the ONLY plant that the monarch caterpillar can eat. The flowers also attracts many other butterflies! It is probably the most used plant 'food' (nectar) for pollinators. Our milkweed have monarch caterpillars on it almost every year. Look carefully under the leaves, which is where they are usually hiding. If they are present on your plant, they will often make their chrysalis there too, and you can watch them transform from caterpillar to butterfly! Monarch butterflies are in steady decline, and habitat destruction is at least partially to blame. This plant can assist the monarch in recovering.Watching the life cycle of monarchs can be an excellent learning experience for kids too!
We specialize in Pink Milkweed because it is the most preferred variety for Monarch Butterflies! The leaves are smooth, which makes it easier for the monarch butterflies to lay their eggs on, and easier for the caterpillars to move-about on. The hirsute 'hairy' leaves of some species make them less attractive. Common Milkweed is also one of the most hardy Milkweed, and can be grown in a large variety of locations, soil types, is drought resistant, and is very easy to grow!
The milkweed flowers attract MANY butterflies of all kinds (not just Monarchs)! The beautiful perfume of the flowers is fragrant for quite a distance away, which draws butterflies of all kinds to it's nectar!
The bulk seeds are sold by weight, with approximately 4000 seeds per ounce.
Type: Perennial
Height: 48"
Location: Sun or part
Hardiness zones: 3-9
Bloom time: Mid summer to fall
Seeds per pack: 20
Note: This plant species is known to have toxicity. Ingestion of these seeds or this plant can cause illness such as vomiting or diarrhea. This plant family is known to cause dermatitis in some individuals. The juice or sap of these seeds or this plant may cause a skin rash or irritation. The use of gloves when handling may be beneficial.
Germination: As with many perennial seeds, these seeds can benefit from a period of moist cold to help them grow. This is done by giving them a cold 'winter' period (artificial or natural), and then a warming to simulate 'spring', and time to grow! Here's how this can be done:
Obtain a planting container that has holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Place the seeds just under the surface of your growing medium, and water. Place your container in a cold area (but not freezing, perhaps a refrigerator) for 4-6 weeks. Once the cold period is completed, place the container at room temperature for them to germinate. Be sure to keep the soil moist during this entire germination period. Seedlings will sprout a few weeks, or occasionally several months, after the warming period.
If you are planting your seeds in late winter or spring, these seeds can be planted outdoors while it is still cool out (once the ground is workable and unfrozen), to receive the cold period naturally in the garden.
