I have a bag of cubed butternut squash in freezer. I have 53 eggs. Hi Don, not that I’m aware of, but a few years ago I didn’t think deer ate milkweed…they most certainly do! Monarchs will fly away when they run out of food. I wish I’d done it sooner. Good luck! A. Incarnata, Balloon Plant MW, a. Viridiflora, A. . You could also try starting some indoors a couple months before your average final frost. It’s rather confusing. But even so, it should die back to the ground if it was outside over winter…. Is tropical milkweed seed ready to germinate straight from the pod, or does it benefit from a resting period? Actually, Asclepias tuberosa is the best and primary food source of monarch butterflies. I have successfully raised many monarchs & see more eggs & caterpillars devouring the milkweed plants. I want to add more patches of it in the spring. Enjoy your break! early May). I now have almost 60 seedlings in various stages of growth. They both took off after wings hardened. U inadvertently answered two questions I had about germination and growing from cuttings. There are also healthy seedling plants growing beneath them. Mix consists of Gold and Scarlet. It’s the only form of milkweed commonly available. Please see the article at http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/01/plan-save-monarch-butterflies-backfires. I have a Silky Gold Butterfly flower. Also if I can cut them back, how far down do I cut them since it’s almost spring now? Sometimes it seems I have just 1 that is here all summer, is that possible? Here’s more info you should find helpful: Thank you so VERY much Tony!! It doesn’t help preserve habitats where it is not native. Hi Andrew, you could also just direct sow in the garden after you cold stratify. A. curassavica previously belonged to the (former) Asclepiadaceae, before classification of the Apocynaceae was revised to subsume the Asclepiadaceae as the sub-family Asclepiadoideae (Endress and Bruyns, 2000).. How much should one cut. And, there are eggs on one of my tropical milkweed. They always leave in November, even though I do not have the native milkweed. This will promote healthy new growth in a garden setting. How do I keep them over winter? Hi Arthur, they can seed a lot. Ascelpias curassvica speciose incanata sullivantii tuberosa. Other milkweed species need cold treatment and based on ur comment and others tropical milkweed does not. Even the leaves will show heat stress while the soil is still wet. They didn’t flower (started from cuttings in June) though. Tender perennial in Zones 7-10. Hi Brandi, there’s no problem with caterpillars switching between milkweed varieties. If you bought curassavica now would be a great time to cut it back. I ‘spring sowed’ ours in Minnesota and had a high germination rate: I have approximately 30 milkweed plants in my garden in FL. Blood Flower looks great in perennial borders and meadow gardens. Isn’t this a natural occurrence? Your website is very valuable. The Monarchs will be here any day. It typically grows as a subshrub to 2-3 tall on upright stems clad with pointed, opposite, lanceolate leaves (to 6 long). The leaves are turning yellow too. The plants reach three to four feet in height, has milky sap, hairless stems and foliage, leaves are opposite, flowers are crimson and orange, in clusters that are two to four inches across. Nectar flower for many pollinators. The plants themselves grow to a mature height of about 18 to 36 inches tall. Unfortunately, again it did not bloom. You can take cuttings in late winter and start with much bigger plants next season: Hi Tony, I am in Phoenix, AZ recently bought a scarlet milkweed from my local hardware store. A. curassavica be grown in pots or planted directly. I would also suggest trying some California natives along with tropical to see what grows best and what attracts the most monarchs. Bud Bowen. Am I too late? You would be better off starting those seeds about 2 months before your average final frost in late winter. I have big gopher and mole problems, and often have to plant in gopher baskets. Butterflies visit the flowers constantly, unable to resist the large amounts of nectar waiting in their bright blossoms. As caterpillars, monarchs ingest the parasite along with their normal milkweed meals, and when they hatch from their chrysalises they are covered in spores. Or maybe my thought process is off on these. I thought I read somewhere that’s a good thing to do. Hi Nancy, if you buy tropical milkweed seeds now and store them in a cupboard or drawer over the winter they should be fine for planting next spring. The sign on the plant rack stated “tolerates radiant heat” and I thought it would look nice to help hide the AC unit on the hottest, west side of our brown house. It’s a popular host plant and provides nectar for monarchs during the fall migration. The heart leaf milkweed I have that is supposed to be a native is struggling to grow no way is there enough (one small spindly plant) to support Monarchs, so that goes to show sometimes natives don’t work as it can also depend on the microclimate your garden may be in. Is this about our gardener preferences or about helping the species? Can I plant some now to any benefit? We live in zone 6b, should we be concerned about it reseeding? Hi, I just wanted to know how long it takes for the milkweed to mature from the cuttings when grown under Hydroponic planting method. Will the butterfly larvae still eat it even if it’s infested? If you want to help Monarchs and other species, only plant Milkweed species native to your area! It is NON native milkweed to anywhere north of Mexico and has been shown to disrupt the Monarchs natural migration period because it has inflorescence year round, and has been proved to higher parasitism rates in monarchs resulting in their decline in survival. This variety is recommended for zones 3-9. At what time do we have a definitive list and how do we know that many if not most on that list didn’t come from the south. I choose to focus on supporting healthy monarch butterflies for both our and future generations. Also, we have viable tropical milkweed in our northern garden for weeks after the monarchs are gone. (Asclepias curassavica) EXCLUSIVE - This mid to late summer heat-lover has big clusters of 1-inch blossoms in vivid scarlet-red, warm orange-red and gold. (USDA 7b) I started to think though, if retailers are mislabeling the product, those that do not like non-native plants, my have more of a problem than they might expect!!!! They’re growing strong and healthy. at that time I also cut down the root system if its getting to large for the container. Are you talking about tropical milkweed (A. curassavica) or butterfly weed (A. tuberosa)? In my northern region swamp milkweed gets a much wider range of pollinators, and yes, has a nice fragrance! good luck! The plant was still in the nursery pot (5 gals), so I repotted in a larger pot. I love all the helpful information on this site. I believe we have Asclepias curassavica L.