Hi John, the only thing I can think of is that the caterpillars put them behind schedule for seeding by eating down the stems. 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. Thanks!
Mi Michelle, if the milkweed plants have good root systems they should come back. Perhaps the soil needs to be amended? A native North American wildflower, this is the primary source of food for the both the adult and juvenile Monarch Butterfly, and is often included in butterfly gardens. When should I see new growth on it and is there anything should be doing to get it to start growing again? I live in Florida. Check out the suggested stores on my milkweed resources page, then scroll down further for more plant options:
Hi Tony,
Quick ? We live in a suburb of Chicago. What did I do wrong? We do not seek to profit from shipping fees, so rest assured that our shipping rates reflect an average of what it costs to get our guaranteed products safely to your door. This would be outright poison for your poor caterpillars.
Do you think a Home Depot butterfly weed plant would be safe during a second growing season if cut back to the ground the first year?
it should be fine, or at least much less toxic than when it was treated. Collect seeds after the pods have ripened, but before they have split open. Here’s more info:
Can you delete the comment suggesting tropical milkweed as a host plant or at least point out that it should only be used in the south? What’s going on? or should I purchase more in order to keep them alive? Checked it and re-entered and it continued to fail.
Hi Judy, there are different ways you can propagate milkweed. I noticed this past weekend that I had a number of monarch caterpillars on them, and now they’ve entirely devoured one plant down to branches only and I’m pretty sure when I get home from work today, the other plant will be entirely eaten. Also do I have to do anything to the ground beforehand?
Hi Michelle, congrats on getting your first seed pod! Asclepias species produce their seeds in pods termed follicles. !
Hi Tony, thank you for the great information. It’s hurting migration and causing health concerns. I was thinking of moving the cats to my regular milkweed if that is a better host! They will get plenty of sun, although the soil in Ohio is pretty clay-ey (but then, I was in Ohio when I grew them before too). I have some in Memphis, TN and in Camden, TN. I’ve been having a bit of a runaway problem. Some nurseries use butterfly weed to label tropical milkweed plants…Asclepias curassavica is only a perennial to zone 8 and up.
Help! The seeds need a cold, dormant period, known as stratification, to germinate. Any suggestions on what I should do to encourage longer bloom time and whether or not to divide it and when? Asclepias and other native flowers like black-eyed Susans, echinacea, joe-pye weed, ... A. Tuberosa Seeds, available from Eden Brothers. CONTACT US PHONE (800) 873-3321 (814) 336-2404 EMAIL [email protected] MEDIA CONTACTS Last year I planted the orange variety from seeds and they came up but never got more than 3″ tall. Good to know that the aphids don’t kill them, even if they do damage, alas. Last night, Monday night, I noticed that almost half of the seeds had sprouted already! You might try a fertilizer with a high middle number (phosphorous) to promote blooming. However, it also can take awhile to get going. I also have lavender planted in the same bed . The blooms are followed by seed pods 10 - 12 cm (4 - 5 inches) long containing the seeds with their long silky hairs. Butterfly Milkweed, also known as “Butterfly Weed” will produce beautiful clusters of orange flowers. Prepare your soil by clearing the area of all existing growth. The seeds are wind dispersed, so be careful when gathering to place in a paper or burlap bag to avoid losing them. Free shipping . They have made murmurs of doing so, and have made a few concessions, but its not universal. I hope the butterflies like the flowers, because the cats sure don’t like the leaves.
Hi Bett, in a side by side taste test with other milkweed varieties, it won’t fare well. I live in Central FL. This year I fenced in my plant with one foot high dollar store fences and so far nothing is eating them. Approx. It is hardy to zone (UK) 3. Pretty soon after the stems seemed to dry out and the plant turned black and fell apart altogether. Common milkweed typically gets more eggs though…
Hi Tony,
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Hi Bonnie, the first set of leaves are more oval (cotyledons) and the true leaves of the plant are narrow. My butterfly weed has aphids. The funny thing is, nearly all my first year incarnata are setting bloom buds too. sooooooooo, what’s up with THAT?