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Transplanting Milkweed and Monarchs

13 years ago

Hi,

I have some common milkweed plants growing in various places in my yard, including in my grass. I'd like to isolate these plants to one location --the area behind the garage. So, my questions are:

1. What is the best way to do this? Pull up the existing plants and replant them in the new area, or take the seeds from inside the pods and plant those?

2. Being that it is late August now, would uprooting these plants be detrimental to any possible Monarch butterfly reproduction, or are we past that stage?

Thanks.

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Comments (8)

lycopus
13 years ago
It is better to grow them from seed. Milkweeds have a long taproot and are difficult to transplant.

The monarchs might have one more brood this season. It takes about 30 days for them to go from egg to adult stage, and I have seen them on goldenrods as late as September. Saw a pair mating yesterday.
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reinholdt
Original Author
13 years ago
Lyco,

Thanks for the reply. So, can I just use the seeds (if there are any) from inside those pods that hang on the milkweed, or do I have to go to the store and buy them?

Thanks.
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Asclepias curassavica aka Tropical Milkweed takes to transplanting better than some of the other milkweeds. However, I would locate them to their permanent home as soon as possible. I've already planted mine out, too. The tropical curassavica does better with a bit richer soil than some of the native species. They do like sun, but will survive in light shade. I put mine close together, but if you only have 6 plants, you can space them about 1' between. Pinching out the top can force lateral and basal growth, too. I feed mine with chicken manure - build the soil rather than just fertile the plants. I have a lot of seedlings from last year's plants, but we had a mild winter except for the ice storm. The plants are not hardy in our zone, so I collect the seed as the pods turn brown and crack a little. You can see the white fluff starting to peek out. Put the seed in a paper bag with several coins and shake it (this separates the seed from the pods and the down), snip a small hole in the corner of the bag and shake it some more. The seed will come out sans the chaff. Oh, and be prepared for Monarch caterpillars! Susan
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lycopus
13 years ago
Should be able to use what you have. When they are ready the pods will darken and eventually start to split. You can pull off the 'fluff' and plant the seeds anytime in the fall for plants next year.
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fatamorgana2121
13 years ago
Not only will you get seeds for "free" collecting from your own plants, those plants will be perfectly suited to your growing conditions and so much better than any bought seed.

Milkweed is a perennial. It will take a number of years (maybe 2-3) for the plants to achieve full size from seed. I would allow a new patch of milkweed to establish before removing the old one of you want to keep butterfly habitat at your place.

If you can find small (1st year) plants in the established patches next spring, you may be able to move them since they so don't have a big root system yet. But no guarantees there. Seeds are the best option.

FataMorgana
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Robin Ladowski
13 years ago
Hi! I also have ALOT of common milkweed growing in my yard. I have pulled it out(After monarch migration) because it was taking over. I did not find a deep taproot at all. I find that the milkweed sends out runner roots and they are only 3"-4" under the soil. Try digging some up and see. You can seed behind the garage but you will still have milkweed where it is now-even in the grass-if you do not dig it out. You werent going to use weed killer on it, were you?? I'm sure you were not.
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reinholdt
Original Author
13 years ago
Robin, no I wasn't planning on using weed killer -- just my hands. I would like to remove the milkweed plants now, unless you think the Monarchs are still using them in zone 5?

Thanks.
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fatamorgana2121
13 years ago
Monarchs can still be using them pretty late in the season. I would wait. You may wish to try looking in the butterfly garden forum for info. Found this there.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Can I transplant milkweed?
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terrene
13 years ago
I've got a patch of wild A. syriaca growing - of all places - in the middle of a woodland garden. It grows quite well, although it doesn't flower because there isn't enough sun. I tried to transplant all of it last fall to another spot. Well, only a couple small plants appeared in the new spot, and the old spot still had plenty of plants. So much for transplanting "all" the plants. LOL

Perennial milkweeds can be transplanted but will take time to re-establish, plus they will also regenerate itself from old pieces of roots left behind. I've tried starting A. syriaca from seed, with limited success. The wild patches that planted themselves have done much better.

Whether or not you still have Monarch larval activity depends on where you live. Very possible there are still caterpillars eating the leaves. You should be able to find them without too much difficulty if you take a look. I raise Monarchs and just found an egg on the common Milkweed 2 days ago! Very late for egg-laying at this location.
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