They like full to part sun and dry sandy soil. I wouldn't grow it in the same area as Trilliums and bloodroots. They prefer growing under deciduous trees that shade them when they leaf out. If the ovalifolias were just seedlings when you planted them , then I doubt they'll return. I winter sowed some A. ovalifolia seeds. I have 3 tiny seedlings barely holding on because of all the rain.

https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/oval_milkweed.htm

Ah, so they DO want it dry-dry (the link said can grow in rock gardens...). Well, I can find another part-shade spot that is on the dry side under a tree, I'll try that with this next go-round.

i have had plain old milkweed all over my 5 acres sand pile ... and they seed around a bit ... and other than the day i planted them ... 19 odd years ago ... they have never been watered.. [never on the rogue seedlings] ... and i am sure you know what a july and august in MI can be like on sand ... freakin hot.. and freakin dry .. to coin a phrase .. lol ..]

that said.. i cant get straight what you mean ... they were new babe seedlings .. put out this spring??? ... there are a whole muchh water ... dont you think ... extended cold.. dank grey day after day.. after day ... omg.. shoot me.. lol ...

anyway ...

when other millkweed are getting to seed.. later this summer ... direct sow half of what you got left ... of even better.. get some new seed ... that you havent already stratified.. let ma nature do that over winter.. naturally ...

somehow mark off the area ... so you know .... remember.. where they are in next spring ...

ken

ps: darn kids spread them everywhere back in the day .. lol ..if it werent for the monarchs and hummers they attract.. i might have a giant hate on for them ... lol

The ovalifolia does need sun. It prefers full to part sun. It could survive under a tree if it got hit with some direct sunlight for at least part of the day. 2 other species that will handle more shade than ovalifolia are exaltata and variegata. Anything planted in too wet and dark conditions plus the rain and no sun... When are you going to try to grow them again.

I was going to get around to it today but best laid plans and all...

Hopefully sometime this week. I'll be sure to put these in more sun -- I have plenty of spots where I could tuck these. Probably should order more seed, too. Guess if I ordered a couple more packs wouldn't hurt to just spread some of the seed around somewhere, like Ken suggested.

Well, I finally planted out the new starts today. 3/4 sun and drier conditions -- not dry-dry, just drier than the other spot. We'll see what happens come next spring...

I had terrible results with most of my milkweed seedlings from a variety of species because so many things were intent on killing them.

Milkweed beetle larvae and adults would strip the stems of all leaves.

Something, maybe beetles, would eat the roots.

Monarchs would constantly lay eggs on seedlings and caterpillars would move to them from other plants.

Some kind of white-yellow fuzzy moth caterpillar (not tussock)...

Tussock moth caterpillars would migrate to them.

Raccoons would dig them up.

Voles would dig holes and tunnels.

Chipmunks.

Rabbits would snip the plants at the base of their stem, leaving all the foliage.

Oleander aphids.

I even had what I think was a crayfish in one spot, making a hole by my garage.

I planted oval leaf milkweed and have two seedlings that are barely surviving. One of the two was never really eaten down to the stem but it is being overwhelmed by McKana columbine leaves and seems to be in too-wet a spot. It seemed to be doing okay but something broke the main stem. The other plant was eaten down to nothing but came back. It is struggling to grow although it's in a drier and sunnier spot with less competition. I doubt it will come back.

I am very close to just planting common milkweed and swamp milkweed because they seem to be easy, although rabbits have killed a few first-year common plants this year. I'm especially disappointed with my purple milkweed plants. They were doing so well and then — boom — monarchs! aphids! beetles! — oh my! Suddenly I had a lot of small plants that had turned yellow and dropped their leaves. Sullivant's is also weird. It seems to be thriving then you look the next time and every leaf is completely withered.

Well, blow me down - I think they're alive! Gave up on them but went to pull what looked like weed seedlings the other day and then I remembered that was the spot I planted them in last year. Double-checked on-line what they should look like and I'm fairly certain that's them - YAY! Also looked at another spot and see one small plant there that looks the same -- good thing I put a bright yellow plant tag there! I guess they're just going to do their own thing in their own good time...but very happy to see at least some of them! (and very glad I was paying attention rather than just mindlessly yanking, which I tend to do when weeding)

Very cool thread

^^ Nope.