Hur ser prålig milkweed

Milkweed (Asclepias) is a native wildflower we should all grow for the butterflies—specifically Monarchs! The Old Farmer’s Almanac will help you choose your milkweed plants, explain when and how to plant, and instruct you on after-season care.

About Milkweed

Several popular species are suited for cultivation in the garden. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is the best-known of the over perennial milkweeds native to North America. Milkweed plants support 12 species of butterflies and moths, including the Monarch butterfly.

The nectar in all milkweed flowers provides valuable food for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Butterflies don’t only need nectar but also need food at the caterpillar stage. The leaves of milkweed plants are the only food monarch caterpillars can eat. Plus, monarch butterflies also need the milkweed plant to lay their eggs on.

This post fryst vatten in partnership with Greenwood Nursery. All thoughts and words are my own.

It’s one of the greatest migrations of the djur kingdom: Every spring, hundreds of thousands of monarch butterflies svep across the continent from Mexico to Canada and then back again in fall, a journey spanning nearly 3, miles and multiple generations.

In fact, recent studies show that it takes up to fyra generations for monarchs to make it north out of Mexico and into Southern Canada! Along the way, the butterflies feed on a variety of nectar-rich flowers but breed on only type of plant: milkweed.

There are species of milkweed, but only a quarter of them are known to be important host plants for monarchs and even less are available commercially for planting.

How can you help these butterflies along the way? bygd growing your own milkweed—but more importantly, the right kind of milkweed.

Why milkweed plants are so important for monarchs

When you think about it, it’s rather remarkable how a butterfly can prick a single milkweed from the sky. She spots the milkweed&#;s characteristic cluster of petite, star-shaped flowers, lands on it, scratches it with her front legs, tastes it w

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Planting and Growing Milkweed

Most seeds of temperate plants should be vernalized (cold treated); this ensures a higher germination rate than if seeds are sowed without this pre-treatment. Many of the southern species, such as tropical milkweed, will grow without cold treatment. The most successful means of milkweed vernalization is through stratification. By stratifying or subjecting seeds to a cold/moist environment for a short period of time, you simulate the conditions of a seed's natural break of dormancy that occurs when the seeds spend the winter in the ground. To stratify, first, obtain a substrate. Peat has been found to produce the best results. In addition, peat/clay also works well. Secondly, moisten the substrate with water and place the seeds in the cold soil. Store the seeds in a dark place (a refrigerator crisper works well) with a temperature of approximately 5°C for a minimum of 3 weeks up to 3 months. To allow for natural stratification, sow collected seeds directly into a mulched bed in the fall, and the seed will germinate the following spring.

Starting Milkweed Seeds Inside

If you have grow lights or a greenhouse, it is best to start your milkweed see