Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Milkweed

This vibrant American wildflower is not only gorgeous, it's essential to the life cycle of Monarch Butterflies. They sip the nectar, lay their eggs, and their fat striped caterpillars gobble the leaves. Your garden will always be full of butterflies!

Butterfly Milkweed is perennial in all zones from 4a-10b. It thrives in sun or part shade, most any soil with good drainage, is drought-tolerant (though water is appreciated.) It blooms radiant orange all summer long, will fill a pot or fill a field. It takes a couple of seasons to really take hold, then will return every spring forever.

Germination can be slow, but these seeds were just harvested and should pop up quickly. , ********** 30 DAYS COLD STRATIFICATION REQUIRED ************* 

 25 seeds

Soak seeds for 24 hours in warm water.
Surface sow seeds in a pot or a plastic baggie that will fit in the refrigerator.
Mist the soil and sprinkle a small amount of starting soil over seeds.
Cover with plastic wrap or place in baggie in the refrigerator for 30 days.
During this cold stratification process keep soil moist, but not soaking wet.
At the end of the 30 Days, place pot in a warm, sunny location. When soil is warm enough seeds will germinate.
Remove plastic wrap or baggie when you have seedlings.