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Milkweed in the GardenTags plant encyclopedia

Asclepias

 

Milkweed

Milkweed is so named after the milky sap that exudes from broken or cut stems, and which is a skin irritant, and toxic. It has simple leaves, and bears complex globe-shaped, fragrant flowers in Summer. Both the leaves and flowers are important as the food source for Monarch butterflies, and are also attractive to bees and other butterflies.

Contributed by @kaj

 
plant Features
  • Milkweed likes full sun to partial shade

    Full sun to partial shade

  • Milkweed likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

  • Milkweed is frost hardy: 23f (-5°c)

    Frost Hardy: 23F (-5°C)

  • Milkweed likes light and free draining

    Light and free draining

 
plant information

Common name

Milkweed

Latin name

Asclepias

type

Perennial

family

Apocynaceae

ph

4.8 - 6.5 Acid - Neutral

  • Light

    Milkweed likes full sun to partial shade

    Full sun to partial shade

  • Frost

    Milkweed is frost hardy: 23f (-5°c)

    Frost Hardy: 23F (-5°C)

  • Soil

    Milkweed likes light and free draining

    Light and free draining

  • Water

    Milkweed likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

Plant & bloom calendar

  •  
    Best time to plant
  •  
    When the plant will bloom

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown Milkweed is 1.00meters x 1.00meters 1.00 M 1.00 M

Asclepias

Milkweed is so named after the milky sap that exudes from broken or cut stems, and which is a skin irritant, and toxic. It has simple leaves, and bears complex globe-shaped, fragrant flowers in Summer. Both the leaves and flowers are important as the food source for Monarch butterflies, and are also attractive to bees and other butterflies.


Planting

From Early Spring TO Mid Spring

These plants have a long tap-root, and because if this they don't transplant easily. The best chance of a survival rate when transplanting is to do it in Spring. Generally speaking, though, it is better to sow in situ, to avoid the need to transplant. Sow in a sunny sheltered site.

 

Propagating by seed

From Early Spring TO Mid Spring

Sow in Spring in situ - in a sunny, sheltered site. The seeds can be sown in Autumn, but need a chilling period first (three weeks or so in the fridge would suffice)

 

Flowering

From Early Summer TO Late Summer

Milkweed - both the leaves and flowers -is the food source for monarch butterflies, and as such is an important plant for anyone interested in supporting the monarch butterfly population. The flowers appear in Summer

 
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Gardeners who are growing this plant