Milkweed, Butterfly

Asclepias tuberosa

Drought-tolerant  perennial that provides food for monarch butterflies.

Native to the central United States, this orange flowered milkweed is a fantastic ornamental that feeds monarch butterfly caterpillars. Showy blooms grace the plant in mid-summer. Sun or part shade. Drought-tolerant perennial down to agricultural zone 3.

Seeds grown by Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho.

50 Seeds.

Directions: Butterfly Milkweed requires a 4-to-6-week period of exposure to cold, moist conditions. Can be direct seeded in late fall to allow for natural stratification during winter. Plant in prepared bed at a depth of ¼ inch. To start indoors, remove seeds from the packet and wrap in a moist (but not sopping wet) coffee filter or paper towel, place in a plastic sandwich bag, then place in a clean glass jar. Store the jar with seeds in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. Then plant the cold-stratified seed about 1/4-inch deep. Transplant container-grown plants outside after danger of frost when plants are large enough to handle easily