The vibrant orange to slightly yellow flowers are an easy way to identify this milkweed. The bloom period ranges from late summer to fall. It is a hardy, drought-tolerant species reaching one to three feet in height with a spread of one to two feet.
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Butterflyweed ( Asclepias tuberosa)īutterflyweed favors full sun in dry to medium soil. The undersides of the leaves are covered with short woolly hairs. The ovate leaves are approximately six inches long and are borne on a single stalk. It has a short bloom period, from June to August, when it bears large clusters of fragrant pink flowers in spherical umbels atop the plant. Its height can range anywhere from four to six feet. Spreading by underground rhizomes, makes this plant a good choice for erosion control. It thrives in full sun to partial shade in average to well-drained soils, and is commonly found in pastures, field edges and along roadsides. Common Milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca)Ĭommon milkweed is the most well-known species of milkweed native to North America. The three most common species in our region are common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca), butterflyweed ( Asclepias tuberosa), and swamp milkweed ( Asclepias incarnata). Of these, 11 varieties are native or naturalized in Pennsylvania. American Indians and settlers used the roots of this plant for treating respiratory illnesses and other ailments. Milkweed comes from the genus Asclepias, which is derived from the name Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine and healing. By ingesting the leaves, monarch larvae become toxic and predators avoid them. The leaves contain cardiac glycosides, compounds that affect heart function, making them toxic to most species of birds and mammals.
Monarchs lay eggs specifically on milkweed, the eggs hatch into caterpillars and the caterpillars eat the foliage. What's so special about milkweed? Milkweed is the sole host plant of the monarch butterfly. If you are concerned about the plight of the monarch, avoid using pesticides on your lawn and garden, and consider planting milkweed species native to the area where you live. To reduce competition for weeds or other unwanted plants, place mulch around each plant.įor more information about planting, growing, and caring for asclepias, see the Asclepias Seeds Planting Guide.The 2020 count of overwintering monarch butterflies shows a decline from the previous year. To control this, simply remove all seed pods in the early fall before they release. Keep in mind that it will also self seed in the late fall. When planted in the proper environment, asclepias can live for several years. Once you've selected your planting location, plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep into the soil and water lightly. Alternatively, you can start the seeds indoors after refrigerating them for six to eight weeks before sowing. These flowers should be planted outdoors after the first frost begins in the fall in order to cold-stratify the seeds in time for the spring. Be sure to plant in a location that is not visited by pets, as the sap of asclepias is toxic when cut.
#Asclepias seedlings how to#
when and how to grow asclepias seedsĪsclepias is a hardy plant that is native to US swamps and grows easily in consistently wet or damp soils that drain well and are joined by full sun.
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When the pollinator flies away, the bases of the pollinia mechanically adhere to the insect, allowing a pair of pollen sacs to be pulled free when the pollinator flies away, assuming the insect is large enough to produce the required pulling power. Flower-visiting insects such as bees, wasps, and butterflies insert their feet or mouth parts into one of the five openings created by adjacent anthers in each flower. Rather than being individual grains or tetrads, pollen is gathered into complex structures called pollinia (or "pollen sacs"), as is the case with most plants. In this genus, pollination is conducted in an unconventional way. The size, form, and color of the horns and hoods are frequently used to identify species in the Asclepias genus. Between the hoods are pollinia-holding glands. The corona is made up of five pairs of hoods and horns, with the hood serving as a sheath for the inner horn. A gynostegium enclosed by a five-membrane corona is shown when five petals rebound backwards. Members of this family produce some of the most magnificent and complex flowers in the plant world. There are around 200 species in the genus, which are found all throughout Africa, North America, and South America.
Named so for the milky substance that they exude when cells are damaged. Works well for cut flower arrangements as well as dried flowersįormally described by Carl Linnaeus after Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, asclepias is a genus of herbaceous, flowering plants known as milkweeds.
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