Common Milkweed Seed Packet

"The first time I saw Common Milkweed was at the UC Berkley Botanical Garden while photographing milkweed for my website. The flowers are fragrant making them nice to have near your house or patio. They grow 5 to 6 feet tall and are mostly found growing in the eastern United States." — Bobby Gendron

The Facts:

• Latin name: Asclepias syriaca
• Quantity of seeds per packet: 50
• Monarch butterfly host plant
• Fragrant pink and white flowers
• Hardy perennial
• 36" - 60" tall
• Blooms from June until August
• Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 - 11

Growing Instructions: Start Common Milkweed seeds outdoors in the spring after the danger of nighttime freezing has past. Pick a location with full sun and prepare soil for good drainage, if needed. Plant seeds 1/8" deep and 18” apart, using 3 seeds per hole. Keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate in 10 - 20 days. Once the seedlings reach 1", thin out so you have individual plants spaced 18” apart. Water regularly allowing the soil to go nearly dry between each watering. Fertilize monthly in the summer with a general purpose fertilizer. To get a head start, seeds can be planted indoors in the late winter. Transplant outdoors after the danger of nighttime freezing has past.

Common Milkweed Range Map:

Map ©: Kartesz, J.T. 2013. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP).

Common Milkweed is native to the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin