Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca– Perennial Wildflower

Zones: 3 - 8
Light Requirements: Full Sun-Half Shade
Mature Plant Size: 30-60" tall
Bloom Time: Summer

Milkweed is a great plant that provides food and habitat for many creatures. In addition to being a host plant to the monarch butterfly, milkweed offers many other benefits. Milkweed flowers produce nectar that all butterfly species benefit from. Honey bees take nectar from milkweed flowers. With the decline of honey bee populations in the US, planting milkweed in your garden can help to provide feeding stations as they fly between crop fields and orchards. Hummingbirds often use the floss from milkweed seed pods to line their nests.

Common Milkweed is aggressive, spreading through a large underground rhizome system. Therefore, it is not suitable for small garden plantings. In this instance, you may find butterfly weed or swamp milkweed to be more suitable. The fragrance of the milkweed flower is lovely.

Though most animals will not eat milkweed because of its bitter taste, it can be toxic for some grazing animals. Use care when choosing a location for planting.

This beautiful plant requires care in handling. It produces a milky white sap which can be irritating to the skin, but can also be very dangerous if it gets into the eyes. It is important to remember, when working with milkweed, or any botanicals for that matter, handle them with care and caution. Always wash your hands after handling them, and be cautious of wiping your eyes, lashes, or brow.

Milkweed seeds have a built-in dormancy which prevents them from germinating. In nature this dormancy protects seeds from germinating as soon as they settle into the soil in the fall. Cold moist stratification naturally occurs over the winter as several months of rain/snow and cold temperatures prepare the seeds for germination in the spring.

Plant seeds in November. Or for starting plants indoors for spring planting, mix seed with a suitable plant starting medium. Place mixture in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for 30 days. Check periodically to make sure the medium is not drying out. Plant immediately if the seeds begin to sprout. THESE SEEDS HAVE TO HAVE THIS COOL PERIOD TO GERMINATE. Blooms second year.

All open-pollinated, non-GMO seed varieties in my shop were harvested from my Touch of Heaven Gardens.