- based on the pictures. I started my garden last year…but monarchs are not touching my milkweed…instead the devour my stick vine…i live in East Central Florida…I tried the cage bought and the cats don’t stay on the plants…the are all over the net…is this OK? Here’s more info on the potential problems/solutions with tropical milkweed: hello tony, i checked all the tops of my mexican milkweed, Asclepia curassavica, and i can’t find any growing tips that aren’t producing flower buds. The spider mites are consuming the plants. Asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed) is a favorite milkweed plant of both monarchs and butterflies. So beautiful. Or should I just leave them alone since they only seem to bother the Milkweed? Hi Courtney, you can just keep them in a drawer or cupboard. Due to all the negative posts I have read about Tropical MW, I am relegating it to the far side of the garden. So silly when the solution is easy–plant natives. Thanks Tony! Thanks James, Hi James, congrats on all your monarch activity. Hello, I don’t suggest harvesting seeds until you see the seam splitting open. Sometimes, this depends on what other options you have to offer. I’m in south Jersey in zone 7b. Grow Bloodflower from fresh Asclepias curassavica flower seeds. Medium is missing in action and small has no “food” left thanks to medium and large. Tropical Milkweed being so prevalent is the “fast foodification” of Monarchs. I have to say though that my seeds germinated in about a week in peat pellets with a plastic dome over them, I got about 99% germination too. If the milkweed was their cue for leaving, they’d be leaving much later. What environmental alarmists and what Tony calls native “purists” never explain is what they mean by native. My message is about attracting and supporting more monarch butterflies (and other pollinators) by diversifying your milkweed offerings….that includes both native and non-native varieties. Large is in his Chrysalis at the moment. If you have ideas please reply ok many thanks. I don’t think you’ll have to do much maintenance to get it to bush out in my experience. Good luck! Can you tell I’m impatient for it to start growing? Since that’s there source of, food,what happens to the plant when they eat all of the leaves? My grandfather collected seeds from his tropical milkweed and planted in a pot, a week after he gave it to me I see seedlings growing but today I noticed one seedlings first leaves are curling under, I live in Tampa bay area of Florida and wondering if there’s a problem with it. Study up on the proper milkweed plant for your state. I don’t know if the aphids prevented blooming or if there is some other reason they won’t bloom. We grow both showy and tropical. Hi Pam, you will definitely want more than one milkweed plant if you are going to host monarchs. That is what we call the Precautionary Principle. I read they eat squash. Asclepias Curassavica seeds germinate fast, and the growing Butterfly Weed thrives in full sun and dry or moist soils. Hi Arthur, if it’s a starter flame vine it may not flower its first season. Do they need cold stratifcation? I bought an Aclepias Currassavica from a reputable nursery about 10 days ago. I have seeds from my Asclepias curassavica. It’s cooled off a bit, but still in the 70s, and I see occasional butterflies still flitting about and plants are still sprouting new leaves. Hi Jesi, I”m not sure where you’re located, but I’ve never seen this growing tropical milkweed up north. Here in New Zealand we rely almost exclusively on Asclepias fruticosa. Resident monarchs and many other tropical species feed on them and whether they get OE or not they must have worked that out during the process of coevolution. Please take caution in planting this particular species. Product ID: 1641. Hi: I planted 2 tropical milkweeds 3 weeks ago (zone 9b/10a Florida west coast) and they are attracting monarchs (2 to be exact) but the leaves are turning yellow and all full of spots (on the lower 1/3 of the stems). This plant has gained attention in recent years because some types are the sole host plant for monarch butterfly larvae (babies). Monarch Butterfly Garden- Bring Home the Butterflies, Butterfly Garden Ideas and Gardening Tips to Attract Monarchs, Swallowtails, Hummingbirds, and other Precious Pollinators, Asclepias curassavica: Tropical milkweed, Mexican milkweed, Scarlet milkweed, Bloodflower, Swallow-wort, Silkweed, This milkweed also attracts eastern tiger swallowtails, giant swallowtails, hummingbirds, painted ladies, pipevine swallowtails, queens, wasps, and more…(If you know other pollinators tropical milkweed attracts, please comment below. In my opinion, tropical milkweed has been an invaluable addition to our garden for supporting both caterpillar and butterfly. Brian. If left outside the predators always get to the eggs or cats. I transplanted it into a 5″ planter and I notice that there are small shoots growing. Alex. Here some info that might help for future monarchs: I have a container garden on my garage roof in San Francisco, CA. May be more of an issue for you in 6b. There is a spot light that comes on automaticslly after it goes dark is this something that can affect the germination. Thanks! 50 Superior Quality Tropical Milkweed Seeds - Grown in California - Asclepias Curassavica - Monarch Butterfly - Orange and Dark Red 5.0 out of 5 stars 4 $9.99 $ 9 . Some people here have become rabid about endemic species. I live in Southern California and I am in my third year with a monarch garden. Hi Skip, I’m not sure where you are located, but this is a common complaint I hear from Florida. Thanks, Hi Arthur, it’s a continuous blooming vine, so you should be in good shape…. Hello, I am just learning about tropical milkweed. I’m sure cutting back sometime in October would be good, but make sure you keep an extra stash or cover some plants if you are still raising…. 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