Winter doesn’t necessarily seem like the best time to be starting seeds outdoors in most of North America, but for one very valuable group of plants – the milkweeds – winter is the perfect time to get planting. In case you aren’t familiar with this particular group of plants, milkweeds are in the genus Asclepias, and they are the sole monarch butterfly host plant. Before we dive into how to grow these wonderful plants from seed, let me introduce you to some of the very best milkweed species for monarchs.
What’s So Special About Milkweed?
While many species of butterflies have specific host plants they need to raise their young (you can see a list of other butterfly host plants here), no butterfly is more precious to our collective psyche than the monarch. Monarch populations have dropped dramatically the past few decades, and more and more home gardeners want to help by including the monarch butterfly host plant in their garden.
Monarchs co-evolved with milkweeds, and as they did, these butterflies developed a unique adaptation that allows their caterpillars to feed on a plant that many other insects cannot. You see, the latex-based sap produced by milkweed plants contains toxic compounds called cardenolides. Most other insects, save for a handful of species, can’t digest these toxins; it kills them or they avoid it all together due to its foul taste. But monarch caterpillars actually absorb these toxins as they feed on milkweed leaves, rendering the caterpillars themselves toxic to potential predators. The toxins found in the monarch butterfly host plant actually help protect the caterpillars and adult butterflies from birds and other predators.
Here’s a cool video of our Jessica Walliser discovering tiny monarch caterpillars on the milkweed in her own backyard.
Related post: How to Grow a Caterpillar Garden
Monarch Butterfly Host Plant Species
Despite milkweed’s status as the only monarch butterfly host plant, there are many different species of milkweeds that monarchs can use to raise their young. While some species have been found to be preferred over others, all members of the genus Asclepias can be used as a monarch butterfly host plant.
When planting milkweed in your garden, it’s important to choose a species of milkweed that’s native to your region whenever possible. Thankfully, there are several milkweed species that have a broad native range and are suitable for planting across much of North America. As we dive into the following list of my favorite varieties of perennial milkweed, know that these particular species are good for most parts of the continent. I am not including the annual known as tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) on my list because it is a plant that’s much debated. There’s evidence that it negatively impacts monarch health and migration in some parts of the country. Plus, it isn’t perennial, nor is it native to the U.S. or Canada.
6 Favorite Perennial Milkweed Species for Monarch Butterflies:
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata): Don’t let the common name of this milkweed fool you. Just because “swamp” is in the name, doesn’t mean this species of milkweed requires wet conditions. In fact, swamp milkweed does grow in saturated soils, but it also grows just fine in well-drained garden soil. It’s clump forming, so unlike some other milkweed species, it doesn’t take over the garden with spreading roots (common milkweed, I’m talking about you!). I have many clumps of swamp milkweed in my Pennsylvania garden, and I’ve found it to be the easiest species to grow (see the section at the end of this article for info on how to grow milkweeds from seed). Plant this monarch butterfly host plant in full to part sun. It grows about four feet tall and is hardy in zones 3 to 7. You can buy seeds of swamp milkweed here.
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca): Common milkweed was once an ubiquitous roadside weed, but with the increased use of herbicides, it’s not so common anymore. The large, round globes of common milkweed flowers are a favorite of many pollinators, and its broad leaves always play host to many monarch caterpillars in my own backyard. But, this plant comes with a warning: It is an extremely aggressive spreader, forming large colonies that spread not just by seed, but also by underground roots called rhizomes. You’ll want to give common milkweed plenty of room. It’s hardy from zones 3-9 and reaches up to 6 feet in height. You can buy seeds of common milkweed here.
Purple Milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens): My favorite species of monarch butterfly host plant, purple milkweed is hard to find in the nursery trade but oh so beautiful! With a form similar to common milkweed, purple milkweed is a stand out primarily due to the color of its flowers. Best described as brilliant pink, the blooms of this species of monarch butterfly host plant are absolutely stunning. In the summer, the flowers are alive with many different pollinators, including many native bees. It also spreads by rhizomes, but not quite as aggressively as common milkweed. It’s somewhat difficult to start from seed (see below), but is fully winter hardy in zones 3-8. Seeds can be difficult to find in the trade, so try to find a friend who grows this species and is willing to share seeds.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa): Unlike most other milkweeds, the flowers of butterfly weed are not pink, purple, or white. Instead, this milkweed species has flowers that are bright orange. Its short stature and clump-forming habit make it the perfect fit for most gardens. Though butterfly weed isn’t typically the first milkweed chosen for monarch egg laying, it’s definitely worth growing. Butterfly weed doesn’t like to be transplanted, so starting from seed may prove more fruitful, though it can take years for a plant to go from seed to flower. Hardy in zones 3-9 and reaching just 2 feet in height, the jazzy orange flowers of butterfly weed are nothing short of spectacular. You can buy seeds of butterfly weed here.
Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa): Far less aggressive than common milkweed, showy milkweed is an excellent alternative. Hardy in zones 3-9 and reaching about 4 to 5 feet tall, the flower clusters of showy milkweed look like groups of pointed stars. Though there are fewer flowers per cluster than with common milkweed, this monarch butterfly host plant species steals the show with its spiky, pinky-purple blooms. Showy is a great name for it! You can buy seeds of showy milkweed here.
Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata): The slender, needle-like leaves of this monarch butterfly host plant don’t look like many other milkweeds out there. The plant has a soft, feathery appearance, and since it tops out at about 3 feet in height, it makes a great addition to a perennial border. Whorled milkweed is not an aggressive grower, but it does spread via underground rhizomes, so be prepared to give it lots of room. The flowers of this species are a soft white with just a hint of pink at their centers. Small clusters of flowers top nearly every stem, and despite the delicate appearance of this milkweed species, it can feed a lot of monarch caterpillars. You can buy seed of whorled milkweed here.
There are, of course, many regional species of milkweed as well. We recommend the book The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly by Kylee Baumle for a full list of over 70 native milkweed species and their geographical ranges.
Related post: A Wildlife Garden Project for All Seasons
How to Grow Perennial Milkweeds from Seed
Now that I’ve introduced you to some of my favorite species of the monarch butterfly host plant, it’s time to get growing! You may recall that at the start of this article I mentioned that winter is the perfect time to plant milkweed seeds. This is because the seeds of perennial milkweed species need to be exposed to an extended period of freezing temperatures in order to break dormancy. The process is known as stratification, and in nature, milkweed seeds naturally pass through this period of cold and wet as winter progresses. So, in order to have success growing milkweed from seed, you have to make sure the seeds are stratified either naturally or artificially.
If you head outdoors and plant perennial milkweed seeds in the spring, you’ll have little to no luck getting them to germinate. Instead, plant the seeds in the late autumn or winter. Here’s how to do it.
How to Plant Milkweed Seeds
Step 1: Act like Mother Nature. For the best results when growing milkweeds from seed, if you live where winters are cold, simply go outdoors anytime from late fall through mid-winter and drop milkweed seeds wherever you want them in the garden, just like Mother Nature does. Do not cover the seeds! Simply press them against the soil with your hand or the sole of your shoe. Seeds of the monarch butterfly host plant require light to germinate, so if you cover them with soil, they won’t germinate come spring.
Step 2: Walk away. Seriously. That’s it. The easiest way to grow milkweed seeds is to plant them in the fall or winter forget about them. As winter progresses, they’ll naturally be exposed to the eight to ten weeks of cold temperatures required for them to germinate when spring arrives.
Watch this quick video primer for how and when to harvest and plant butterfly weed seeds.
Artificial Stratification
You can also grow perennial milkweeds from seed by exposing them to an artificial winter. To do this, fold the seeds into a very slightly damp paper towel, and put the towel in a zipper-top baggie. Place the baggie in the back of the fridge for eight to ten weeks, then remove it and sprinkle the seeds into the garden, again being careful not to cover them with soil.
As you can see, milkweeds are both gorgeous and much needed. Grow as many varieties of this monarch butterfly host plant as you can, and we will all reap the benefits.
Great article. If seeds aren’t successful – since they are not always easy for some people – you can puchase plants. We grow most of the ones listed above at Phoenix Perennials. 😉
can they be propagated by cuttings?
They’re challenging to grow from stem cuttings because the moment the stems are cut, the milky sap leaks out of them, quickly dehydrating the cuttings and reducing their viability. I’ve heard of some gardeners who run the cut end through a candle flame to cauterize it and keep the sap from leaking out. Then they dip the cut end in rooting hormone and then stick it into a pot of soil. Might be an interesting experiment. Most varieties are easy to grow from root cuttings.
