Milkweed for butterflies

15 years ago

Milkweed or more properly Asclepia comes in several varities. The wild milkweed that we see along the roads and has pale pink flowers is A. Syrica and not one that you would plant in your yard.

A. Tuberosa also grows wild, has bright orange flowers but is somewhat more refined. Many nurseries carry small plants for sale. They are said to have a taproot and large plants don't transplant well, so many gardeners start them from seed. There are now many different cultivated varieties of Tuberosa in yellow, oranges and red.

Another good one for in your yard is A. Incarnata or commonly called swamp milkweed. Two varieties of this one are 'Ice ballet' (white) and 'Soulmate' (pink).

A. Incarnata comes up earlier in the spring and blooms much earlier than Tuberosa. The seed pods on my Soulmate are fully developed, while A. Tuberosa is still in flower.

I have found plants of Tuberosa, Ice Ballet and Soulmate at Lowes in the past, although I don't remember seeing any of them this year. I will have seeds of Tuberosa and Soulmate for any one that wants them. Since they readily reseed themselves, I would think that slightly anchoring seeds where you want them in the fall would be the way to do it for plants in the spring.

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Comments (16)

Linda Wayman
15 years ago
The butterfly weed I had when we lived in the country was a brilliant orange. It grew out in the fields. I transplanted some of it into my flowerbeds; some made it and some didn't. I think it is so pretty.

I went to a flower nursery two years ago to buy some for the yard where I live now and what they sold me wasn't anything like what I had. It did look more like a weed and wasn't very pretty. I ended up throwing it away. Some more of it came back this year and I threw it away too. I thought they had just sold me the wrong item. I want the bright orange.

Thank you for your information. I didn't know there was more than one variety.

Linda
des_arc_ya_ya
15 years ago
Gazania, I'd love to have some seeds, if you're willing to share!

I'll send you an email with my address. Thanks so much. I'm sure they need a lot of sun, hu? (I'll have to look for THAT spot! LOL)
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gazania_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
des_arc_ya_ya, The email I sent you came back as undeliverable when I used your address that came with the one you sent to me. I am sending one through GW. Hope it works.

Everyone else with an interest in butterfly weed, below is a link to more info than you ever wanted to know about it. I remembered that I had it bookmarked when I went to look to see which one's will grow in ya ya's zone.

Here is a link that might be useful: Asclepia
gazania_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
Sorry, that above link doesn't work.

Here is a link that might be useful: Try this
phyllis__mn
15 years ago
I have a lot of wild milkweed at the edge of my garden, and I leave that. I also have many selr-seeded asclepia, and I usually plant a few new ones each year. Isn't this Monarch caterpillar a beauty?
lisa11310
15 years ago
I just learned about milkweed for butterflys this year so I have left it. I have just a few of the white ones. There does not seem to be much growing in the field over yonder either. I am qualified for a certified wildlife habitat, just need to send my check. If you have an over abundace of seed I will be happy sew them in with the other native things I grow for critters and such! Thanks!
JoanMN
15 years ago
We harvested some wild ones two years ago, we planted them in flowerbeds and by the river. My son and DIL are up this weekend, they brought the kids' monarch caterpillars with them and it was nice they didn't have to go far to pick milkweed to feed them. Every year they hatch lots of them and the kids love to release the monarchs.
JoanMN
taigen_gw
15 years ago
The magazine birds and blooms has several articles on the Monarchs this past issue, even on how to register your garden for a monarch watch or something like that.
I searched quite a while to find a garden center that sold milkweed, now it is more available here. Some folks say it grows naturally by the train tracks but I have never found it.
We used to have so many monarchs...I really miss them and it is such a treat when they do come to the gardens.
Joanmn...how I wish I envy you getting to see your grandkids do a release..that must be wonderful!
des_arc_ya_ya
15 years ago
Still didn't get your e-mail. Somebody send her my mailing address, wouldya!? I'd love some milkweed.

TIA
gazania_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
Ya, Ya , I have your mailing address, just not your email addy. All I need to know is do you want pink or orange, or both. The pink should be ready in a couple weeks, the orange not till into September sometime. I did check your growing zone, these should both do ok for you.

Is your email address correct with Garden Web, 'cause I sent mail back to you direct by clicking reply on your mail to me, and also through Garden Web and apparently neither worked?
Linda Wayman
15 years ago
Gazania, would you mind sending me some seeds for the orange ones when it is time. I will be ever so grateful.

With the trouble you and YaYa are having with e-mails I'll just give you my e-mail address and go from there.

It's MsCsippy @ aol. com, without the spaces. Thank you.

Linda
lisa11310
15 years ago
How do I get more of this to grow? My plan was to collect about 1/2 the seeds from each plant and sprinkle them in the soil where I would like it to grow. I have some growing in my "fromal" garden that I would rather not have there. Do I transplant the whole thing or just pull it up and sprinkle the seeds where I want them. We have some fields that are never mowed that would be ideal. Sun, shade?
gazania_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
Full sun for sure is best. I would say that a field that is never mowed might present a problem for the light weight seeds to get down the the damp soil where they need to be to germinate. I have not deliberately grown any from seed, but have had many sprout where they darn well please. I do find that the A. incarnata, spreads itself around much better than A. tuberosa. Incarnata or 'swamp milkweed' likes a moister situation too, which I have. Send off an email through Garden Web if you would like some seeds. I have a lot more incarnata, the pink one, than tuberosa, the orange. But only on pod would yield several dozens seeds, so I think I will be able to accommodate all who want some.
des_arc_ya_ya
15 years ago
Send me both, please, if there's enough for everybody that wants some to have a share.

I'll check my address through Garden Web, don't know what's wrong. Thanks for all the trouble!
des_arc_ya_ya
15 years ago
Checked my profile and, sure enough, it still showed my old address. Glad you let me know - now EVERYBODY can e-mail me!!! LOL
taigen_gw
15 years ago
Hi...I mentioned earlier about the Monarch watch program in the birds and blooms magazine and so I thought I would check it out online. Here are two links that you might find interesting. I am also going to put this in a seperate thread just in case someone else may be interested and not realize this is about monarch butterflies.

Birds and blooms link; http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Monarch-Watch/detail.aspx

Monarch watch link;
http://www.monarchwatch.org/

Sorry didn't know how to post both links in the "helpful link option"