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Milkweed
Perennial
3' tall
55 days to flower
Asclepias syriaca
NATIVE Perennial, resilient and simply gorgeous, milkweed is critical food for Monarch caterpillars and so many other beneficial pollinators.
Each year we gratefully lose count of the many gorgeous Monarch butterflies that feast as they float over our farm; indeed, our fields are surrounded by milkweed that smell of honey when they blossom, attracting countless butterflies and beneficial insects to their sticky sweet flower clusters.
Once established, your milkweed and monarchs will thrive in each other’s company for years, though starting milkweed from seed is more challenging than most seeds — see below. If you’re looking for other flowers attracting and feeding Monarch butterflies, they love orange, red & yellow flowers especially, including zinnia, tithonia, echinacea, sunflower, calendula and marigold.
Organic Milkweed
Cold Stratification: Our seeds have already been cold-stratified, so sow with confidence, Friends! If your seeds aren’t coming from us, it’s important and easy to ‘cold stratify’ your milkweed seeds for full germination. Simply place them in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel in the fridge four weeks before you plan to sow them inside.
When to sow: indoors ~4 weeks before final frost, sow 2 seeds per soil block, thinning to 1 once 1-inch tall. Make sure they have plenty of light to grow straight seedlings; if they bend toward the light even a little, consider supplementing with lights.
Harden off and transplant after last frost, at the same time as you plant your tomatoes. Milkweed is a perennial that can often become a nuisance weed in gardens, so transplant your seedlings in open soil outside your garden. Milkweed will spread slowly on its own but feel free to harvest its seeds in fall to grow your sanctuary for the following season.
Seed Depth: 1/4 inch
Days to Germination: 7-21 at 75-55º F
Full/Part Sun Plant spacing after thininng: 12 inches
Days to Flower: 55
Height: 3 feet
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danny hill (verified owner) –
Have experienced about 1/3 germination from 30 pack of seeds.