Good morning! Are there any milkweed plants you would recommend for zone 10a? Also, in a related post, you recommend planting dill but I have heard that it can be invasive. How do you recommend dealing with the desire to have swallowtail butterflies with an invasive plant?
I’m curious where you live that you’re in zone 10a. If you’re in the very southern tip of Florida, then I’d recommend Asclepias connives (Largeflowered milkweed), A. incarnate (swamp milkweed), A. lanceolata (few-flowered milkweed), or A. longifolia (long-leaf milkweed). All are native to that region. Other choices mentioned in this article are whorled milkweed and butterfly weed.
As for dill, yes, it can become invasive, especially in warm regions where it throws prolific amounts of seed. If you’d like to grow it but are worried about it possibly becoming invasive, simply make sure you deadhead every flower before it drops seed. You can also plant a native alternative from the same plant family (Apiaceae). Here are some choices: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/bfly2/eastern_black_swallowtail.htm
Jessica – thank you for your suggestions. I love in San Diego, CA, close to the coast. Would these recommendations still work there?
Hi Armand – Thanks for the clarification. Those Florida species are not a good choice for you. Here’s a great PDF from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation that discusses California’s native milkweed species. These would be a much better fit. http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/CA-milkweed-guide_XercesSoc6.pdf
Jessica – this is Great! Thank you!!!
Gorgeous, Insightful, Illuminating, Delicious ~ These jewels are a blessing to our Earth, and to our eyes !! Thank you for the research, and for sharing.
i have noticed alot of ants on my milkweed. are they harmful or benefical?
They may be “farming” the aphids to feed on their sticky, sweet excrement. Ants don’t harm milkweed, but their presence may keep aphid predators like ladybugs and lacewings away.
I’m a bit confused when you say Milkweed is the only host plant for Monarchs. I have butterfly bushes which attract Monarchs, but then they lay their eggs in my Azaleas. As caterpillars, they strip every leaf and some stem off my Azaleas, and this can be done in two or three days.
Monarch adult butterflies can feed on nectar from many different flowering plants, but their caterpillars can only feed on milkweed. I suspect you have another type of caterpillar on your azaleas.
Are the orange milkweed plants harmful to animals? We planted some in the spring & now have some cats.
Few animals will eat milkweeds due to their latex-based sap. But, if they would nibble it, yes, the alkaloids in the sap could hurt them. However, I know lots of gardeners with cats and milkweeds and have never heard of anyone having problems. Still, that’s no guarantee for yours.
I live south of jax fla what plants do i need in my butterfly garden for all butterflies
Bonnie – In a warm climate like yours, good choices include Helenium, Ironweed, Penstemon, Pycnanthemum, Monarda, Liatris, Gaillardia, Lantana, and many more.
If you want to attract Florida’s State Butterfly, the Zebra Longwing, along with Hummingbirds and several other butterflies, plant a Firebush in a sunny Florida location. Mine has gotten as tall as 15 feet, but it can be kept low and bushy if desired. The Longwing seems to prefer it over anything else, and the numerous red-orange flowers, blooming all summer long into fall here in Tallahassee, easily attract Hummingbirds. Thank you Jessica for a marvelously informative article! Bookmarked!!
I live 50 Minutes west of Chicago, zone 5b. Whats a good perennial milkweed that’s not aggressive?
I would suggest either swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) or butterfly weed. Neither are aggressive and both are fully hardy in zone 5.
Where can I find milkweed seeds and what variety would I plant? I live in south central Wisconsin near Madison.
Hi Jackie. Any of the varieties described in this article would work for Wisconsin. There are seed sources listed for each different variety in the last sentence of each variety’s description.
Starting from seed is a nuisance. Get plugs. I use Prairie Nursery in Wisconsin. Check with your County Extension to see what grows in your area. Also, avoid Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) if you don’t want your milkweed to invade the neighbors’ yard. Look for milkweed that have fibrous roots: Red Milkweed (A. incarnata), Whorled milkweed (A. verticillata) or Butterfly weed (A. tuberosa). Our half of the duplex is built on a berm, and the silver maple that somebody blessed this property with 50 years ago died, and left the knob of the berm unsafe for any creature other than a mountain goat. That’s where the milkweed went in, after I explained to the neighbors what I was doing. The milkweed and other prairie natives have long roots, and nobody has to mow that knob.
Jessica –
THANKS SO MUCH for your article :). So, if I can find it as a not too expensive plant, I will get Purple Milkweed. For other butterflies, what are host plants?
