# Cultivating milkweed



## crofter (May 5, 2011)

If you do a google search on "cultivating milkweed" you will get lots of info both on growing from seed and from cuttings. There is a lady in town that has milkweed plants neatly bordering her walkway; too orderly for mother nature to have planted it!

It seems the seeds need some help to break dormancy otherwise germination rate is very low.


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## msl (Sep 6, 2016)

google will be your friend 
there is a reserancge in milkweed farming.. Once used to fill WWII life jackets, its being looked at to fill jackets to keep ya warm... even to the point it has been worn on the top of Everest...sustainable grown vegan down if you will 
and there is a big "save the monarch butterfly" push as well so the is no lack of information on growing it
edidt frank beat me


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

there are a couple of different native milkweeds that grow here in VA. One has very wide oval leaves. The other one is a short perennial with narrow leaves and orange flowers. From your description, I think you have the first one called Common Milkweed. It does spread by runners and can be difficult to transplant, but once it has roots in one place you won't be able to get rid of it. So just give it a year or two. Next year, you should have multiple sprigs popping up in the area, sometimes 3 feet away from the mother plant.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Dang it Ruthie, you just brought back 50 year old nightmares about trying to get rid of milkweed when I was a child. Actually, I was googling it yesterday. Some varieties are nice looking. I may try to plant some myself.


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## cdevier (Jul 17, 2010)

I collected some "common milkweed" seed last fall and put in my refer for the winter. I will plant into small trays and then transplant out into my fields.


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## Nhaupt2 (May 31, 2016)

I have good luck germinating asclepis Tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) in mini green house milk jugs left outdoors to overwinter. This gives the freeze period it needs to break dormancy, they also are born outdoors in the early spring because of the mini greenhouse they are in, so they don't shock out as bad to weather. Transplantings to grow out into solo cups untill they can be planted in the ground. Water once or twice in the next few weeks or so and then they are on their own.


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## beesRus (Nov 15, 2018)

I have tried a couple brands of seeds, no luck with any & I am known as having a green thumb. Any suggestions for seed suppliers for Common and other milkweed?


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

beesRus said:


> I have tried a couple brands of seeds, no luck with any & I am known as having a green thumb. Any suggestions for seed suppliers for Common and other milkweed?


Common milkweed needs to be in the ground by Oct/Nov of the year prior so the freezing and thawing action of the ground will allow it to germinate. I usually get mine off ebay. I have bought common from this seller for a couple of years and she seems to have a little collection. https://www.ebay.com/sch/Perennial-Seeds/181114/m.html?item=222537459515&hash=item33d044273b%3Ag%3AOL8AAOSwJH1ZN0Cn&_ssn=butterfly_maven

If you are looking for the elusive balloon milkweed (tropical), I offer that on my site. http://www.hamptonroadsbeekeepers.org/store/product/10


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## beesRus (Nov 15, 2018)

Thank you, Ruthie, for both the dates to plant & the suggested supplier! Seems there was not enough info on the seed packets.


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## Gino45 (Apr 6, 2012)

ruthiesbees said:


> If you are looking for the elusive balloon milkweed (tropical), I offer that on my site. http://www.hamptonroadsbeekeepers.org/store/product/10


Ha ha. learned by viewing the picture that that balloon weed (never would have thought of the name) that we have around here is a tropical milkweed. Now I know. There is a field with this on my place that is very popular with the monarch butterflies.


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## beesRus (Nov 15, 2018)

Gino45 said:


> Ha ha. learned by viewing the picture that that balloon weed ....


 Ha ha I learned that I think some of the seeds that I thought did not grew DID, and I was pulling the plants out as a weed! The shape of the leaves was not what I expected. Love learning in nature.


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## veronicarao (Mar 2, 2020)

You definitely can plant things in the fall to come up in the spring too…but what plants I would recommend would depend hugely on your particular site. Some plants prefer full sun, others varying levels of shade. Some prefer wet, others mesic (average), others dry conditions. Similarly, different plants prefer (or tolerate) different soil types.


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

I have grown several types of milkweed weed from seed no problems. The problems transplanting it is it is in " tuber" form underground; the main root looks like a crooked carrot so when you dig it up u need to dig up a large triangular wedge shape; which leaves quite a divot. When I do this I have topsoil in a wheel barrow ready to fill in. I have done this with common milkweed, butterfly weed, and rose milkweed.


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