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Common Milkweed Seeds

Asclepias syriaca

$4.99
$4.99 $0.00
per Packet
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ZONES  3-8 | Good to grow! Zone

This gorgeous plant produces purple/pink flower clusters that wildflower gardeners love and spreads quickly. Common Milkweed is one of the Monarch Butterflies’ favorite plants and will bring many winged friends to your garden or meadow. Perennial.

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Description

Milkweed is a handsome, straight plant you see in every farm field and growing wherever a roadside hasn't been mowed. Leaves are glossy and thick, and the blooms are large, rounded clusters of purplish/pink flowers atop plants that range from 2 to 5 ft. It's native in the US from Canada to Georgia, and west to Texas.

The botanical name, "Asclepias" is after Aesclepios, the Greek God of medicine, since this plant has been used as a medicinal since ancient times. "Milkweed" derives from the fact that when you break a stem, sticky white sap immediately appears. Common Milkweed is one of our commonest "weeds," but one almost all wildflower gardeners want.

This is the plant famous for its "silky seeds" in fall, when you see the drying cone-shaped seedpods crack open and their snow-white shiny fluff flying around the meadow. This is the dispersal mechanism for the large shiny seeds of common milkweed. Every kid loves to blow them away in fall, like dandelion seeds in spring. Milkweed seeds require special prep when planting. See our planting guide below.

You'll love Milkweed in your wildflower garden...for two reasons. It's beautiful and dependably perennial, and it's the No. 1 plant visited by Monarch butterflies on their famous migration south every summer and fall. In fact, during late summer, it's somewhat rare to see a milkweed plant without a monarch perched upon the flowers, making it the No. 1 butterfly magnet among our wildflowers. ("Butterfly Weed" is a close relative, with bright orange flowers.) Asclepias syriaca Native Range: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV.

Planting & Care

Asclepias (Milkweed) are sun-loving plants that are essential perennials for monarch butterflies providing food for caterpillars and nectar for adult butterflies. They bloom from mid-summer into early fall and, with their milky sap, are resistant to rabbits and deer.

Most Asclepias species are late to wake up in the spring, and will often be shipped as dormant plants. Don't despair if your milkweed is asleep. The white roots and woody crown are alive just waiting for consistently warm weather to wake up and begin to grow. These perennial species stay dormant later in the spring than many other plants, especially when they are grown in pots. It's fine to plant dormant plants; don't up-pot them for planting later in the growing season.

Preferred growing conditions:

  • These species grow in a wide range of soil types, including clay.
  • They don't need mulching (except in very hot climates).
  • These are moisture-loving perennials and do well in wet to moderately moist soil conditions.
  • Plant in full to part sun areas.
  • They like compost enriched soils at planting time.

Special comments:

  • Asclepias syriaca and A. speciosa will spread to make big patches of plants and are best planted in parts of the landscape where they won't crowd out less vigorous plants. Not recommended for the prime spots in your perennial beds.
  • Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) is a more refined grower and is fine to include in perennial beds.

Oftentimes, Milkweeds won't grow much their first season in the ground, so be patient. They are establishing their root system and crown. By the second growing season, the plants will begin to get bigger and look more robust. Asclepias species are an odd bunch and don't behave like many other more familiar perennials. So be patient and accept their quirky nature.

Garden care:

  • Fertilize Asclepias just once in fall with Yum Yum Mix and Planters II. - Naturalized plantings don't need additional fertilization.
  • To encourage re-seeding and provide winter interest with their ornamental seed pods, leave the stems intact over the winter. In mid-spring, remove old stems just above ground level.
  • All species of Asclepias are late to emerge in the spring, so don't be concerned if other perennials come up first and they remain dormant.

Shipping

As soon as your order is placed you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive a second email the day your order ships telling you how it has been sent. Depending upon your order date, we may hold your shipment to combine it with other products on your order, if applicable. See our shipping information page for approximate ship dates and more detailed information. If you have any questions, please call Customer Service toll-free at (802) 227-7200 or contact us by email or chat.

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Key Features

Light Requirements

  • Full Sun
  • Half Sun / Half Shade

Bloom Time

Summer

Life Cycle

Perennial

Advantages

  • Bee Friendly
  • Attracts Butterflies
  • Native
  • Mass Plantings
  • Naturalizes
  • Fragrant
  • Deer Resistant

Additional information

Seed Coverage

Packet covers 5-10 sq. ft.

Seeds Per Pound

64000

Mature Height

18-32" tall

Soil Type

  • Sandy Soil
  • Clay Soil

Soil Moisture

  • Average

Life Cycle

Perennial

Growing Zones

  • Zone 3
  • Zone 4
  • Zone 5
  • Zone 6
  • Zone 7
  • Zone 8

Ideal Region

  • Midwest
  • Northeast
  • Pacific Northwest
  • Southeast
  • Southwest
  • West

Non-GMO

Yes

Ships As

Seed
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