Hi Sarah – I wrote about host plants for other butterfly species in this article: https://savvygardening.com/flowers-that-attract-pollinators-not-about-grown-ups/ This will give you some great ideas for what other plants to include in your garden.
Prairie Moon Nursery has 13 different species of Milkweed seed. I have not found another place to sell so many different ones. Also, they are very reasonably priced, if not cheaper than most places. I think they give you more seeds also, some packs have 100 seeds for $2.50.
Thank you for this. After two winters I now know what my plant is called. I just discovered the leaves decimated by four caterpillars. It was stressful until you told me what I’ve been nurturing all this time.
I took photos of the plant the day the lone pod opened and I got to watch as the seeds were dispersed by the wind. It was exciting.
Thanks again.
I live in south east Georgia. What is your recommendation on which plant would do well in this area. Needless to say, at this late date, I’m going to have to go with your recommendation on creating an artificial winter…even though we don’t get much winter in this area anyway.
Thanks
Swamp milkweed is an excellent choice for Georgia.
Part 1. I have one common milkweed plant for over 10 years now. It flowers in the spring and throughout the summer. It’s always been in partially shaded area. I has not spread for 10 years. It is about 12″ high annually. I was hoping it would spread but no luck. Should I put it in a sunnier spot?
Part 2. Purchased seeds from Live Monarch. It is now mid April here in central Wisconsin but snow on the ground and in the 30s. Could I pot up some seeds now and just put them outdoors. Will they germinate as the weather warms.
Hi Marilyn. Yes, your common milkweed would probably do better in more sun. And your milkweed seeds should sprout when the temperatures and day length are just right.
Jessica,
Great information here. We are getting ready to plant 5 lbs of monarch butterfly seed mix. We have heard it’s better to mix it with a carrier seed (crimson clover or wheat). Do you have suggestions as to the ratio of the carrier seed to the butterly seed? We are covering an acre.
Thanks so much.
I would suggest crimson clover over the wheat, personally. Not sure of the perfect ratio, but typically you can also mix in coarse sand to make it easier to spread the seeds at a good spacing. I’d suggest doing one third milkweed, one third crimson clover, and one third sand by volume.
I live in Denver, Colorado area. I want to start a Monarch Butterfly garden
It is difficult to find Milk weed plants here. Does that mean it is not a good idea
to plant milkweed in Colorado? Is it native to Colorado? And is it considered a weed?
Are Monarch butterflies native to Colorado? Thanks for any info. Adonna
Hi Adonna – Great questions! Common milkweed (A. syriaca) isn’t native to Colorado. I would suggest sticking to milkweed species that are native to your state. Good choices are showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), butterfly weed (A. tuberosa), or swamp milkweed (A. incarnata). All of these species of milkweeds are easy to start from seed. Botanical Interests Seeds is one company to check with as I believe they have seeds of at least a few of these species.
Hi! This is a great article. We are interested in planting milkweed, especially my little kids who are now lesrning about butterflies. However, we have two dogs and I am concerned about the toxicity to animals who occasionally munch on plants. Can you elaborate? Thank you.
In my personal experience, dogs don’t chew on milkweed because the sap is very distasteful to them. That’s not to say yours won’t, it’s just my personal experience.
I planted some common milkweed seeds three years ago. They sprouted, grew to about 4 feet tall, spread as indicated in your article, but never any flowers. They are in full sun, but as of right now, June 2019, no flowers, no butterflies, no caterpillars. I am in central South Carolina, and everything else around them is blooming as it should.Any suggestions?
I think you just need to be a bit more patient and allow the plants to mature a bit more. Unless the plants aren’t getting enough sun? Too much shade can reduce blooming.
Hi, I live in Rhode Island and want to plant milkweed seeds. I now know that I should wait for the winter to do it. Does it have to be in full sun or can it be in the shade, since it’s an invasive plant?
Full sun is best for these plants. If it’s in too much shade, they will get leggy and topple over.
I love in NW Pa. I have successfully transplanted tons of common milkweed as well as grown man plant (as well as swamp) from seed. For the past couple of years I have been making my back field into a butterfly sanctuary. During the course of the process my wife
and I can’t help but notice what appears to be a knockoff version of common milkweed. This version looks like common but is
slimmer while featuring narrower leaves, has a darker shaft, has no flowers, has milk if you break a leaf and monarchs don’t like them because they don’t lay eggs on them. What is this plant?
