Common Milkweed / Asclepias syriaca
Common Milkweed has big, broad leaves and pretty pink globe-shaped flower clusters. In June, it draws a diverse group of pollinators. It's also right up there with Common Milkweed for top favorite Monarch caterpillar food source. Later in the summer, these plants develop large seed pods that are mainly filled with the silken parachutes (called floss) the seeds use to float on breezes away from the parent plant.
Seed Planting/Germination Key
Storage: Store in a cool, dry, dark place prior to planting.
Rule of thumb for depth of planting: The maximum depth should generally be half the width of the seed, but many wildflower seeds will germinate well if sown on the surface.
Easy: Generally germinates within 5 to 30 days with no need for cold pretreatment. Keep potting mix or soil consistently moist during the germination period.
Cold(30): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 30 days or outside in late winter.
Cold(60): Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 60 days or outside in mid-winter.
Cold(90); Outdoors: Germination rates are higher if cold pretreatment applied either by placing the seed within moist paper towel or sand within a refrigerator for 90 days or outside in late fall or early winter. The best route is to plant these outdoors in either a pot or directly on the soil.
Approximate Seeds Per Packet: 100
Germination: Cold(30)
Lifecycle: Perennial
Sunlight: Full, Part
Soil Moisture: Medium, Dry
Height: 5
Bloom Period: June-July
Bloom Color: Pink
USDA Zones: 3-8
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies
Larval Host For: Monarch Butterfly