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Common milkweed seedling1/12/2024 Remember, the mature butterflies relay on milkweed flowers for their nectar. Similarly, if you cut back the shoots on common milkweed, it will grow young, tender shoots, which are preferred caterpillar food.ĭon’t go overboard with trimming. It’s okay to deadhead milkweed as the flowers fade to prolong blooming. You may also want to plant in a pot rather than directly in the soil, or plant the plant in an area where it has room to spread. YES! Milkweed can spread via their rhizomes (roots) and via seeds, so if you need to control the size of your patch, go ahead and remove the seed pods. They also provide visual interest in the landscape, and some insects eat the seeds. You can cut the plants back, but prefer to leave them to mark the patch. Simply dig up a section of plants (do your best to include plenty of roots), and relocate in your preferred spot. Transplanting is best accomplished in spring, when the plants are still small and temperatures are moderate. If starting seeds indoors, plant in regular potting soil (after cold treatment), scratching the seeds lightly into the top of the soil. Scatter seeds onto the soil, covering only lightly. The best time to plant milkweed seeds is after fall temps are too cold for germination. If seeding outdoors, prep the seed bed as you would for other garden crops. Plant them in fall and let Mother Nature do the work.Place them in a container in the refrigerator for several weeks. Milkweed seeds require cold stratification, i.e., the seeds need to be chilled before they sprout. The three species below are widely available and adaptable to most areas.Ĭommon milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) can be found throughout most of the central to eastern United States and Canada (see USDA range map below) and is native to North America. There are over 2000 milkweed species worldwide, with a wide range of flower colors and growth habits. Less known is that milkweed has a long history of use for food and medicine, which we’ll cover in the second half of the article. Most people know that monarch butterflies rely on milkweed to survive, but these plants also provide food for many other insects. Are there other ways to use Common Milkweed?.Is milkweed toxic to dogs? What about livestock and other animals?.How do I get rid of milkweed naturally?.Should I deadhead or trim back milkweed?.
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