It sounds like dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum).
Are milkweeds deer resistant? We have so many deer and they seem to eat everything but marigolds.
The deer have never tasted my milkweed plants, so I would say they are deer resistant. I hesitate to call anything deer proof because so much depends on each specific herd.
Hello! I saw on Instagram that Rainn Wilson is promoting planting milkweed for monarchs in California, so went online to read about that process and found your article-so interesting! I’d love to add milkweed to my flowerbeds… which would you recommend for East Texas?
We have a large patch of common milkweed in our garden in Toronto. Is it ok to remove the seed pods before they burst? We don’t really want them to spread any further.
It’s absolutely okay to remove them. Maybe toss the seedpods into barren lots or the roadside?
I’m in phoenix, AZ and we planted orange milkweeds in our raised planter. We’ve seen lots of eggs and gotten caterpillars on a few different occasions but never seen the chrysalis. Do they leave the milkweed to form? Lately they have been MIA and I am guessing it is just toooo hot! We also get let’s of aphids and have been treating with soapy water, are they a contributor to why we haven’t seen any caterpillars in a few weeks. Our kids have thoroughly enjoyed this experiment
Sounds like you had a nice “crop” of caterpillars on your milkweed. You’ll seldom find chrysalises on the milkweed plants themselves because the caterpillars move elsewhere to pupate. I read an interesting study that noted the caterpillars will migrate as far as 60 feet from their host milkweed plant before pupating!
I live in south central Florida. What type of milkweed can I grow here?
Love your info,thanks!!
Butterfly milkweed and swamp milkweed are both native to Florida and would be good choices.
Wonderfully written article! I’ve read several articles on milkweed, and the authors failed to note what you so carefully have, namely that Tuberosa is more loved for nectar band for a host plant, and that milkweed spreads, especially the common. Well done!
Even better, that you had so many inquiries about milkweed, which shows that you’ve helped generate awareness and concern over our precious monarchs, And you answer them brilliantly.
This is my second year of raising milkweed for caterpillars, and bringing in ones I found on tropical milkweed, so I’m not an expert, just have a little experience. I’ve also worked in jobs where I did lots of proofreading, and noticed a couple things about your article.
Typo in verbiage under the photo with a monarch eggs on MW leaf:
“Monarch eggs are tiny and difficult to spot. Check the leaves carefully for the leaves.“ (The last word in the “check the leaves…” sentence should be eggs vs leaves.)
– the post from Linda on 10/28: did she mean “cats” as in caterpillars, and she’s concerned about her domestic pets being harmed by eating the plant, or any part/stage of the larval Monarch? or cats as in she was specifying a particular “pet” she’s concerned about eating the milkweed?
While the article is about properly growing milkweed, would it also be relevant to say that care should be taken if cutting back the milk weed, or picking up broken stems, as this can happen after a heavy rain storm, as the sap will cause distress if accidentally ingested or accidentally rubbed in eyes?
Again, very well done and thank you!
I need a plant to cover the roots erupting under my curly willow. It looks like all the milkweed plants need more sunlight than I can provide in that location. I live in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon. Junction City, to be precise.
Hi
We live in Boise, Id, any suggestions as to what type of milkweed we should plant ? Also, we are trying to get out Homeowner’s Assoc to plant some milkweed in the common area’s so your recommendation would help with this.
Both showy milkweed (A. speciosa) and swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) are native to Idaho, along with several other species that are more difficult to find in the trade. I would start with those two.
Thank you for the informative article and replies from others. I started helping the Monarch population in Mulberry, Fl. Last year, very exciting. This year I started early, to cover the milkweed plants, with 8 Monarch caterpillars with netting, providing water, and watching for predators. However something? got all the caterpillars.
Then, when new caterpillars started to appear, I Carefully relocated them to a glass aquarium type environment along with the common milkweed plant, honey water and melon. I kept a daily chart for reference and after 14 days, the first Monarch was out of the chrysalis.
I was able to have two adult butterflies that I released on 3/10/2021.
Then, on2/28/2021 a third caterpillar, 3/2/2021 chrysalis, and on
3/4/2021 a fourth caterpillar, 3/5/2021 chrysalis. EXCITING!!!
Followed by another caterpillar and milkweed added to glass enclosure on 3/9/2021 with the other two chrysalis, still intact.