Milkweed Common

Grow milkweed for attracting beneficial insects, pollinators, and butterflies to the garden! Monarch caterpillars in particular benefit from this plant. It produces greenish pink to pink/purple flowers that then turn into pods full of fluffy seeds. The flowers (blooming summer into fall) can be cut for arrangements, while the seedpods can be used in crafts and flower arrangements. Spreads by rhizomes, so make sure you plant it in a place where you don’t mind it spreading. Open-pollinated perennial that grows in USDA Zones 2-9.

Milkweed – Common – Asclepias syriaca

Soil & Water: Can tolerate many different types of soil, including clay, rocky, or sandy soil. Needs light to medium moisture. It loves growing in meadow-like enviroments.

Planting & Growing: Milkweed seeds need to be cold stratified for 30-60 days, so many gardeners will plant the seeds in late fall and then allow them to get very cold over the winter before sprouting in the spring. (Milkweed isn’t the best flower for transplanting, but if you do desire to transplant, use something like a peat pot that won’t disturb root growth.) You may also sow milkweed in the spring. Plants probably won’t bloom until the second year.

Soil Temperature: 68 degrees F
Planting Depth: 1/8″
Germination: 21-28 Days
Height At Maturity: 2-6′
Days To Maturity: 180 days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun/Partial Shade
Spacing After Thinning: 36″
Approx Seeds per Pack: 15 seeds

Product image via: Public Domain