Milkweed
Flower · warm season · also called butterfly weed, asclepias, swamp milkweed
When to plant
- Set out plants about 1 week after your average last spring frost.
- Ready to harvest about 90 days after planting.
The only food for monarch caterpillars, so expect chewed leaves. Choose a species native to your area.
Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.
Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b
Growing basics
Not edible.
Harmful to pets. Leaves, stems, and sap are poisonous to cats and dogs.
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Spacing
- 18–24 in
- Soil temperature
- At least 60°F
- Time to harvest
- About 90 days
- Containers
- At least 5 gallons
- Plant family
- Other
Pests and problems
Grow it well
Tips
- Try winter sowing in milk jugs. Cut a milk jug almost in half, poke drainage holes in the bottom, and fill it with moist potting mix. Sow cold-hardy seeds like kale, onions, or native flowers, tape the jug shut with the cap off, and set it outside in late winter. The seeds sprout when the weather is right, already used to the cold.
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