Butterfly Milkweed

$4.50

FULL SUN Butterfly Milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa – This horticultural treasure is native to various parts of North America and is one of the most desirable of all pollinator plants. John Tradescants, the younger, is credited with collecting (in Virginia) and identifying this plant in the early to mid-1600s. The plant is known to be a haven and nutrition source for the Monarch Butterfly.

The plants have a bushy habit and will grow to a height of 3 feet. They are very forgiving of environmental conditions. They are drought tolerant, deer resistant and can grow in poor, sandy or gravelly soil.

Butterfly Milkweed is very difficult to propagate from seed, but thisis the only way to propagate these plants. The seed must be direct sown because the plant WILL NOT TRANSPLANT. Seed should be sown in late spring after all danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature has risen to 65-75 degrees. Keep the soil slightly moist until germination has occurred in 30-90 days. When seedlings are 2 inches high, thin, leaving 10-12 inches between plants. It frequently takes 2 years for a plant to mature, but once established, it will grow vigorously for decades.

Type Spacing Planting Depth Days to Germination Maturity
Short-lived Perennial 8 in. 1/2 in. 2-3 months 4-6 months

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Description

Butterfly Milkweed

Butterfly Milkweed can be found growing in dry fields and along roadsides from Florida and Mexico to Maine and Ontario and as far west as Minnesota. The plants flower from July through September. The flowers range in color from reddish orange to bright yellow.

The plant was first collected and identified by John Tradescant, the younger, (1608-1662) and sent to England in the mid-1600s. He had collected specimens in Virginia. Joseph Breck, in his landmark book, The Flower Garden, written in 1830 but not published until 1851, noted that milkweed had become very popular in British gardens but not so much in America. Asclepias tuberosa, Breck said, “grows in Woburn and Newton; blooms in August”.

The plant is very difficult to propagate from seed, but can be propagated by dividing the roots after the plant has finished blooming in late summer or early fall. It does not like to be transplanted, so propagation by root division is often unsuccessful.

The plant’s two greatest assets are that it is a major pollinator for the Monarch Butterfly and will grow and flourish in very poor soil.

Additional information

Weight .5 oz
Dimensions 3.5 × 4.5 × .01 in